Mr. Commodore: The Mascot History of Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is known for its unique mascot and nickname: the Commodores. As the only NCAA Division I institution to use "Commodores" as its moniker, Vanderbilt proudly presents Mr. Commodore, affectionately known as "Mr. C," as its beloved mascot. This article delves into the history of Mr. Commodore, the origin of the Commodores nickname, and other interesting facts about Vanderbilt's athletic identity.

The Origin of Mr. Commodore

Since 1873, Mr. Commodore has been a visible mascot for Vanderbilt University, representing the spirit and pride of the institution. He has won two NCA (National Cheerleaders of America) Mascot National Championships. The look of the mascot is set in the 1800s, the time when Cornelius Vanderbilt was alive.

The "Commodore" title has naval roots, referring to a United States Navy rank that once stood below admiral but above captain. Although the rank has been abolished, its historical significance connects to the university's identity.

Adding to the mascot's appeal, a survey concluded that men found Mr. C to be the sexiest current mascot among FBS schools.

Cornelius Vanderbilt and the "Commodore" Nickname

The story of Vanderbilt's mascot and nickname is intertwined with the university's founding. In the spring of 1873, Cornelius Vanderbilt, a prominent figure known as "the Commodore," donated $1 million to establish Vanderbilt University. His success in the steamboat industry earned him the title "Commodore," a common term for important steamboat entrepreneurs in the 1830s.

In honor of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the university's teams became known as the Commodores. The term "commodore" may have initially been used derisively, but it has since become a badge of honor for Vanderbilt's athletic programs. Fans often shorten the name to "Dores" and rally behind the cheer "Go Dores!"

The Canine Mascots of Vanderbilt

While Mr. Commodore has been the primary mascot for decades, there have been instances where dogs represented Vanderbilt at sporting events.

George the Basset Hound

In the fall of 1961, Toby Wilt, a freshman football player, brought his basset hound, George, to campus. George lived with Wilt at the Sigma Chi House, and Wilt's girlfriend often brought George to football practices and home games.

George became a hero on November 28, 1964, during the Vanderbilt/Tennessee game. When the Vols' Tennessee walking horse was brought onto the field, George chased the horse out of the stadium. This act of courage resonated with Vanderbilt fans.

Following the incident, a student organization selected George as the university's official mascot. He enjoyed front-row seats at football and basketball games. However, in the spring of 1965, the Metropolitan Health Department deemed the fraternity house unsuitable for George, leading to his "official" expulsion. Despite this, students continued to care for him, and the Council of Student Activities even considered building him a house with carpeting and central heat and air, although this plan was eventually replaced with a regular doghouse donation.

Read also: Vanderbilt University Alumni

Tragically, in November 1966, George was killed after chasing an ice truck on campus. A funeral home donated a small casket, and he was buried in a plot north of Dudley Field.

Samantha the Basset Hound

After George's death, another basset hound named Samantha took his place. However, she failed to capture the same spirit as George, and the students eventually gave up on the idea of a basset hound mascot after Samantha's master graduated in 1970.

Bull the Bulldog

George was not the first canine to represent Vanderbilt football. In 1904, the Commodore squad, led by coach Dan McGugin, had a bulldog mascot named Bull. However, Bull's tenure was short-lived due to a lack of courage.

During Thanksgiving week in 1904, Vanderbilt was scheduled to play rival Sewanee. Before the game, Bull was placed in a pen with a fox terrier to test his mettle. Bull refused to fight and was subsequently dismissed after the incident.

Despite Bull's shortcomings, Vanderbilt defeated Sewanee 27-0 to complete an undefeated season.

Vanderbilt Athletics: A Legacy of Excellence

The Vanderbilt Commodores compete in 17 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 11 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference and is the conference's only private school.

Vanderbilt's primary rival in almost every sport is the University of Tennessee. There is also a rivalry with the University of Kentucky in basketball. In addition, the Commodores' second-oldest rivalry is with Ole Miss, and the two schools play each other every year as SEC cross-division "permanent opponents".

