Upon a regular google search of Baldwin Wallace University, one would see photos of campus, the school logo, and a photo of a particular yellow jacket. This yellow jacket has become one of the core symbols of BW’s history. But has stinger always been the mascot of BW? Looking through the almost 200 years of BW’s history, we see a variety of different mascots that have defined BW through the years. With the help of Keith Peppers, resident BW historian, and Casey Senn, we were able to dive into the history of BW’s mascots. 

The Brown and Gold (1893 – 1930) 

In the early years of BW’s athletic history, the school didn’t have a direct mascot. At the start of the 1900s, BW had their football teams. While not having a direct mascot, they branded themselves with the “brown and gold” colors.  

The Many Goats of BW (1931 – 1938) 

During the 1930s, the horse and goat mascots became quite popular. The earliest appearance of a goat came from a yearbook, which showed a student holding one of the mascot goats. In another yearbook photo, there is a group of men dressed in the regalia of the goat, quoted as “Just Cooper, Rice, and Rieth imitating the B-W goat.”  

By the mid-1930s, Billy Goat became a staple mascot for BW, even winning a blue ribbon in 1934, according to Issue 22 of The Exponent. The goat would go through other name changes, such as Billy the Kid and Willyam. 

By 1938, the goat, now just named “Joe,” was moved out of the public eye for away games, only being shown at home games. This would mark the beginning of the end of the goat mascots at BW. 

Berea Breeze, The Honeybees, and Others (1939 – 1983) 

Tragedy struck when Joe, the last goat mascot, was discontinued in the late 1930s. He was removed due to him causing a fight at a 1938 game against John Carroll. According to a 1942 issue of The Exponent, “The last animal to grace a B-W football field was one Joe, in 1938, he was directly responsible for a fight between the halves of the Carroll game that sent three men to the hospital.” 

The tragic discontinuing of Joe led to a lull period with BW’s mascots. The 1950s saw the introduction of BW’s first fictional mascot: Jonny Jacket. According to a 1950 issue of The Exponent, “B-W mascot JOHNNY JACKET has been created this year [1950] by Bob Taylor for the Athletic Publicity Department.” 

The 1960s saw the continuation of a yellow jacket mascot with a more humanoid costume. Unlike the modern interpretations the college sees in the modern era, this version showed the face of the wearer while having them wear antennae and a stinger.  

Alongside this, the cheerleading team at BW started embracing the yellowjacket moniker. By the 1970s, the cheerleading team were in search of people to be the mascot during games. Furthermore, they introduced “The Honeybees,” a drill team squad that performed at football games. 

“To add to the growing spirit at B-W, the Honeybee Drill Team Squad has been re-established,” states a 1977 Exponent article. “They begin the year by performing at football games and will continue to perform through the basketball season.” 

Jackie the Jacket (1984 – 1986) 

In the 1980s, BW finally began to find its footing with its yellowjacket mascot. While we are a few years out from Stinger, we did have Jackie the Jacket. Jackie was BW’s first transition from the bees to the yellow jackets. As described in a 1985 article from The Exponent, “She is six feet five inches tall, weighs close to 150 pounds and has measurements like a trash can.” 

The Arrival of Stinger (1993 – PRESENT) 

Thus, we come to the present era of Stinger, the current mascot of BW. In the early days, Stinger had a more human-like shape, especially in the mid-1990s. By the start of the new millennia, Stinger gained his current shape of a half-yellowjacket, half-human hybrid. By the 2010s, Stinger had gained a lot more humanoid proportions, ending with the most recent form in 2019.  

BW has marked itself as a school not only based on tradition but change in how they represent themselves. From goats to cheerleaders to the yellow jacket, BW has had many faces. The student body of BW has continued to keep these traditions alive and well into the 21st century. As they introduce the newest rendition of Stinger, we enter a new age of mascots. 

Thank you to Keith Peppers and Casey Senn for providing documents to build this article.