Last week was homecoming week, when all students claimed to be “Warhawk Proud.”
But, how many students know what a Warhawk is?
The Warhawk is not just a bird dressed as an aviator that rides around in an engine powered gold-cart.
The history behind the mascot is rich and full of meaning.
The Univeristy of Louisiana at Monroe mascot, the Warhawk, was chosen in 2006 after the National Collegiate Athletic Assocaiton, or NCAA, had restrictions against Native American related mascots.
The NCAA wanted all universities with Native American mascots to come up with new ones because the Indian mascot was considered offensive to American Indians.
ULM was forced to retire the Indian mascot after 75 years.
Upon its retirement, the Warhawk became ULM’s new mascot.
The Warhawk was a semi-finalist of an online poll available to students, faculty and alumni. The poll was narrowed down to three. The final decision was left to the president, James E. Cofer Sr., who chose Warhawks.
He chose Warhawks over Bayou Gators and Bayou Hawks. In August 2006, ULM debuted its new mascot, Ace.
Nick Munn, a sophomore history major from Bossier City, is intrigued by where the idea for the ULM mascot came from.
“There was a squadron of fighter pilots in World War II named the Warhawks,” Munn said.
The Warhawk was chosen to honor Major General Claire Lee Chennault, a war hero who lived in Franklin Parish as a child.
He commanded a group called the American Volunteer group (AVG) during World War II.
The men called themselves the “Flying Tigers” but flew in planes called Curtiss P-40 Warhawks.
During the war, the men were credited with 299 enemy aircraft destroyed, including 229 in the air during the war.
Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, located near the Monroe Airport, features historical exhibits about Chennault and the men who flew with him. Admission into the museum is free, and it is open five days a week.
Josh Stackhouse, a junior English education major from Lake Charles, suspected the mascot was student voted.
“I was under the impression that the Warhawk mascot came about after a vote,” Stackhouse said.
David Hansen • Nov 16, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Great pick for a mascot! Claire Lee Chennault is a long time personal hero of mine. If he had been given more support during WW2 China would not be communist today and we would have continued to be great allies.
Chennault’s Flying Tiger’s pioneered many of the fighter tactics our air forces use even today. They used the 2 aircraft teams and tactics that played to the strengths of the heavier, better armed and armored Warhawk. These same tactics are featured in the movie Top Gun. Of course, the F-14 Tomcat was similarly fast and well armed but not typically as maneuverable as those of the Soviet Union.