The University of Washington (aka UW, Washington, or U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle. Roughly 10 years after Seattle's founding, it was founded in 1861. It is among the oldest colleges on the West Coast.
The University of Washington is represented by the intercollegiate athletic teams known as the Washington Huskies. As a member of the Pac-12 Conference, the university participates in Division I competitions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Huskies are the name given to alumni, sports teams, and students at Washington. In 1922, the Associated Students of UW chose the husky as the school mascot.
Traditionally, the football team is led onto the field at the beginning of games by a live Alaskan Malamute named Dubs II. The costumed mascot "Harry the Husky" also makes appearances at sporting and special events.
What is the Washington Huskies Mascot’s history?
The university started utilising live sled dogs as its mascots in 1922. Initially, it used a non-hereditary line of Siberian Huskies, and starting in 1961,they switched to a hereditary line of Alaskan Malamutes, a dog breed distinct from the husky. Mascots typically only showed up at home football games due to the animals' size, logistics, and handler schedules, which make travel challenging, reducing the significance of the mascot’s presence at events.
The university's athletic department held tryouts for the new live mascot in 1995 and commissioned a costume, resolving the “mascot’s presence” issue. Lee Harris, Evelyn Ho, and Chris MacDonald were selected as the three student performers, and they took turns representing the team as the backup mascot at functions where the real mascot couldn't make it.
Two years later, "Harry the Husky" was chosen as the new mascot by a public vote and contest. Interestingly, the mascot had already been called by that name in a scene from the Marlon Wayans movie "The 6th Man," which was released before the election and is about the University of Washington basketball team.
The university retired the old Harry the Husky costume and unveiled a new one in 2010. On October 9, 2010, the new husky made his public debut.
What is the origin of the Washington Huskies mascot?
The first Washington college football teams weren't even known as the Huskies when they were founded in 1889. They were formerly known as the Indians and Vikings, but due to the inappropriateness of both nicknames, they were instead known locally as the "purple and gold," a reference to their uniform colors.
The term "Sundodger" originated in 1920 after a vote to choose an official mascot for the Washington program. Sunny Boy, a three-foot-tall statue, served as the team's mascot back then. But that name was short-lived.
The moniker "Sundodger" infuriated a lot of people, who saw it as a disparaging jab at Washington's reputation for rainy weather. Thus, the University of Washington's Associated Students cast a vote in favor of change in 1922.
In February 1922, the Huskies—along with their mascot—were born. The dog was chosen for a variety of reasons, including its ease of use in newspaper headlines and its ability to be easily turned into a cartoon logo. The husky, according to the committee, symbolized Washington's position as the "Gateway to the Alaskan Frontier."
Problems Associated with Live Mascots
The Huskies have employed seven different Siberians as their mascots, beginning with Frosty I in 1922. Because the original Washington mascot enjoyed taking walks, a nearby taxi company offered him free rides home.
In 1959, King Chinook, the 7th Siberian, assumed the position. During a game against Illinois, he made headlines when he famously ran onto the field and forced a timeout while being removed from the huddle, where he made his presence known with licks and sniffs.
The character persisted even after the Huskies mascot changed to an Alaskan malamute. Before every game, the dog known by the name King Redoubt (used from 1992 to 1997) was known to howl along to the national anthem.
As a result of the animals' size and other logistical concerns, the live animal Huskies mascot has historically only been present during games held at Husky Stadium. However, it was changed in 1995 with the Husky costume.
Who were the Washington Huskies mascots?
As the most recent in a long line of Alaskan malamutes to hold the position, Dubs II has served as the Huskies' mascot since 2018. The dogs that serve as the Huskies' mascot haven't truly been huskies since 1961, despite the fact that they may appear similar to the untrained eye.
The Washington Huskies have had seven Alaskan malamutes and seven Siberian huskies serve as their mascots, starting with Frosty I in 1922 and currently with Dubs II, who has held the title since 2018. The list of all 14 dogs is given below:
Frosty I (1922-1930)
Frosty II (1930 – 1936)
Wasky (1946-1947)
Wasky II (1947-1953)
Ski (1954-1957)
Denali (1958)
King Chinook (1959-1968)
Regent Denali (1969-1980)
Sundodger Denali (1981-1992)
King Redoubt (1992-1997)
Prince Redoubt (1998)
Spirit (1999-2008)
Dubs (2009-2018)
Dubs II (2018-present)
FAQs
A. The husky became the University of Washington's mascot in 1922, chosen by the Associated Students of UW.
A. In 1997, "Harry the Husky" was chosen as the mascot through a public vote.
A. Before adopting "Huskies" in 1922, Washington's football team was known as the Indians and Vikings, locally as "purple and gold."
A. Live animal mascots, starting with Frosty I in 1922, continued until 1961. The tradition resumed in 1995 with Dubs.
A. The University of Washington has had seven Alaskan malamutes and seven Siberian huskies serve as mascots.
A. Dubs II has been serving as the live mascot for the Washington Huskies since 2018.
