Bloomsburg University's Harvey A. Andruss Library

Library Exhibits


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3RD FLOOR EXHIBIT

Hooray for the Husky:
Celebrating 75 years of Bloomsburg's Mascot
 

 
Cheerleader Al Watts with Roongo, the first Husky mascot, from the 1934 yearbook.


            On October 9, 1933, the student body of the Bloomsburg State Teachers College voted nearly unanimously in favor of adopting the husky as the school's first official mascot.  Proposed by art professor and avid husky trainer George J. Keller as the ideal mascot because of his noble qualities, an actual husky donated by Keller made his first appearance at a pep rally on October 13.  Named Roongo after a combination of maroon and gold, our first mascot proudly served in his role, sporting a blanket adorned in the school's colors.

            A total of five dogs served in the role of official mascot from 1933 until 1958, three of them with the name of Roongo.  It was eventually decided that the cost of keeping an actual dog was too great, but since the school still needed an actual representation of the mascot to promote spirit at athletic events a costume was designed in 1979 for a student to personify the husky.  Five costumes have been used since that time, the latest debuting in 2005.  Originally known only as the husky, he now once again goes by his historic name of Roongo.

            In addition to the dogs and costumed mascot the husky has been represented many times over the years in different ways, on university publications, buttons, bumper stickers and even candy wrappers.  Competitions have been held to create a two-dimensional caricature of our mascot, and after years of effort a statue was commissioned and dedicated in 1984, proudly proclaiming the husky as the symbol of the University's athletic prowess.

           The exhibit is currently installed in the flat cases on the third floor of the Andruss Library, and includes photographs, newspapers and clippings, correspondence, yearbooks, meeting minutes, t-shirts, buttons and programs.  The display will be in the flat cases until October 20, when it will be moved to the vertical cases in front of the Archives and remain there until January 30, 2009.

VIRTUAL EXHIBITS

The University Archives periodically creates online or 'virtual' exhibits to highlight the Archives' collections and the history of Bloomsburg University. The first such exhibit is Bloomsburg State Teachers College in 1959. This is a pictorial look at the campus of 40 years ago, complete with historical and current information on all campus areas that existed at that time. The second online exhibit by the University Archives is entitled A Gallery of Presidents and History of Bloomsburg University, an in-depth look at the history of the University with detailed biographical information on each of its presidents.  The third exhibit is Views of the Bloomsburg State Normal School, 1921-1923, a look at the state normal school using photographs and information from the course catalogues.  The fourth exhibit is the 1919 War Hero Memorial Pinery, which examines the history of the World War I memorial located near Carver Hall, and provides biographical information on the 16 students who are remembered there.  A fifth online exhibit is The Maine Experience: Bloomsburg State College Summer Art Classes at Moosehead Lake, 1975-79, which remembers the summers during the 1970s that art students from Bloomsburg went to the wilds of Maine to paint, draw, learn their craft and experience life.  The sixth is A Legacy of Champions: The Story of Wrestling at Bloomsburg University, which documents the history of the wrestling program at the University from its founding in 1930 to the present day, featuring many of our individual and team champions from over the years.  The most recent one is The Navy V-5s at the Bloomsburg State Teachers College, telling the story of the naval flight instructors who trained in Bloomsburg during World War II.

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Updated 9/11/08