Post by rainman on Dec 11, 2007 12:34:52 GMT -5
The Mountaineer
One of the most beloved of all West Virginia athletic traditions, the Mountaineer first appeared at WVU sporting events in the late 1920s.
Daily Athenaeum articles indicate that designating individuals to serve as the Mountaineer started as early as 1927. Clay Crouse was designated that year followed in 1932 by Burton Crow and then Bill Fahey. Others may have served. However, it was not until 1934-35 when trackster Lawson Hill was selected by Mountain that a more stable process was established. By 1937, the Mountaineer was being selected on an annual basis by Mountain.
The Mountaineer is a member of the student body chosen by Mountain for outstanding enthusiasm, character, service to the community and academics. The mascot symbolizes the proud and rich heritage of the Mountain State and its people.
However, the Mountaineer doesn't just have responsibilities associated with athletics. The mascot is expected to appear at community and alumni events to promote Mountaineer spirit statewide.
Candidates apply to become the Mountaineer by writing essays about why they want the position. From there, they are interviewed by Mountain members and representatives of the athletic department and student affairs. The top candidates are then invited to "cheer-off" at the next-to-last home basketball event each season. There, the candidates are judged and the Mountaineer is announced at the season's final basketball game.
Boyd H. "Slim" Arnold, a physical education major from Bayard in Grant County, was the first Mountaineer selected to serve three years in succession (1937-38-39) and was the longest tenured until Rock Wilson equaled it in 1993. (1991-92-93).
During Arnold's tenure, he became the first Mountaineer to wear the now traditional buckskin uniform. Minutes of Mountain meetings from the late 1930s indicate that a donor gave the Honorary several deerskins asking that a buckskin costume be made for the Mountaineer. Prior to that the Mountaineer wore overalls, a flannel shirt, coonskin cap, a sheep or bear skin type vest and carried a rifle.
The post has remained relatively unchanged since that time. The costume is tailored to fit each year's winner, and male Mountaineers customarily grow beards during their tenure. The rifle is a true flintlock that requires the user to become schooled in the amount of powder required to fire the charge.
In 1991, Natalie Tennant of Fairview became the first female selected as Mountaineer.
The Mountaineers
Clay Crouse, 1927
Burdette "Irish" Crow, 1932
Bill Fahey, 1933
Lawson Hill, 1934-35
William "Buckwheat" Jackson, 1936
Boyd H. "Slim" Arnold, 1937-38-39
Julius W. Singleton Jr., 1940-41
William F. Gott, 1942-43
Robert L. Carr, 1945
James G. Coughlin, 1946
Sidney H. Gillis, 1947
Matthew W. Harrison Jr., 1948
John Russel, 1949
Thomas A. Deveny III, 1950
James Almond, 1951
Dan D. Fleming, 1952
Dan R. Oliker, 1953
John Coyner, 1954
Fred S. Pattison, 1955
Larry Reppert, 1956
James L. McCoy, 1957
Robert H. Allen, 1958
David Ellis, 1959
William McPherson, 1960
Jerry S. Sturm, 1961
William D. Thompson, 1962
William W. Roger Jr., 1963
Edward S. Pritchard, 1964-65
Kenneth B. Fonville, 1966
Louis A. Garvin, 1967
Frederick G. Reel, 1968-69
Douglas F. Townshend, 1970
Robert S. Lowe, 1971
Mark Lothes, 1972
Stuart Wolpert, 1973-74
Junior Taylor, 1975
Jerry Scherer, 1976
Bruce Heisler, 1977
Rick Poling, 1978
Jim Campbell, 1979
Cecil Graham, 1980
Andy Mergler, 1981
Ed Coakley, 1981
Bob Richardson, 1982
Mike Russell, 1983
Mark Boggs, 1984
Tim Nilan, 1985
Mathew Zervos, 1986
Tom Dulaney, 1987
Dan Pearson, 1988
Ben White, 1989
Natalie Tennant, 1990
Rock Wilson, 1991-92-93
John Stemple, 1994-95
Andrew Cogar, 1996-97
Brandon Flower, 1998-99
Scott Moore, 2000-02
Trey Hinrichs, 2002-04
Derek Fincham, 2004-06
Brady Campbell, 2006-present
One of the most beloved of all West Virginia athletic traditions, the Mountaineer first appeared at WVU sporting events in the late 1920s.
