The story of the Upper Iowa Peacock goes back to the early 1890s. W.C. Marby, a right end on the first UIU football team, was going home for Christmas Break and was instructed to look for some appropriate colors to represent Upper Iowa. W.C. came back with two ribbons, Peacock Blue and White. These would become the official UIU school colors.
Two students, Henry Dickman and Will Baker, class of 1893, decided since Peacock Blue was now to be used, it only made sense to also use the peacock as the school mascot. The peacock soon became the first unofficial school mascot. The school colors came first followed by the mascot.
The peacock, however, was not the athletic team’s official symbol. They were known by their sport or dormitory. Nicknames such as Doc’s Boys, Dormanites, or just Upper Iowans were common terms used. In November of 1919, the school newspaper,
The Collegian, challenged the student body to select a proper mascot symbol for the athletic teams. The peacock became the official mascot in September of 1920 when
The Collegian, began using "Peacocks" as the official name for UIU athletic teams.
So, why a Peacock, you might ask? The definition states a peacock can be one that makes a proud or arrogant display of himself. The personification of vanity. There is a saying that strikes out, Proud as a Peacock. We began asking a question in September of 2014; Are you Proud to be a Peacock? The only response that can be given back is, Yes We Are!
