Originally published in The News-Star newspaper, April 16, 2006

The vote count began … Warhawks, Warhawks, Warhawks … until an overwhelming majority of the mascot committee had spoken. The excitement was palpable, and mounted still further as President James Cofer announced that he concurred with the recommendation that Warhawks should be the new ULM mascot.

That excitement has continued — from President Cofer’s smile, to students writing “Go Warhawks” on exams, to endless conversations about what the mascot will actually look like, to the absolute wonder of it all.

To experience anything remotely like this, one would have to travel back in time almost 75 years, when “Indians” was chosen as the Ouachita Parish Junior College mascot. There are many stories about that time - some can be found in Bob Anderson’s excellent book, “Indian Territory’’ about ULM athletics, and some can be found in the 1951 and 1981 issues of the PowWow.

One story that is oft-repeated but not written down anywhere is that Coach Jim Malone named the team, and called them Indians because he was part Indian himself. Alas, Coach Malone arrived in 1934, and we had been the Indians since the fall of 1931. However, he obviously approved of the name and guided his Indians for 20 years, compiling a record of 94-64-12, with two undefeated seasons and a national championship. By the way, he also coached basketball and boxing, and was successful at those, too.

The closest we can come to knowing what happened in 1931 comes from interviews by the PowWow with Paul Martin, the esteemed sports editor of the Monroe Morning World and News-Star and member of the first football team. It turns out that the naming of the Indians was a “conspiracy.”

In an assembly of students in which the school colors were chosen (yes, the Ouachita Parish Junior College colors, blue and white, were chosen first), President C.C. Colvert encouraged the students to then select a name for the football team. According to Martin, he “had a hand in it,” as he and Harold Hunt (who was to become the PowWow sports editor) decided to help the students make up their minds. It seems they wanted the name to be Indians since they had been told that Ouachita was the name of a tribe that had inhabited the area at one time.

Martin and Hunt arrived early at school and drew pictures and names of their choices on the two facing blackboards in the foyer of the Administration Building (now T.O. Brown Hall). One blackboard had pictures and the name Indians; the other had pictures and the name Blue Devils (in 1981 Martin recalled the name was Black Devils). Martin remembered that they were using a little psychology on the students, and hoped they would pick Indians. They also felt the President Colvert would not be too fond of anything with devil in it.

In the next student assembly, Indians was approved by a landslide vote. One can just imagine … the college now had an identity, and the excitement, much like today, was just beginning.

Have a great day at ULM!

Dr. John Knesel, ULM Professor

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