Daily Athenaeum articles indicate that designating individuals to serve as the Mountaineer started as early as 1927. Clay Crouse was designated that year followed in 1932 by Burton Crow and then Bill Fahey. Others may have served. However, it was not until 1934-35 when trackster Lawson Hill was selected by Mountain that a more stable process was established. By 1937, the Mountaineer was being selected on an annual basis by Mountain.
The Mountaineer is a member of the student body chosen by Mountain for outstanding enthusiasm, character, service to the community and academics. The mascot symbolizes the proud and rich heritage of the Mountain State and its people.
However, the Mountaineer doesn't just have responsibilities associated with athletics. The mascot is expected to appear at community and alumni events to promote Mountaineer spirit statewide.
Candidates apply to become the Mountaineer by writing essays about why they want the position. From there, they are interviewed by Mountain members and representatives of the athletic department and student affairs. The top candidates are then invited to "cheer-off" at the next-to-last home basketball event each season. There, the candidates are judged and the Mountaineer is announced at the season's final basketball game.
Boyd H. "Slim" Arnold, a physical education major from Bayard in Grant County, was the first Mountaineer selected to serve three years in succession (1937-38-39) and was the longest tenured until Rock Wilson equaled it in 1993. (1991-92-93).
During Arnold's tenure, he became the first Mountaineer to wear the now traditional buckskin uniform. Minutes of Mountain meetings from the late 1930s indicate that a donor gave the Honorary several deerskins asking that a buckskin costume be made for the Mountaineer. Prior to that the Mountaineer wore overalls, a flannel shirt, coonskin cap, a sheep or bear skin type vest and carried a rifle.
The post has remained relatively unchanged since that time. The costume is tailored to fit each year's winner, and male Mountaineers customarily grow beards during their tenure. The rifle is a true flintlock that requires the user to become schooled in the amount of powder required to fire the charge.
In 1991, Natalie Tennant of Fairview became the first female selected as Mountaineer.
The Mountaineers
Clay Crouse, 1927
Burdette "Irish" Crow, 1932
Bill Fahey, 1933
Lawson Hill, 1934-35
William "Buckwheat" Jackson, 1936
Boyd H. "Slim" Arnold, 1937-38-39
Julius W. Singleton Jr., 1940-41
William F. Gott, 1942-43
Robert L. Carr, 1945
James G. Coughlin, 1946
Sidney H. Gillis, 1947
Matthew W. Harrison Jr., 1948
John Russel, 1949
Thomas A. Deveny III, 1950
James Almond, 1951
Dan D. Fleming, 1952
Dan R. Oliker, 1953
John Coyner, 1954
Fred S. Pattison, 1955
Larry Reppert, 1956
James L. McCoy, 1957
Robert H. Allen, 1958
David Ellis, 1959
William McPherson, 1960
Jerry S. Sturm, 1961
William D. Thompson, 1962
William W. Roger Jr., 1963
Edward S. Pritchard, 1964-65
Kenneth B. Fonville, 1966
Louis A. Garvin, 1967
Frederick G. Reel, 1968-69
Douglas F. Townshend, 1970
Robert S. Lowe, 1971
Mark Lothes, 1972
Stuart Wolpert, 1973-74
Junior Taylor, 1975
Jerry Scherer, 1976
Bruce Heisler, 1977
Rick Poling, 1978
Jim Campbell, 1979
Cecil Graham, 1980
Andy Mergler, 1981
Ed Coakley, 1981
Bob Richardson, 1982
Mike Russell, 1983
Mark Boggs, 1984
Tim Nilan, 1985
Mathew Zervos, 1986
Tom Dulaney, 1987
Dan Pearson, 1988
Ben White, 1989
Natalie Tennant, 1990
Rock Wilson, 1991-92-93
John Stemple, 1994-95
Andrew Cogar, 1996-97
Brandon Flower, 1998-99
Scott Moore, 2000-02
Trey Hinrichs, 2002-04
Derek Fincham, 2004-06
Brady Campbell, 2006-present