Name-a-Day Calendar, February 26: Hofstra Pride
Page 112 of 365
Chosen in: 2000
Chosen by: School administration
In 1935, New York University established an extension center on the estate of recently deceased lumber magnate William S. Hofstra in Nassau County. The school was named for Hofstra, who was of Dutch descent, and their sports teams were dubbed the Flying Dutchmen in his honor.
Hofstra’s first official seal would come in 1937. Based on the Dutch coat of arms, it featured three lions: one larger one on each side and a smaller one in the center. In 1988, a simplified version of the seal would become the official athletic logo. The teams remained known as the Flying Dutchmen despite their logo featuring multiple lions.
Then, in 2000, university administration had a change of heart. On April 20, 2000, they changed their athletics nickname to more obviously match the lions featured in their logo. Thinking “Lions” was too obvious, they used the term for a group of lions: “Pride”.
The next year, the university designed two lion mascots, one male and one female. Kate and Willie Pride are one of a select few mascot duos in Division I.
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