Purdue Pete & the Boilermaker Special

The official mascot of Purdue is a replica of a Victorian-era locomotive. It was conceived by a student in the 1930s to exemplify the engineering and agrarian heritage of Purdue. The first Special was provided by a group of alumni. Boilermaker Special I made its debut on the first day of the 1940 school year. Edward Elliott, who was president at the time, assigned the already existing Reamer Club to maintain and operate "the train," as the Reamers have always called it. Students, faculty, and alumni of the university have raised funds to replace the Special as it have worn down over the years. It have been replaced in 1953, 1960, and most recently in 1993. Boilermaker Speical V was unveiled on Sept. 25 at the Purdue-Notre Dame game. Although each version of the Special has been a total remake, elements of V came from I, including the bell, light, and whistle. The four incarnations were built of be roadworthy, and the Special appears at all the game in Ross-Ade Stadium, travels to away football games, and is a favorite at other events. The Special even made the trip to Pasadena to accompany the Boilermakers to the 2001 Rose Bowl, though it was shpped the 2,100 miles to southern California.

About Purdue Pete

Pete got his start in 1940 as an advertising icon for the University Bookstore. His first appearance outside of the bookstore ads was in 1944, when editors of the Debris yearbook put an adapted version of Pete on each page. (For instance, on the home economics page, Pete had a bucket and a mop, while on the civil engineering page, he peered through a transit.) Purdue Pete first took the field to cheer on the Boilermakers in 1956. Originally, students with tumbling ability were chosen to portray Pete. In those days, Pete had a paper mache head and a bit of paddy. But he was still expected to tumble along with the cheerleaders. Today, Pete's head is crafted with aviation technology, and the four students who portray him wear shoulder pads and carry a hammer.

Information about Purdue University:

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Enrollment: 37,971
Founded: 1869
Nickname: Boilermakers
Colors: Old Gold and Black
President: France Cordova
Athletic Director: Morgan Burke
Joined Big Ten: 1896 (charter member)