City council members unanimously voted Tuesday to recognize Feb. 23, 2016 as Leon Varjian day following emotional testimony by those acquainted with the man responsible for Bascom Hill flamingos.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, read aloud the city resolution commemorating Varjian who died in September 2015. The resolution along with testimony from former alders lauded Varjian for “his joie de vivre, his puckish sense of humor and antics to Madison.”
Varjian, the resolution reads, began his career at University of Wisconsin by starting a petition to change the school’s name to the University of New Jersey “so students could attend a prestigious eastern school.” Though this failed, he later went on to be the vice president of the Pail and Shovel Party, known for its pranks on the UW campus. According to the resolution, the Pail and Shovel Party “changed forever the cultural landscape of the university and the city of Madison and the university’s position in the world of college pranks.”
Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, who attended UW in the 1970s at the same time as Varjian, said she fondly remembers her dealings with the Pail and Shovel Party. She said the opposition party often accused Varjian’s party of defamation and slander during reflection, despite widespread acceptance of their comical deceptiveness.
Varjian fulfilled his campaign promise to bring the Statue of Liberty to UW in spectacular style by erecting a 22-foot head and torch on frozen Lake Mendota.
But the prank that earned him the most fame involved planting 1,008 plastic flamingos on Bascom Hill.
Courtesy of the UW Archives
Varjian also made contributions to campus party culture by hosting Halloween toga parties boasting crowds of more than 10,000.
After leaving Madison, Varjian returned to New Jersey to teach high school math. He remained active in supporting UW and helped with the “fill the hill” campaign.