Baseball

Baseball has been a part of Vanderbilt athletics since its official debut in 1886. The sport started out as a two-game schedule which featured a draw between Vanderbilt and then conference rival Sewanee. As the number of games increased the game became more and more popular especially in 1921 when Vanderbilt (20-8) first reached twenty wins in a season and won the Southern Conference baseball championship. Manager Bill Schwartz formerly coached the Nashville Vols (1917, 1924-40, 1952) helped bring Vanderbilt to national prominence. Under his reign he led the Commodores to a 155-112-1 record which still ranks third all-time in victories at Vanderbilt. Under the direction of Larry Schmittou (1968-1978) the Commodores found even more success as the 1971 team began a four-year streak as SEC Eastern Divisional Champs with a 34-19 record. He also guided Vanderbilt to back-to-back SEC conference titles in 1973 and 1974 while being awarded Coach-of-the-Year honors. Tim Corbin (2003-present) has led Vanderbilt baseball into national prominence with players like Jeremy Sowers, David Price, Casey Weathers, Sonny Gray, Jensen Lewis and Pedro Álvarez. Vanderbilt's baseball team has enjoyed a great deal of success under his reign. The team qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals in 2004, had the nation's top recruiting class in 2005 according to Baseball America made the NCAA field again in 2006, and won the 2007 SEC regular-season and SEC tournament crowns. The Commodores were ranked first in most polls for a large portion of the 2007 season and earned the #1 national seed for the 2007 NCAA tournament. In 2011, the team was ranked as high as #1 and won the SEC regular-season title. That year, the team entered the NCAA Regionals with a #6 national seed and went undefeated through Regionals and Super Regionals to enter the College World Series for the first time. Vanderbilt won the 2014 College World Series, the school's first national championship in any men's sport. Vanderbilt's 2019 baseball team compiled a 59-12 record and won the 2019 College World Series in addition to the SEC regular-season and tournament titles.

Basketball

Vanderbilt basketball began on February 7, 1893, with a 9-6 victory over the Nashville YMCA, making it the first basketball game played by a collegiate team. It would take several years for the Commodores to make an impact in the game. In December 1900, the school first produced a formal basketball team coached by W.D. Weatherford. The first actual schedule for Vanderbilt consisted of three games against the Nashville YMCA and one against the Nashville Athletic Club. That year the Commodores lost their first meeting against the YMCA but managed to finish their season 2-2. Vanderbilt's first modern basketball team began with the hiring of Bob Polk (1948-58, 1960-61) as the school's first full-time basketball coach. During that time, Polk was able to recruit Vanderbilt's first scholarship player, Billy Joe Adcock, who would later become Vanderbilt's first All-American. From 1982 to 1989, Vanderbilt found success under the coaching of C.M. Newton who was able to bring Vanderbilt to new heights. In 1988, Vanderbilt managed to make it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament with the help of center and SEC Player of the Year Will Perdue. Newton was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year and was able to coach other notable players, including Phil Cox, Jeff Turner and Frank Kornet. In 1990, coach Eddie Fogler (1990-93) led Vanderbilt to the NIT championship, which remains Vanderbilt's only national tournament title. In 1992, the Commodores (28-6) managed to win their third and SEC title and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with the help of Duke transfer Billy McCaffrey. Presently, Kevin Stallings is in his eighth season leading the Commodores. Under his guidance Vanderbilt has appeared in two NIT's and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. In 2004 Matt Freije became the Commodores all-time leading scorer with 1,891 points. The Vanderbilt men have an overall record entering the 2007-08 season of 1,378-995. Their home record in Memorial Gymnasium is 650-184. They have made nine NCAA tournament appearances including four in the Sweet Sixteen and one Elite Eight. The Commodores have made 11 NIT (18-10) appearances with one championship (1990) and one Runner-up (1994). The men's basketball program is one of three Division I programs to hit at least one 3-pointer in every game since the 3-point line was implemented in the 1986-1987 season. The first Vanderbilt women's basketball game was in March 1897. During that time their schedule consisted of five games which expanded as the game became more popular nationally. The Lady Commodores began their modern and successful period when Joe Pepper (1977-80) was named part-time coach. Phil Lee (1980-91) became the school's first full-time coach in 1980 and helped lead the Lady Dores to their first 20 win season in 1981 and an appearance in the AIAW women's basketball tournament. The Vanderbilt women captured the WNIT championship in 1984 and later made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 1986 while finishing the season ranked No. 20. The Vanderbilt women soon became one of the top SEC teams and were consistently ranked nationally. Coach Jim Foster (1992-2002) brought the Vanderbilt women to new heights and national prominence with his hiring. Vanderbilt advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament in eight of his 11 seasons. In 1993, the Commodores were able to advance to the Final Four before falling to eventual champion Texas Tech. Vanderbilt managed to receive a No.1 ranking in the poll taken before the tournament. Foster's teams also won three SEC Tournaments in 1993, 1995, and 2002. Melanie Balcomb became Vanderbilt's fourth coach in May 2002. The Commodores have an overall record of 623-307 record entering the 2007-08 season. Their Memorial Gymnasium all-time mark is 344-81.

