Why Rufus the Bobcat?

Did you ever wonder why our university's mascot is a bobcat? Or simply, what the heck does it have to do with anything? At times I find myself actually looking for one on campus, I've even looked under bushes and what did I find....NOTHING! So for this blog I am focusing on the establishment of Rufus being our mascot.

      During the year of 1925, this school had many placid nick names: Ohio, The Green and White and finally The Nameless Wonders. The athletic board of the time decided it was time for our university to find some spirit and find a well matching mascot. So what did they do? They held a contest, this allowed students to submit their ideas and possibly win a grand prize of ten dollars (which would today be $121). Then finally, with the submission of

Hal H. Rowland, our infamous mascot was created. The Bobcat was revealed at our homecoming game against our rival, Miami University in 1960; at that game we smashed the Red Hawks 21-0. This season alone was one of the best that school had ever played. This same competitive behavior has been upheld throughout the years. In 2010 our mascot attacked the mascot of Ohio State University, Brutus. With this bobcat on our side it seems as if we are just as sly and scrappy as the animal itself. 
      Throughout the years, we have seen our mascot  go through name and appearance changes. In 2006, the bobcat was renamed after its genial name, Lynx Rufus...thus becoming Rufus the Bobcat. With appearance changes, Rufus has gone under some serious surgery. First appearing as a friendly foe, we adopted a more fierce character in 2006 with its new name. 

So the next time you begin to look for a roaming bobcat on campus, just remember the only one around this area is Rufus. 

This information was gathered from the Ohio University Alumni Page and the Ohio University History and Traditions page.