UK tradition tells us that the nickname Wildcats became popular soon after UK defeated Illinois in football on October 9, 1909. Supposedly, Commandant Philip Carbusie, Head of the Military Department, told a group of students in a chapel service following a victory over Illinois that the Kentucky football team had "fought like Wildcats." The name wildcats soon became synonymous with UK sports teams.
But young Dulaney Lee O'Roark roamed the football field sidelines as the team's mascot before any wildcats!
Dulaney O'Roark, the son of UK engineering graduate student, Lauren Snyder O'Roark and Anna McCormick O'Roark lived across Rose Street from the football field in a house torn down to make way for the King Alumni House.
Lauren O'Roark served as the university's yearbook editor in 1908 and 1909. Young Dulaney became the football team's mascot after his father began taking him to football games where Lauren reported on the games and took photographs for the yearbook. The photo above appeared in the 1910 yearbook.
Dulaney graduated from UK in 1931 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to have a very successful military career serving as a Military Governor of the rural district of Kemnath in Bavaria after World War II and serving in Korea. He retired from military service as a full colonel.
Dulaney Lee O'Roark, "The Little Wildcat"
No comments:
Post a Comment