"Most Cornellians believe that a bear has been the mascot of the Big Red
athletic teams and a symbol of Cornell since the University’s earliest days.
The fact is a bear, and a real live bear at that, made its first appearance on
the Cornell campus in 1915, and over the next quarter of a century was only a
sporadic visitor on campus (1916, 1919 and 1939). It was these bears, who were
flesh and blood, honey-loving, mischievous, and at times ill-tempered, that
started the tradition of the Big Red Bear, the much-loved, unofficial mascot
of Cornell."
There has been much said about these founding bears, but the history has
become muddled. Touchdown: The Story of the Cornell Bear, by John Foote
’74, is the true tale of the four original bears and their adventures on
campus and on the road. The 1939 bear, Touchdown IV, has a special connection
to the Sun; it was the Sun editors who brought the bear to
campus, resulting in a lively jousting match with the University
administration.
Touchdown: The Story of the Cornell Bear
has been published in a hardback, limited edition run of
2,000 copies. You can get your own copy of Touchdown at the
Cornell Campus Store (607-255-2933) and
online through Book
Clearing House. The
price per book is $24.99