The best birthday present Truman, Mizzou’s mascot, could get: a new name
“Mizzou,” the official Twitter/X account of the University of Missouri, posted that the school’s mascot, Truman the Tiger, is celebrating his 40th birthday today.
Not to throw a turd in the punchbowl on Truman’s big day, but I would like to propose that my alma mater do something long overdue to celebrate — give him a new name. Truman is the most inappropriately-named mascot in college sports, a name that’s an affront to what Missouri’s flagship state university should stand for - education. Specifically, educating students and Missourians to respect and revere greatness.
Mizzou has had a costumed tiger mascot for decades – a student in tiger garb who ran around the stadium or arena whipping fans into a frenzy. In the early '80s, a mascot debuted wearing a newly-designed Tiger suit. In 1986, the cheerleaders held a contest inviting students to submit names.
The name the committee selected? Truman, the last name of Missouri’s most famous native son who, many historians agree, was one of greatest presidents this country has ever had.
Few, if any, presidents had to make decisions as tough as Truman did. In August, 1945, he made the decision to drop the two atomic bombs that brought WWII to an end. The war in Europe was over at that point, but Japan, even though it was clear there was no way it was going to win, had told its soldiers and civilians they should be prepared to fight hand-to-hand with our troops in the event America invaded, which it was going to have to do in order to vanquish the fanatical regime that ruled the country. Military planners warned Truman a ground invasion could cost millions of American and Japanese lives. Truman, who hadn’t even known of the bomb's existence when he became president a few months earlier following FDR’s death, made that gut-wrenching decision on his own. As horrifying as it was, the death toll could have been much, much worse.
And that was by no means the only history-altering decision Harry S Truman made. For instance:
The Marshall Plan: By committing billions to rebuild war-torn western Europe, Truman helped sixteen countries, including vanquished foe Germany, to recover economically.
The Truman Doctrine: U.S. troops were stationed throughout Europe to discourage Soviet aggression, permanently altering U.S. foreign policy.
Desegregating the U.S. military: In 1948, Truman issued an Executive Order mandating equal treatment and opportunity for the armed services.
Firing MacArthur: Truman believed the US military should be controlled by civilians. During the Korean War, general Douglas MacArthur, whom the media worshipped, repeatedly called for expanding the war into China and using nuclear weapons. Truman made the unpopular and ultimately correct decision to relieve him of his command on the grounds of insubordination.
Promoting Civil Rights: Truman was the first president to recognize the NAACP. When in 1947 he spoke in front of the organization, he laid the groundwork for the 1960s Civil Rights movement by declaring that civil rights belonged to all Americans.
And how has his home state’s university honored him?
By naming a fuzzy and (admittedly) adorable mascot whose job is to ride into the stadium on a firetruck and run around urging fans to scream MIZ-ZOU, after him.
Imagine the Universities of Virginia, Illinois, Texas or Massachusetts naming their costumed sports mascots Washington, Lincoln, Johnson or Kennedy. It sounds absurd because it violates a basic sense of historical proportion. Meanwhile, other major universities stick to fun, thematic mascot names: Florida has Albert and Alberta Gator, Ohio State has Brutus Buckeye, Wisconsin has Bucky Badger, Colorado has Chip the Buffalo, etc.
As Truman the Tiger turns 40, Mizzou should take this opportunity to truly honor its most consequential native son by re-naming him. Something fun and lovable would be nice.
If another contest is decided upon, here’s my submission: Big Mo.
