Baldwin the Eagle

Infobox College Mascot
name = Baldwin the Eagle

---

image_size = 200
caption = Baldwin the Eagle in front of NC State's mascot, Mr. Wuf
university = Boston College
conference = Atlantic Coast Conference
conference_short = ACC
description = Anthropomorphic bald eagle
name_origin = Bald (as in eagle) and win
first_seen = 1966
related_mascots = Baldwin Jr.
official_website = [http://bceagles.cstv.com/genrel/041403aac.html Baldwin the Eagle]

Baldwin the Eagle, an anthropomorphized bald eagle, is the mascot of the Boston College Eagles.

The nickname "Eagles" goes back to 1920 when Rev. Edward McLaughlin, unhappy at seeing a newspaper cartoon which represented Boston College as a cat after a track victory, wrote to the college newspaper "The Heights": [cite web|url=http://bceagles.cstv.com/genrel/071000aag.html|title=Eagle Nickname & Mascot - BCEagles.com]

Live birds-of-prey

The "Eagles" nickname stuck. Soon a pair of golden eagles from Texas and New Mexico were given to the college as gifts. Sadly, one escaped and the other broke its beak trying. For the next four years, the official "mascot" was a stuffed golden eagle located in the athletic offices.cite web|url=http://bceagles.cstv.com/genrel/041403aac.html|title=Baldwin's Page on Official Boston College Athletic Site]

In 1961, another attempt was made at a live mascot when the college adopted a 10-month old golden eagle named "Margo" (so named because the team colors are "mar"oon and "go"ld). Margo lived at the Franklin Park Zoo and was brought to all home games for several years until dying of a virus early in the 1966 season.

Gilded statue

Another notable incarnation of the Boston College Eagle is a gilded bronze eagle sculpture that diplomat Larz Anderson and Isabel Weld Perkins, his socialite heiress wife, brought back from Japan in the early 20th century. ["The [http://www.mot.org/Museum/tour.pdf PDF Walking Tour Guide] published by the Larz Anderson Auto Museum notes "The bronze eagle that perched on a stone plinth in the garden may reference the Anderson family’s military service. In Japan, the eagle is a Guardian (sic), warding off evil spirits. In this county, the eagle is used as a symbol of the United States. It is also the symbol of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which Larz was a member."] The eagle remained in Larz Anderson Park until 1954 when it was donated to Boston College and became synonymous with the BC Eagle. It now looks over Linden Lane. [Donovan, Charles F. "History of Boston College: From the Beginnings to 1990"; University Press of Boston College, September 1990, p.266]

Costumed mascot

By this time Margo died in 1966, eagles had become endangered species and the university then opted to go to a costumed mascot. In 2000, with the unveiling of the current athletics logos, the Boston College Eagle mascot received a visual makeover as well and has appeared that way since. Also, the mascot officially got the name "Baldwin" -- a combination of the words "Bald" (as in bald eagle) and "win." There is also a 9.5 foot inflatable mascot named "Baldwin, Jr." which appears at games. Like many modern costumed mascots, Baldwin wears replica team uniforms at events.

Baldwin the Eagle is brought to life by an anonymous team of Boston College students that are chosen by audition. [According to the [http://bceagles.cstv.com/genrel/041403aaa.html Baldwin Website] on December 1, 2006, BC was holding auditions to add to its "team of Eagles."]

References

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