The History of the Oregon Duck

The "Duck" was actually the 2nd choice for the university's mascot.

The first choice, while also a bird, was more of a nod to the region's evolving biological diversity.

Newly arriving settlers to the Oregon Territories were often amazed at the abundance of what we refer to today as "barn swallows," so much so that the area of what is today west-central Oregon was commonly referred to as "swallow country." As more and more settlers moved to the area, so did their livestock, influencing the overall makeup of the region's animal population. One settler of the time described this integration of the native and domesticated as "a rainbow of diversity, with a flag of waving wheat and the song of the swallow and the crow of the rooster its anthem."

University founders were taken by this description of Oregon and thought a representation of this sentiment would be a good emblem for their university. So it was decided that the convergence of the rooster and swallow would from that point on represent the University of Oregon.

They would forever be known as the Oregon Swallowcocks.

Unfortunately, the name wasn't greeted with the enthusiastic acceptance that university founders had hoped. Many inverted the name and called them Cockswallows, or in the native vernacular, "cock swallers." Others became concerned over the origins of the mascot, fearing a literal union of a cock and a swallow had indeed taken place. Still others feared the mascot may be interpreted metaphorically in some way as an abomination to God.

However, the ultimate insult came when it was discovered that the much-celebrated swallows were not swallows at all, but merely common loons, a mistake that in retrospect seems absurdly incomprehensible. Despite the obvious mis-identification, raging debates ensued between university founders and the common, uneducated settlers. Fearing alienation and widespread public backlash, university founders backed off their position and conceded that the grandiose swallow upon which they had pinned their identity was, in fact, merely the common loon.

In the end, a compromise was agreed upon. At the suggestion of town elders it was decided that a virtual synonym of "swallow cock" would be the official mascot of the university, and the loon or "duck" was adopted.

The modern-era mascot bears much resemblance to the founders' original selection and still strongly represents their vision for the university and the state as a whole.

What today is called a duck, is still clearly a rainbow-flag waving, cock-swallowing, beacon of ignorance and ironic arrogance.

Oregon Duck wrote:

The "Duck" was actually the 2nd choice for the university's mascot.

This is a riot!