The mascot for Oklahoma is the Sooners. The choice of this mascot is deeply rooted in the history and culture of the state. In the late 19th century, there was a land rush in Oklahoma, with settlers rushing to claim available lands for themselves. These settlers were known as "boomers," but there were also individuals who had illegally entered the territory before the land rush, and they were called "sooners." The term "sooners" eventually became associated with those who were willing to take risks and push boundaries. In a sense, it represented the pioneering spirit of the people of Oklahoma.
History
Created by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting research university serving the educational, cultural, economic and health-care needs of the state, region and nation. The University's first president, David Ross Boyd, arrived in Norman in August of 1892. By 1895, there were four faculty members, three men and one woman, and 100 students enrolled. Today there are more than 30,000 students at the University. It is Norman's largest employer, and the city itself has grown to a population of more than 110,000 residents. The Norman campus serves as home to all of the university's academic programs except health-related fields. The OU Health Sciences Center, which is located in Oklahoma City, is one of only four comprehensive academic health centers in the nation with seven professional colleges. Both the Norman and Health Sciences Center colleges offer programs at the Schusterman Center, the site of OU-Tulsa. OU has more than 2,600 full-time faculty members, and has 20 colleges offering a variety of bachelor's, master's, doctoral and doctoral professional, as well as multiples graduate certificates. It is a majestic campus with meticulously manicured grounds. There are sculptures by internationally renowned artists, serene park and fountain settings, and soaring Prairie Gothic architecture in every direction. The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art has been acclaimed as one of the finest university art museums in the country, and it recently received the largest gift of French Impressionist paintings - the Weitzenhoffer Collection - ever given to a university.
Boomer and Sooner
Boomer and Sooner are the costumed mascots that represent the University and the OU Athletics Department. The characters are an extension of the Sooner Schooner and its horses to be enjoyed by fans -- especially children -- at all OU athletics contests. The mascots were introduced at the Big Red Rally on campus on August 26, 2005. A number of groups participated in the process of researching and devising the new mascots over a period of nearly three years. The OU Athletics Department and student leaders recognized the need for a mascot to provide representation at all OU athletics contests as well as attend charity events and visit children's hospitals. With that in mind, student congress passed a resolution in favor of the development and implementation of a unified mascot. The Mascot Committee was formed and began work on what would become Boomer and Sooner.
Crimson and Cream
The school colors of crimson and cream became official over a century ago and you can still see those colors worn proudly by Sooner athletes and fans alike on gamedays or when they want to show their love for the university. In the fall of 1895, Miss May Overstreet was asked to chair a committee to select the colors of the university. The committee decided the colors should be crimson and cream and an elaborate display of the colors was draped above a platform before the student body. The student body approved with great enthusiasm and immediately pennants, banners, badges and decorations of every description appeared on the streets, in the windows, at chapel, in classrooms, and all public places; however, local merchants could not supply the demand. Even though the school colors have evolved to crimson and white over the years, you can ask any self-respecting Sooner what the colors are and they will proudly announce "Crimson and Cream." On gamedays, a sea of crimson rolls through OU's home arenas and all Sooners are urged to wear the official colors to show the rest of the country what school spirit and Sooner Pride are all about.
Mex the Dog
During Oklahoma football and baseball games from 1915-1928, Mex the Dog wore a red sweater with a big red letter 'O' on the side. One of his main jobs was to keep stray dogs from roaming the field during a game in the days when the football field was more accessible to non-ticketholders. Before his career as a mascot, Mex was just a helpless 'dog waif.' Then, a U.S. Army field hospital medic found him in Mexico in 1914 during the Mexican Revolution unrest. Mott Keys was stationed along the Mexican border near Laredo, Texas, and found the dog among a litter of abandoned pups one night on the Mexican side. Mex was adopted by Keys' company, and when Keys finished his duty and moved to Hollis, Okla., he took Mex. He later attended OU and Mex followed him again. At OU, Mex's experience as an Army medic company mascot landed him the job with the football team and a home in the Kappa Sigma fraternity house. He quickly became Oklahoma's most famous dog. 'A joyous staccato bark cheered Sooner touchdowns' at football games and a 'victory woof' punctuated home runs at baseball games. But Mex began to gain national attention in October of 1924 when the OU football headed north to play Drake. Mex did not board the train in Arkansas City, Kan., as the OU football team and its boosters switched cars to head for Des Moines, Iowa, and the game. Missing their beloved mascot, the Sooners were shut out by Drake, 28-0. The headline from the Arkansas Daily Traveler on October 28, 1924 left no doubt as to the cause of the humiliating loss: "Crushing Defeat of Bennie Owen's Team is Charged to Loss of Their Mascot Here." A 50-cent reward was offered. Mex was eventually discovered in Arkansas City pacing the train station platform. OU grads J.D. Hull, Hughes B. Davis and J.C. Henley recovered Mex and the men drove him to the next Sooner game against Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater. Mex died of old age on April 30, 1928. He was so popular among students and faculty that the university closed for his funeral and procession on May 2, 1928. He was buried in a small casket somewhere under the existing stadium.
