What was the Penn State mascot?

Nittany LionPenn State University / MascotThe Nittany Lion is the eastern mountain lion mascot of the athletic teams of the Pennsylvania State University: Penn State Nittany Lions. Created in 1907, the “Nittany” forename refers to the local Mount Nittany, which overlooks the university. Wikipedia

How did Penn State get their mascot?

The Nittany Lion as Penn State’s mascot originated with Harrison D. “Joe” Mason ’07. At a baseball game against Princeton in 1904, Mason and other members of Penn State’s team were shown a statue of Princeton’s famous Bengal tiger as an indication of the merciless treatment they could expect to encounter on the field.

What is the Nittany Lion?

A Nittany lion is a mountain lion or cougar. It’s that simple. Mountain lions roamed the State College area until 1880. At this time the remaining mountain lions were moved out of Pennsylvania.

Who made the Nittany Lion?

History. The Nittany Lion Shrine at Pennsylvania State University was dedicated on October 24, 1942 during Homecoming. Animalier Heinz Warneke and stonecutter Joseph Garatti created it from a 13-ton block of Indiana Limestone.

Is Nittany Lion a real animal?

The Nittany Lion is essentially an ordinary mountain lion (also known as a cougar, puma, or panther), a creature that roamed central Pennsylvania until the 1880s (although unconfirmed sightings continued long after that time).

What do Penn State students call themselves?

Not everyone knows what this phrase means to Penn Staters, so let’s provide some historical background. The phrase is iconic for Penn Staters, especially at football games.

Why is it called Happy Valley?

“Happy Valley” is a term synonymous with Centre County, Pennsylvania. It has been called this since the early 1930s having earned the moniker because the region was relatively unharmed by the Depression due to the presence of Penn State University.

Is Penn State Ivy League?

Penn State is not an Ivy League school — UPenn is. The Ivy League is made up of Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, and UPenn.

Are there black panthers in Pennsylvania?

Theories include the Nittany Lion, Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Bobcat and even an actual black eastern Panther . Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. The last wild panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania woods did so in Berks County.

Why is PSU Happy Valley?

State College is also referred to by the term “Happy Valley”, which has origins dating back to the Great Depression and the town’s ability to be sheltered from much of the financial hardship falling on the rest of the country.