Sculptor Pat Costello building the armature (or skeleton) of "Boxer III." A life-size reference image is posted behind his work table, while a diagram is visible under the armature, showing the intended dimensions of the finished sculpture.
Sculptor Pat Costello displays the armature (or skeleton) of "Boxer III," while holding a reference image on which he has written notes and calculations. The armature will be used to support the first form of the sculpture in clay. A diagram is visible under the armature, showing the intended dimensions of the finished sculpture.
A side-view of Pacific University's original "Boxer" mascot statue, circa 1950. The photograph is in black-and-white, making the statue appear to be the color of steel: but it was in fact bronze, with gold-toned welding marks. In this image, Boxer is missing one leg and his tail. Welding marks are visible on his other leg and neck. This damage was sustained during "Boxer Tosses," when students would fight over possession of the statue. This photograph may have been taken by Ellis Lucia (Class of 1944), as it was found in his archival papers. Lucia became a photojournalist after graduating from Pacific, and may have taken this photograph in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
A photograph taken on November 24, 1899 of the Pacific University Class of 1902 at their first "Annual Banquet," with the original Boxer statue displayed on the table. The statue was a bronze Chinese incense burner in the form of a qilin. In later years, it would be the inspiration for the university's Boxer mascot. The Class of 1902 stole the statue from the university's chapel in Marsh Hall about a month before this photograph was taken. Here, the students are sitting around the table surrounded by symbols of their school spirit and of their pride in their class, including: the Boxer statue, which was then known as "The College Spirit"; a Pacific University '02 banner; a Class of 1903 banner (probably stolen from that Class); an upside-down banner (also probably stolen from the Class of 1903) that reads, "Best wishes for Victory '03, Wilcox and Day will keep the Ball a Going"; and striped canes that symbolized their rivalry with the Class of 1903. This is one of the earliest known photographs of Boxer. This image was scanned from a photograph album belonging to Mary Bailey Clarke, who was in the Class of 1903.
A photograph that was probably taken on November 24, 1899 of the Pacific University Class of 1902 holding the original "Boxer" statue. The statue was a bronze Chinese incense burner in the form of a qilin. In later years, it would be the inspiration for the university's Boxer mascot. The Class of 1902 stole the statue from the university's chapel in Marsh Hall about a month before this photograph was taken. On Nov. 24, 1899 they hosted their first "Annual Banquet," in which they displayed the statue as a trophy. Here, the students appear to be posing in the same location where the banquet was held, showing off Boxer in their arms. The canes that they are holding were symbols of a rivalry they had with the Class of 1903. This is one of the earliest known photographs of Boxer. This image was scanned from a photograph album belonging to Mary Bailey Clarke, who was in the Class of 1903.
A photograph of the original "Boxer" statue circa 1900. The statue was the inspiration for the mascot of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The statue was a bronze Chinese incense burner in the form of a qilin. In this photograph, which may have been made by the Pacific University Class of 1902, Boxer is seated on a tablecloth and is wearing a ribbon around his neck. The Class of 1902 was the first group of students to possess Boxer, having stolen the statue from Marsh Hall in October 1899. This scan is from the university's 1903 yearbook, in which the photograph was reproduced.
A photograph of student Greta McIntyre Sheeley (Pacific University, Class of 1920) posing with the original "Boxer" statue. Boxer was a bronze statue of a qilin which was the inspiration for Pacific's mascot. There had been a tradition of students stealing, hiding and fighting over the original Boxer statue since the early 1900s. In this photograph, probably taken around 1920, it is missing its tail. One leg is also cracked, and a wire can be seen holding it together with the body. This picture appears in an album that was compiled by Sheeley.
The original Boxer statue which would become the mascot of Pacific University. This photograph was probably taken in the 1940s or early 1950s, based on the condition of the statue.
A snapshot photograph of a Pacific University student among a crowd during a "Boxer Toss" in 1960. His ripped clothing is a result of having fought for possession of Boxer, a bronze statue that would later become Pacific's mascot. This photograph appears to have been taken on the edge of Pacific's campus in downtown Forest Grove, possibly on Pacific Avenue.
A snapshot of a "Boxer Toss" on the Pacific University campus in May, 1960. A Boxer Toss would occur when one student group (often, graduating seniors) gave up their possession of the original "Boxer" statue, which was a symbol of school spirit. The men clustered in the center of this photograph are grappling over the statue, which would have been in the middle of the fray. The student newspaper stated that at this particular toss, student Bob Wendel brought the statue to the school just after noon and threw it out on the grass near Warner Hall. Students battled for three hours and thirty-five minutes for ownership of the statue, while 500-600 spectators watched. The fight ranged from Warner Hall to the area surrounding the city police department. During the scrum, Boxer broke into several pieces, but members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity won control of the main body. The newspaper reported that 13 students had to visit the campus infirmary, but "only two had to have stitches," while other injuries included two broken hands, two possible concussions, one dislocated nose, and one broken finger; many others suffered cuts and bruises that did not require medical attention. (Source: "Boxer Toss-out Disrupts Campus Routine Thursday," The Index, May 23, 1960, p. 1).
Photograph of the statue Ming, which a group at the University tried to use as a replacement for Boxer when the Boxer statue went missing for an extended period in the 1940s.
Photo of students holding the Ming mascot in the 1940s. The Ming statue was presented to Pacific University as a replacement for the Boxer mascot after it disappeared during a Boxer Brawl.The Ming mascot was refused by the student body. What is left of the Ming statue can be found in the Pacific University Center.
Five members of the Gamma Sigma fraternity stand with Boxer in front of the '1967' stone that is placed in one of the outer walls of the Harvey Scott Memorial Library (now Scott Hall). In the back row, from left to right, are Larry Alberton (Class of 1969), Bill Swanson (Class of 1969), and Gary Wright (Class of 1970). In the front row, left to right, are Paul 'The Beak' Diederich and Jim 'Handsome' Ransom (Class of 1971).
A photograph of the symbolic burial of the old Pacific University "Badger" mascot costume in 1968. In this year, the Pacific student body and alumni confirmed that "Badger," which had been the official mascot for decades, would be replaced by "Boxer," the more popular grassroots emblem of the students. The original Badger mascot costume is held in Pacific University's museum collection.
William Skinner standing in a living room holding the Pacific University Boxer. Behind Mr. Skinner is a Crosley cabinet radio and phonograph player. Mr. Skinner was asked to weld one of the legs back onto the body, which he did.
