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The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

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Bucky’s evolution: The many faces of UW’s favorite Badger

Photographic history of Buckingham U. Badger shows how he’s grown through the years
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Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections
ID: S03116

Bucky, the immortal badger.

It’s hard not to love that sweater-clad, short-legged omnivore, equipped with impressive core strength and a smize that would have Tyra Banks herself weak in the knees.

The evolution of Bucky dates back to 1890s. In an effort to incite enthusiasm among gridiron spectators, the University of Wisconsin football team introduced a very furry, very alive and very uncaged badger as their emblem of luck and heroism to Madison students.

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Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

As the school quickly learned, this small, weasel-like mammal of the Mustelidae family has little interest in American contact sports. After a short history of terrorizing students, athletes and faculty alike, the first edition of Bucky Badger retired to the Henry Vilas Zoo, according to UW’s Campus and Visitor Relations website.

In the 1940s, after several decades of pretending a live animal was a sustainable mascot, artist Art Evans cast into circulation the first cartoon of the Badger we might recognize today. Fully naked and standing off its forelegs, the sweet, cuddly cartoon quickly won over the hearts of students and faculty alike. The name “Bucky” supposedly derived from the dated lyric “buck right through that line” from a now-defunct football rally song, according to the website.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

Eight years after his print inception, Bucky escaped the page into the third dimension. In 1949, head cheerleader Bill Sagal became the first human Bucky Badger. The prototype costume introduced the bobbling badger head, a 3-foot-tall cranium composed of chicken wire and paper maché — not exactly couture, but U-Rah-Rah, right?

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

In 1955, Bucky stepped out with a fresh new sweater, a striped collar and boxing gloves. WWE UW?

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

By 1967 Bucky needed some extra cash, and put up an ad for babysitting. This career was short-lived.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

Maybe that’s why he needed to learn to cook? The new acrylic grin undoubtedly helped with customer service.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

In 1982, that grin lit up parades and rallies around Wisconsin.

According to the UW Spirit Squad website, “Bucky Badger has persevered through the years, even surviving a threat […] that Bucky be replaced by Henrietta Holstein, a loveable and productive cow.”

And thank heavens for that. God forbid the ruthless attempts to milk the udder.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

Until 1989, when shit honestly just went a little far.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

1994 launched a beautiful friendship between Bucky and Al Gore, as they addressed a Milwaukee high school after the Badgers rode the victory wave of the Rose Bowl.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections

In 2016, Bucky still has every citizen of Madison, Wisconsin wrapped around his paw. Unparalleled, felt-clad and instantly recognizable, he is more than a crowd favorite — he is the spirit of UW.

Photo courtesy of the UW Digital Collections
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