Football

The first game in Vanderbilt Commodores football history was in 1890 when they met the University of Nashville. Four years later, Vanderbilt became one of the seven founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. During those years, Vanderbilt was often a major player in southern football dominating many teams. In 1932, Vandy became a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The original teams of the SEC consisted of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn, Sewanee, Tulane, and Georgia Tech. In Vanderbilt Commodores football history, there have been several coaches who have been honored with College Football Hall of Fame honors. Some of those coaches often returned to the school to continue the success they found there. This list includes Dan McGugin, who coached from 1904 to 1917 and 1919-1934; Ray Morrison, who not only played for the Commodores but also coached for the Commodores from 1936 to 1939; and Red Sanders, who led the Commodores from 1940 to 1942 and 1946-1948, and Paul "Bear" Bryant prior to his becoming head football coach at Alabama. Over the years, Vanderbilt has sent a numerous players to the NFL. One of the most notable football players is Jay Cutler, who served as quarterback and offensive captain for the Commodores. He was selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft and went on to play for the Denver Broncos and then the Chicago Bears.

Other Sports

Vanderbilt reinstated women's volleyball in the 2025-26 school year (2025 season) after having dropped the sport in spring 1980. This leaves Oklahoma State as the only school in the Power 4 conferences that does not sponsor the sport. The rapidly expanding and successful climbing team at Vanderbilt was founded in 2017 and is competing in the Appalachian region of the USA Climbing Collegiate Series. The American collegiate climbing scene has grown by a staggering amount since the advent of modern climbing gyms and the addition of climbing in the Summer Olympic Games. At the 2019 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships, where over 100 teams attended, Vanderbilt placed 3rd in speed climbing and 13th overall. There are currently over 50 active team members, who compete in all three disciplines - bouldering, speed climbing and lead climbing. Founded in 1970, Vanderbilt University Rugby Football Club plays in the Division 1 Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference against its traditional SEC rivals such as Tennessee and Ole Miss. Founded in 1985, the Vanderbilt University Rowing team is one of the largest club teams on campus and competes as a member of the Southeastern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) and the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA). The program was born in 1973 was dropped in 2006. The college cited Title IX as the reason for its decision. However, supporters of the team and some experts on the legislation said this was not necessary. The decision caused outcry, with soccer players making petitions to resurrect the program.

Recent Successes

Vanderbilt's athletics programs have seen more success in recent years, and 2006-2007 was one of the best in the school's athletic history. At one point, seven of Vanderbilt's 16 teams were ranked in the Top 25 of their respective sports. Women's bowling won the NCAA championship, bringing the university its first team championship since the advent of the NCAA. In 2014, the baseball team won its first College World Series over the Virginia Cavaliers. In 2015, the Vanderbilt women's tennis team won its first national championship by defeating the defending champions UCLA Bruins. In 2018, the women's bowling team won its second national championship by defeating the defending champions McKendree University.

The Modern Mr. Commodore

Today, Mr. C is embodied by three students who alternate in the role. These students undergo tryouts and hone their skills through regular workouts and practices.

Their duties include attending all home football games and an away game. They also work basketball games, alternating between Mr. C and his inflatable sidekick, Big C.

The modern Mr. C's enjoy interacting with fans, especially the older ones who remember and respect the mascot.

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