How Duke University got the nickname "Blue Devils"
Michigan
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For anyone interested, I love trivia like this.
As World War I ended, Duke's Board of Trustees, then called the "Trinity College Board of Trustees," lifted their quarter century ban of football on campus leading to an interest in naming the athletic teams.[12] The team was then known as the Trinity Eleven, the Blue and White, or the Methodists (as opposed to the Baptists of nearby rival Wake Forest University). Because of the ambiguity, the student newspaper, the Trinity Chronicle (now called The Chronicle) launched a campaign to create a new mascot. Nominations for a new team name included Catamounts, Grizzlies, Badgers, Dreadnaughts, and Captains. The Trinity Chronicle editor narrowed the many nominations down to those that utilized the school colors of dark blue and white. The narrowed list consisted of Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Blue Devils, Royal Blazes, and Blue Warriors. None of the nominations proved to be a clear favorite, but the name Blue Devils elicited criticism that could potentially engender opposition on campus. That year, the football season passed with no official selection.
During the 1922-1923 academic year, campus student leaders and the editors of the two other student publications, The Archive and The Chanticleer, decided that the newspaper staff should decide the name on their own because the nomination process had proved inconclusive. Editor-in-chief William H. Lander and managing editor Mike Bradshaw began referring to the athletic teams as the Blue Devils. Though the name was not officially used that year, no opposition to the name arose. The Chronicle's staff continued to use the name and eventually “Blue Devils” became the official mascot and nickname of the Duke athletics program.
As World War I ended, Duke's Board of Trustees, then called the "Trinity College Board of Trustees," lifted their quarter century ban of football on campus leading to an interest in naming the athletic teams.[12] The team was then known as the Trinity Eleven, the Blue and White, or the Methodists (as opposed to the Baptists of nearby rival Wake Forest University). Because of the ambiguity, the student newspaper, the Trinity Chronicle (now called The Chronicle) launched a campaign to create a new mascot. Nominations for a new team name included Catamounts, Grizzlies, Badgers, Dreadnaughts, and Captains. The Trinity Chronicle editor narrowed the many nominations down to those that utilized the school colors of dark blue and white. The narrowed list consisted of Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Blue Devils, Royal Blazes, and Blue Warriors. None of the nominations proved to be a clear favorite, but the name Blue Devils elicited criticism that could potentially engender opposition on campus. That year, the football season passed with no official selection.
During the 1922-1923 academic year, campus student leaders and the editors of the two other student publications, The Archive and The Chanticleer, decided that the newspaper staff should decide the name on their own because the nomination process had proved inconclusive. Editor-in-chief William H. Lander and managing editor Mike Bradshaw began referring to the athletic teams as the Blue Devils. Though the name was not officially used that year, no opposition to the name arose. The Chronicle's staff continued to use the name and eventually “Blue Devils” became the official mascot and nickname of the Duke athletics program.
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Here out west, UC Santa Cruz athletic teams have the name "Bananna Slugs". This name does not create images of athletic glory.
I understand that when the school had to choose a name, it put it to a vote of the students. The students who attend UC Santa Cruz in general are not favorably inclined to competitive althletics, so they chose "Bananna Slugs" just to be contrarian.
UC Irvine athletic teams are nicknamed the "Anteaters". I understand the students voted to chose this name. Though "Anteaters" does not create images of athletic glory, in my opinion I would much rather be an Anteater than a Bannana Slug.
/s/ JackWESQ