Throughout the country, colleges are associated with their mascots or symbols. Florida has the Gator, Notre Dame has the Fighting Irish, Pittsburgh has the Panther, and Yale has the Bulldog. Some are fierce while others are mighty. How, then, does Ohio’s Buckeye, a nut, fall in to the whole scheme of collegiate mascots?Long before the buckeye gained its status at Ohio State, it was used to refer to residents of Ohio in general.Dating back to 1788, the Indians in Marietta, Ohio referred to Col. Ebenezer Sproat, a delegate at the first Northwest Territory court session as “Hetuck,” the Indian word for buckeye. He proudly adopted the nickname and spread it to white settlers throughout the Ohio area.The presidential election of 1840 solidified the buckeye as a symbol of Ohio, explained Julie Petersen, a representative from OSU Archives. Candidate and Ohioan William Henry Harrison adopted the buckeye nut as his campaign symbol, wearing them around his neck and even turning them into a primitive campaign button to be worn by his supporters.”From that time on, buckeyes were associated so closely with Ohio that the state just adopted them as a statewide symbol,” Petersen said.It was not until October 2, 1953, that the Ohio Legislature officially adopted the buckeye tree as the official tree for the state of Ohio.It is unclear when OSU established the buckeye as its athletic symbol, Petersen said. It has been consistently used since 1920, and there is evidence of its attachment to OSU dating back to the turn of the century.”Ohio State officially adopted the Buckeye in 1950, but it was commonly used for several years before that,” Petersen said.The December 1930 issue of The Ohio State University Monthly reported long deliberations held by the Student Senate on the effectiveness of having the Buckeye as the school mascot.Edwin L. Schoenleb, 1930 editor of The Lantern wrote, “The name, ‘Buckeye’ does not indicate aggressiveness.”In the article, Varsity “O” cheerleader Herbert W. Decker suggested that a male sheep be adopted as the new OSU mascot, since Ohio was predominantly farmland. That idea, however, was shot down as were suggestions of a ram and a deer.After a few heated meetings on the topic, the Student Senate decided to continue using the name “Buckeyes” and to “let the question of a symbol ride for awhile.”After stewing for 20 years, it was officially adopted, and an artist designed the official Ohio State symbol.”In 1950, Milton Caniff, artist, cartoonist, and a 1930 graduate of OSU, designed a university emblem,” said Bertha L. Ihnat, an OSU archives assistant. “It is to be used wherever appropriate in connection with athletics.”In its pioneer beginnings, the bark of buckeye trees was used to make baby cradles and artificial limbs. Superstitious thinkers believe carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket will ward off bad luck. But, for the most part, the trees and their nuts are relatively impractical. The bark smells bad. The wood does not burn well and the nut is poisonous.But it is one stubborn tree. Buckeye trees grow in places where other trees cannot. It is difficult to kill and can adapt to many different weather conditions. To say the least, this tree is tenacious.
FAQs
History of the buckeye, in a nutshell? ›
The local indigenous people called him “Hetuck” which meant eye of the buck deer, or Big Buckeye. In 1953 this original term of endearment led to Ohio naming the Buckeye Tree as the state tree. The Ohio State University adopted “Buckeyes” officially as its nickname in 1950.
What is the story behind buckeyes? ›According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck. “Buckeyes” has been the official Ohio State nickname since 1950, but it had been in common use for many years before.
What is the legend of the buckeye tree? ›During September, buckeyes, which are large, shiny brown seeds, can be found underneath Aesculus trees. According to legend, carrying a pocketful of buckeyes brings good luck. Early Native Americans called these seeds buckeyes for their resemblance to the eyes of male deer, known as bucks.
What is the significance of the buckeye tree? ›His supporters wore buckeye-shaped wooden tokens as a sign of their allegiance, and the nickname stuck. Some even believed that carrying a buckeye nut could bring good luck similar to a rabbit's foot or a four-leaf clover. The buckeye continued to resonate with Ohioans and became the state tree in 1953.
What is the myth about buckeye nuts? ›According to legend, the buckeye is a powerful good luck charm. Let's take a closer look at this seed of good fortune and its story. The nut, or seed, of the buckeye tree (native to the Ohio area) remains on the tree in a spiny shell until it ripens in autumn, when it's released from the hull and falls to the ground.
What is the superstition of a buckeye nut? ›Superstitious thinkers believe carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket will ward off bad luck. But, for the most part, the trees and their nuts are relatively impractical. The bark smells bad. The wood does not burn well and the nut is poisonous.
What did Native Americans do with buckeyes? ›Many tribes mashed buckeye nuts and poured the contents into quiet pools to stupefy or kill fish. Do not plant buckeyes near apiaries as the flowers are poisonous to honey bees. No wildlife eat buckeye seeds except squirrels, such as the California ground squirrel (Citellus beecheyi).
What is the spiritual meaning of buckeye? ›Most people know the tradition that bestows magical good luck properties on the venerable buckeye. It is said that keeping a buckeye rolling around in your pocket brings wealth, wisdom and the ability to ward off all manner of nasties from emerald ash borers to falling stock markets.
What are some fun facts about Buckeyes? ›These seeds are popularly believed to bring good luck, and school children especially still carry them in their pockets as a charm. And while highly poisonous, buckeye seeds contain much protein and were used as a food source by Native Americans who boiled and leached them to remove their toxins.
Can you eat buckeyes from a buckeye tree? ›Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.
What does it mean when someone gives you a buckeye? ›
If you carry a buckeye in your pocket, it'll bring you good luck. Just like a rabbit's foot or a horseshoe or a four-leaf clover, the buckeye attracts good fortune. When you first put one in your pocket, in the fall, right after the nut-like seed has ripened, the buckeye is smooth and round.
Are buckeyes good for anything? ›Native Americans once used buckeyes for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. These tribes would crush and knead the nuts into a salve for rashes and cuts. Today, some believe that buckeyes can relieve rheumatism and arthritis pain. Prescription opioids were first created exclusively for pain relief.
Why do people carry buckeyes in their pocket? ›Despite their poisonous qualities, buckeye seeds are as pleasing to hold as they are to behold. A flattened place adjacent to the scar allows a person's thumb to settle on it just so. Many people jeep one in their pocket as a good luck charm or talisman.
Can you eat buckeyes from a Buckeye Tree? ›Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.
What is the purpose of buckeyes? ›As well as the belief in the good fortune of its storied seed, the buckeye has been held to cure rheumatism and other, more minor ailments. Pioneering farm families also made soap from the kernels of buckeye seeds, and many a child's cradle was carved from the wood of this tree.
Why do they call them buckeyes? ›The term buckeye has widely been used to describe residents of Ohio in general since the mid 1800s. It became popular when supporters of William Henry Harrison's successful presidential campaign carved souvenirs out of buckeye wood.
Why is Ohio State's mascot a buckeye? ›At the time, mascots were generally animals brought into the stadium or arena. A buck deer was contemplated, but, because bringing live animals as mascots was common at the time, this was rejected as impossible. Instead, the buckeye was selected, as the buckeye is the official state tree of Ohio.