Pride of Oklahoma
The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band has been supporting Sooner Spirit for nearly a century. Unlike many other college bands, which began as military drill units, the Pride of Oklahoma had its beginnings as a pep band. In the early years of the 1900s, both townspeople of Norman and students of OU participated in a band that played for football games. Professor John Merrill started the first band in 1901, which was composed mostly of townspeople and disbanded after each football season. Lloyd Curtis founded the first continuous student band in 1904. Today, the 300-member Pride of Oklahoma has members representing virtually every college and major on campus. The Pride of Oklahoma stands for excellence in musicianship, academics, school spirit, and commitment to our role in the surrounding community. "Boomer Sooner" rings out at the end of each rehearsal, and that song is still the defining element of the University of Oklahoma. Maybe that is why Sooner fans love the band so much: There is nothing that can compare to the first "go-go" at a football game when the Pride of Oklahoma marches the interlocking "OU" down the field playing "Boomer Sooner.
Sooner Schooner
The Sooner Schooner is a conestoga (covered wagon) reminiscent of the mode of travel used by pioneers who settled Oklahoma Territory around the time of the 1889 Land Run. Powered by matching white ponies named Boomer and Sooner, the Schooner races across Owen Field in a triumphant victory ride after every OU score. The Schooner was introduced in the fall of 1964 and become the official mascot of the Oklahoma Sooners in 1980. The Ruf/Neks, OU's all-male spirit squad, maintain and drive the Schooner. Mick Cottom, a freshman Ruf/Nek member from Liberty Mounds, Okla., has the distinction of being the first person to pilot the Schooner across Owen Field in 1964. The Sooner Schooner and accompanying ponies are kept at the Bartlett Ranch in Sapulpa, Okla. Charley F. (Buzz) Bartlett and his brother, Dr. M. S. Bartlett, organized the Doc and Buzz foundation in 1964 for the purpose of presenting scholarships to deserving students. The most sentimental thrust of the foundation was the support of the OU mascot. The sight of the Sooner Schooner rolling across the field is one that Oklahoma fans (and most opponents) will always cherish as one of the best traditions in college athletics.
History of "Sooner"
At the University of Oklahoma, we seek to learn lessons from history. These lessons help us to create a fairer society for the future. While many people know the nickname Oklahoma Sooners is uniquely linked to the University of Oklahoma and has become synonymous with excellence, some aren't aware of the roots, which reach to our state's Indian Territory origins. Originally the home of several tribal nations of the Southern Plains, Congress set aside Indian Territory in 1830 as part of its forcible relocation of numerous tribal nations from their ancestral homelands via the Trail of Tears. Following the U.S. Civil War, some tribal nations lost portions of their new land in Indian Territory due to renegotiated treaties, which became known as the Unassigned Lands. Pioneers, known as Boomers, vigorously campaigned to settle the Unassigned Lands, which were later incorporated into Oklahoma Territory. Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory became known as the Twin Territories. Famously, Oklahoma Territory was opened for settlement through land claims races, or Land Runs, and in 1889, thousands made their way to the Twin Territories to participate in the first of these dramatic events. Each race began with a pistol shot, and those who jumped the gun were called Sooners. Later, Indian Territory was opened for non-native settlement, and in 1907 the Twin Territories were merged into one state ? Oklahoma ? which is the joining of two Choctaw words, "okla" and "homma," meaning "red people" or American Indian. Due to the enthusiasm of many pioneers and their descendants, "Sooner" came to denote energetic, "can-do" individuals. The university embraces the complexity of our heritage. OU athletics teams were called either Rough Riders or Boomers for 10 years before the current Oklahoma Sooner nickname emerged in 1908. Taken together, Oklahoma Sooners reflects our state's American Indian and pioneer heritage and, today, symbolizes a special university spirit that values resilience and perseverance as well as the inclusivity that unites all who are a part of the University of Oklahoma family.
