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Prior to 1920, Boston College lacked a mascot. In the Spring of 1920, the Boston College Track team won the Eastern Intercollegiate competitions. Charlie Donelan of the Boston Traveler illustrated the mascot-less collegiate team as a stray cat lapping up the opposition. This did not sit very well with one loyal alumnus who voiced his displeasure to the Heights editorial staff. Identified at the time only as "The Old Man," the alum suggested that the lack of a school mascot led to the insulting cartoon. In his letter published in the May 14, 1920 issue, he suggested to the current student body, "Why not select - the Eagle, symbolic of majesty, power, and freedom. Its natural habitat is the high places. Surely, the Heights is made to order for such a suggestion." The old man was later identified as Rev. Edward J. McLaughlin (Ex-1914). The University quickly adopted the eagle more formally into campus life. In the fall of 1923, Boston College was presented with a gift of a live eagle (it was actually a hawk). Surviving a horrible storm, the exhausted bird landed on a fishing schooner fifty miles out from the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts. The ship, itself, had barely survived the storm. The bird became entangled in the ship's rigging and was rescued by the crew. Having read of the school's recent adoption of the eagle as a mascot, they presented the bird as a gift to Boston College. Since 1923, Boston College has gone through a number of mascots, such as "Herpy," a stuffed and mounted golden eagle, "Margo," a live golden eagle, to this day where we have two mascots in Baldwin, and Baldwin Jr. Baldwin is six and a half feet tall with many bird-like features, including wings with well designed feathers. "Baldwin, Jr." is a nine and a half foot tall mascot with inflatable features. |
