Cougar (Washington State University)

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY COUGAR -  The first mascot was a terrier named "Squirt" as someone brought a pet dog to campus.   The mascot became the Indians during the decade spanning 1910-1919, known as "Carlisle Connection".   Three football coaches came from the famous Carlisle Indian College in Pennsylvania: Frank Shivley, William "Lone Star" Dietz and Gus Welch.

Following the first football game between WSU and California in 1919, an Oakland cartoonist portrayed the Washington State team as fierce Northwest cougars chasing the defeated Golden Bears.  A few days later, on October 28, WSU students officially designated "Cougars" as their team mascot.

In 1927 during the Homecoming football game against the neighboring University of Idaho, Governor Roland H. Hartley presented a cougar cub to the WSU students.  The cub was originally to be called "Governor Hartley," in honor of its donor.  The governor gracefully declined and suggested the name "Butch," in honor of Herbert "Butch" Meeker of Spokane, who was WSU's gridiron football star at the time.

Governor Clarence D. Martin presented Butch II to the student body in 1938. Butch III and IV were twin cubs presented by Governor Arthur B. Langlie in January 1942.  Governor Langlie also presented Butch V in 1955.  Butch VI, the last live mascot on campus, died in the summer of 1978. Governor Albert Rosellini had presented him to WSU in 1964 from Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.

Today, the mascot, named Butch T. Cougar, is a student wearing a cougar costume. The student playing the mascot is anonymous; the student's identity is only revealed after the last sporting event of the school year, usually the last home basketball game of the season.