Name-a-Day Calendar, March 17: Kansas City Roos
Page 131 of 365
Chosen in: 1936
Chosen by: A group of students in support of the debate team
What is now the University of Missouri–Kansas City was formed as the result of the 1933 merger of a few smaller local colleges. The school’s original name was the University of Kansas City, often shortened to “KCU” because I guess Missourians don’t understand how initialisms work.
Three years later, they needed a mascot, not because they had formed a sports team (they hadn’t), but because their debate team was about to begin intercollegiate competition. Meanwhile, a kangaroo at the Kansas City Zoo was the talk of the town: Jigger was pregnant and everyone in Kansas City was eagerly anticipating the birth of her young joey. Sure, why not? At this time, a group of students noticed that “kangaroo” rhymed with “KCU” and suggested it as the mascot for the debate team. And so, before the birth of Jigger’s little joey came the birth of the KC Roo.
With that matter settled, all the school needed was a visual representation of their mascot. And here’s a little tip for your school should it ever be in this situation: simply be located in the hometown of the most accomplished cartoonist to ever live.1
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This was hand-drawn by Walt Disney himself in 1938.