Colonel Ebirt was the unofficial school mascot for the College of William & Mary from 2001 to 2005.[1] A green and gold frog that donned a tri-corner hat, Colonel Ebirt was originally used as a promotional tool for Colonial Williamsburg. It became involved with the College athletics program when someone from the William & Mary gymnastics program volunteered to wear the costume.[1] "Ebirt" is an anadrome of Tribe, and "Colonel" comes from the school's historical and geographical ties to Williamsburg, Virginia, specifically that of Colonial Williamsburg.[2][3]
| Colonel Ebirt | |
|---|---|
 Colonel Ebirt giving a 'thumbs up' prior to a Tribe football game. | |
| University | College of William & Mary |
| Conference | CAA |
| Description | Green and Gold Frog |
| Origin of name | "Tribe" spelled backwards |
| First seen | 2001-2005 |
The athletic department decided to "retire" Ebirt upon the conclusion of the 2005–06 school year.[4] On April 6, 2010, William and Mary announced that a griffin was to become their official mascot, replacing Ebirt.
See also
edit- Griffin – William & Mary's mascot successor to Colonel Ebirt
- List of U.S. college mascots
References and notes
edit- ^ a b "Colonel Ebirt is No More". DoG Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
- ^ Ed Williams (June 22, 2009), "Wanted: William and Mary mascot. Got an idea?", The Virginian-Pilot
- ^ "Williamsburg, Virginia", USA Today, 23 April 2007
- ^ Since Colonel Ebirt was never an official mascot, the term "retire" is used loosely.