WSU traditions

Kimbrough Hall piano with image of woman playing overlaid

Summer 2018

WSU in 100 words

A mini-essay contest

Every Coug has a story. That’s what we’ve discovered over the years—from memorable football games to wedding engagements to midnight donut runs, WSU alumni have got some great memories. Now we’d like to hear your Washington State story in 100 words or less.

Pick your favorite memory and send it to us. The top essays will receive a can of legendary Cougar Gold cheese or a WSU hat.

Send us your 100-word WSU memory by June 1, 2018, through the contact form below, You can also email wsm@wsu.edu, or send a letter.

We’ll print our favorites in the August issue and … » More …

Vintage slide rack projector (Photoillustration from photos by yanukit/123RF and WSU MASC)

Summer 2017

Washington State University history and traditions—A slideshow

Bob Smawley ’52, “Mr. WSU” to many generations of Cougs, presented thousands of his famous slideshows that educated and entertained everyone from student groups to retiring University presidents and regents.

Above is a 47-minute history of WSU told through pictures from 1890 up to the 2000s. The presentation covers major happenings from Rose Bowl appearances and the Martin Stadium fire, to WSU traditions like “Hello Walk” and ringing the Victory Bell. It replicates one of the slideshow presentations that Smawley gave on many occasions at WSU.

Smawley’s audio was recorded at WSU’s MASC (Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections) in 2005.

Courtesy WSU » More …

Fall 2011

The WSU Cougar head logo through the years

In the summer of 1936, Randall Johnson, a fine arts student at Washington State College, designed a simple logo for the college to paint on a facilities truck. The cougar head logo, drawn in honor of Butch the Cougar, rapidly gained popularity and 75 years later represents one of the most recognizable symbols of a university or college in the U.S., if not the world.