Our First President
David Ross Boyd
When OU's first president David Ross Boyd stepped off the train in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1892, he was greeted with a barren expanse of prairie, no tree in sight. His only remark at this sight was "What possibilities!" At the University of Oklahoma, we have that same spirit: anything can grow if you have the drive to make it so.
Thousands Strong Join Heart and Song
Boomer Sooner
In 1905, Arthur M. Alden, a student in history and physiology whose father was a Norman jeweler, wrote the lyrics to the fight song, borrowing the tune from Yale University's Boola Boola but improvising the words. A year later, an addition was made to it from North Carolina's I'm a Tarheel Born and the two combined to form the university's fight song today. One of the most recognizable college fight songs in the country, Boomer Sooner immediately evokes enthusiasm from OU fans and sends chills down the spines of those who dare to oppose them. Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner
Boomer Sooner, OK U! Oklahoma, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, OK U! I'm a Sooner born and Sooner bred
and when I die, I'll be Sooner dead
Rah Oklahoma, Rah Oklahoma
Rah Oklahoma, OK U!
Oklahoma football: Sooner mascot hasn’t always been the Schooner
Oct 29, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; A general view from outside of the venue prior to action the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
In a sense, it represented the pioneering spirit of the people of Oklahoma. This association with the term made it a natural choice for the mascot of the state. The University of Oklahoma adopted the name "Sooners" for its athletic teams in 1908.
Oklahoma football has a long and rich history. Jake Trotter, who covers and comments on the Sooners and the Big 12 for ESPN.com recently came up with some OU trivia that even the most devoted of Sooner fans may be learning for the very first time.
In case you missed it, ESPN.com published an article, “What gives top-25 teams a home-field advantage.” The evergreen piece offers some intriguing, little-known facts about the gridiron edifices that serve as home for ESPN’s 2017 post-spring top-25 college football teams.
When it came to No. 8-ranked Oklahoma and Owen Field, Trotter writes:
"“During the 1920s, the Sooners’ mascot was a terrier named “Mex,” whom an OU trainer had found serving as an Army medic while stationed by the Mexican border.“Donning a red sweater with a red letter “O” on the side, Mex would bark whenever OU scored a touchdown. He remains buried in a small casket somewhere under Owen Field.”"
On Sept. 9 this season, Oklahoma will travel to play the Ohio State Buckeyes at historic Ohio Stadium, more commonly referred to as the “Horseshoe.” Here is what ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren offers up about that iconic and spacious football cathedral:
"“How much do they love football in Ohio? Well, Ohio Stadium was built near the Olentangy River and subject to flooding, but rather than move the location of the stadium, Ohio State decided to move the river.“A bend in the river was eventually straightened to help prevent any flooding of the stadium because it was on a flood plain in Columbus (Ohio). The Horseshoe was a times subject to a few floods despite straightening the riverbed, but it did help keep the waters at bay, proving that nothing, not even a river, will keep Ohio State fans from their football team.”"
As Oklahoma plays out its 2017 football schedule, particularly its road schedule, which will take the Sooners to two other school’s listed in the post-spring top-25 (Oklahoma State and Kansas State), we will pass along other little-known facts about where the visiting Sooners are going to battle.
"Going there": Peer Writing Consultants' Perspectives on the New Racism and Peer Writing Pedagogies
The University of Oklahoma has a very conflicted history when it comes to its relationship with Native Americans. The school's nickname, "Sooners," is derived from the Oklahoma land runs of 1889, during which white settlers moving westward could claim land. (Previous attempts to settle the land had been stalled by the federal government). All participants in the land run were supposed to leave at the same time. However, some crossed early, thus becoming known as "Sooners." Oklahomans "adopted the nickname as a badge of pride and progressivism," (Blochowiak, 2007) and today, the name "Sooners" refers to a 'go-getter,' a trailblazer, someone accustomed to being first—at least, it does for many. However, for many Native people in the state of Oklahoma, "Sooners" still invokes memories passed down through generations of white settlers who literally ran in and claimed the land previously promised to the Native groups by the federal government. Even worse, the "Sooners" cheated, as did the "Boomers" who claimed land that had already been staked by other white land run participants. This reminder was only made more clear from the 1940s until 1970, a time when "Little Red," an American Indian, danced on the sidelines of OU football games. Eventually, outcry from students and the Native population led to Little Red’s banishment in 1970, and the current Sooner Schooner was adopted. Race, however, had become a casual representative marker. Reminders of this history permeate the campus in photographs and sculptures, including those of its mascots (http://libraries.ou.edu/locations/docs/westhist/Football/mascot.html).
