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.
This collection brings together archival material on the history of 'Boxer,' Pacific University's mascot. Letters, news clippings, photographs and other items are included, illustrating its history from when the Boxer statue first arrived on campus in the 1890s through its disappearance in 1970. Efforts to find, recreate and commemorate the statue since that time are also covered.
Poem referring to Boxer as a 'spirit' and apparently referencing the statue being stolen by students. Before becoming known as 'Boxer,' the mascot was called 'the school spirit.' This appeared in the Pacific University student newspaper in 1899, possibly soon after the first time that the Boxer statue was stolen from the university chapel.
Nine Pacific University students (8 male, 1 female) holding large canes seated around a banquet table. "Boxer," a Chinese bronze statue of a qilin that would later become Pacific University's mascot, sits in a place of honor on the end of the table. Various banners are hanging behind the students which read '1903' and 'PU 02'. 'Annual Banquet' is written on the end of the table. This banquet probably took place in November 1899 when members of the Class of 1902 were sophomores. It was the first time that students displayed Boxer after having stolen him as a prank in October 1899.
