Though Victor E. is an icon known to most students, many are unaware of how far back the history of the live mascot goes.
“Mascot Mania” has begun and Victor E. IV is calling upon his supporters to continue the long-standing tradition of Fresno State’s live mascot. Fans of Victor E. can show their financial support by making donations to the crowdfunding campaign or by rounding up their purchases at the Kennel Marketplace until April 30. The money will be used to cover expenses such as transportation, healthcare and daily necessities to keep the campus’ mascot healthy.
The story begins in 1921, when student body president Warren Moody repeatedly encountered a white bulldog on campus. Students quickly took a liking to the dog and brought it to football games, and this is said to be the origin of Fresno State students being referred to as “Bulldogs.” This nickname was unofficial until the introduction of the Touchdown mascot in 1935.
Live mascots had varying success from the 1950s through the ‘70s, with Moose I-III. The tradition got a second wind in the ‘80s when former football Head Coach Jim Sweeney introduced his bulldog, Halftime. Excitement for a live mascot eventually faded.
The year 2006 marked the beginning of the Victor E. legacy, and the revival of live mascots at Fresno State.
The original Victor E. Bulldog was selected from a rigorous tryout of over 90 other bulldogs. Victor E. served for six glorious years before passing away due to cancer in 2012. Tragedy also struck Victor E. II at just under 3 years old when he was stung by a bee and also passed away.
Victor E. III (referred to as “Victor”) took the torch in June 2015, carrying the legacy of his predecessors. He served the campus community strongly and proudly for eight years. This past April, he passed his duties down to the current successor, also known as “V.”
The ceremonial collar that is passed down to each generation of Victor E. is characterized by a vibrant crimson collar that carries the names and years of service from each mascot that came before. “V” has had a big collar to fill, but has brought joy and pride to the university since his first day.
“V” is the biological nephew of “Victor” and was born with a white “V” on his back. Because of this, live mascot program coordinator Alexis Camarillo likes to say that he was born for the role.
Camarillo is new to her role and has introduced “Wagon Wednesdays” for this year’s “Mascot Mania” to give students more direct contact with their mascot. As long as the weather permits, she would like to continue this through the end of the semester.
“I’ve heard so often that this is students’ first time getting to meet him, or they’ve never gotten to meet him and they’re about to graduate. So, we really want to bridge that gap,” Camarillo said.
Moving forward, Camarillo wants to capitalize on the pre-existing pride for the mascot, but also highlight why that pride exists in the first place. Out of the 23 CSU’s and 10 UC’s, Victor E. is the only live mascot.
“That’s why I just really want to push him out there,” Camarillo said. “He is such a unique factor of this university and I think that everyone should have access to him.”
The goal for this year’s crowdfund is $5,000, which will be used to care for both “V” and “Victor,” who live with caretaker Jacqueline Glasener and her two sons.