It is safe to say that the "Sooners" nickname is not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. Generations of Sooners filled with "Sooner Pride" and the national success of OU’s athletic teams have made it a name known through the country. This pride, however, is built on the history of the colonization of the western United States that remains largely unspoken and unquestioned. But to see the name Sooner in light of its implications on racial divisions is difficult for students when everything about the University's culture is predicated on pride in this name. The name just is - it is not representative of anything serious, the thought goes. But rhetorically, the name always serves a broader purpose. Here, it is synecdoche, representing a whole of colonial history that must be addressed (Villanueva, 2006).
Further complicating the relationship is the fact that the university currently has a Native American Studies program that is considered one of the best in the nation. Across campus are spread dozens of examples of Native American art, in the library, various academic halls, and even outside, in the form of sculptures. The University, much like the state, celebrates and perhaps even boasts of the presence of Native culture. However, the history of the University, founded upon soil originally deemed Indian Territory, identified by a nickname that some Native people still refuse to support, makes for a complicated racial environment that seemingly goes unnoticed by non-Native people.
- Home
- Introduction: A Reader's Guide
- Our [Silenced] History: Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher
- Sooners
- First-Year Composition and the Problem of Colorblind Curricula
- Power and Cultural Capital in Writing Center Consulting
- Conflict Between "Professionalism" and Activism
- On Consultant Responsibility
- Subversion
- Racial Microaggressions and the New Racism
- "Going There": A Conversation Between Consultants
- Writing as a Vehicle for Learning & Activism
- On Family and Abuse
- A Response to the New Racism (poem)
- Author Profiles
This decision was in line with the university's desire to embody the spirit of Oklahoma and its history. Today, the Sooners mascot represents the competitive and determined nature of the university's athletes. The use of the Sooners mascot also pays homage to Oklahoma's rich cultural heritage. It serves as a reminder of the state's history and the people who settled and built their lives there. This connection to the past helps to foster a sense of pride and unity among the students, alumni, and fans of the university. Overall, the choice of the Sooners as the mascot for Oklahoma is a reflection of the state's pioneering spirit and historical significance. It serves as a symbol of pride and unity for the university and its community, while also honoring the people who helped shape Oklahoma's identity..
Reviews for "The Oklahoma Sooners Mascot and its Impact on Recruitment"
1. John Smith - 1 out of 5 stars
I found "Why is the mascot for Oklahoma the Sooners" to be a disappointing read. The book lacked depth and failed to provide any substantial information on the topic. The author seemed more interested in sharing their personal opinions rather than facts and research. The arguments presented were weak and lacked convincing evidence. Overall, I felt that this book was a waste of time and did not provide any valuable insights into the history or reasoning behind Oklahoma's mascot choice.
2. Emily Johnson - 2 out of 5 stars
I was hoping to gain some knowledge about the origins and significance of the Sooners as Oklahoma's mascot from this book. However, I was left disappointed and unimpressed. The author's writing style was dull and monotonous, making it difficult to stay engaged. The lack of research and references also undermined the credibility of the book. I would not recommend "Why is the mascot for Oklahoma the Sooners" to anyone seeking an in-depth exploration of the topic.
3. David Thompson - 1 out of 5 stars
The author of "Why is the mascot for Oklahoma the Sooners" failed to present a compelling argument or provide any substantial evidence to support their claims. It felt like a hastily put together collection of random thoughts rather than a well-researched and coherent piece of writing. The lack of substantial content left me questioning why I even bothered reading it. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the history of Oklahoma's mascot.
4. Jessica Anderson - 2 out of 5 stars
While "Why is the mascot for Oklahoma the Sooners" attempted to address an interesting topic, it fell short in execution. The book lacked organization, and the arguments presented were weak and unsubstantiated. The author seemed to rely heavily on personal anecdotes and opinions, rather than engaging with concrete evidence. As a result, reading this book felt like a waste of time and left me wanting more substantial information about the topic. I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to others.