The North Carolina mascot name has been a topic of discussion and debate for many years. The current official mascot for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the Tar Heel. This name is deeply rooted in the history and culture of North Carolina, but it has also faced criticism and controversy. The term "Tar Heel" has its origins in the state's history as a major producer of tar, pitch, and turpentine during the colonial era. Workers in the industry would often have their shoes covered in tar, giving them the nickname "Tar Heels." Over time, the term became associated with the people of North Carolina as a whole, representing their resilience, independence, and pride in their state.
Frequently Asked Questions About UNC History
The term “tar heel” dates back to North Carolina’s early history, when the state was a leading producer of supplies for the naval industry. Workers who distilled turpentine from the sticky sap of pine trees and burned pine boughs to produce tar and pitch often went barefoot during hot summer months and undoubtedly collected tar on their heels. To call someone a “rosin heel” or “tar heel” was to imply they that they worked in a lowly trade.
During the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers flipped the meaning of the term, and turned an epithet into an accolade. They called themselves “tar heels” as an expression of state pride. Others adopted the term and North Carolina became widely known as the “Tar Heel State.”
In the 1880s, when UNC teams began competing in intercollegiate sports, they needed a nickname. There does not appear to have been any debate over what to call the teams and how to express school spirit. They were then, and have always been, Tar Heels.
Learn more:
Bruce Baker, "Why North Carolinians Are Tar Heels: A New Explanation." Southern Cultures (Winter 2015). http://muse.jhu.edu/article/608417
William S. Powell, "What's in a Name?: Why We're All Called Tar Heels." Tar Heel Magazine (March 1982). https://alumni.unc.edu/what-is-a-tar-heel/
What is the correct spelling of Tar Heel?
UNC spells "Tar Heel" as two words. "Tarheel" is incorrect.
Why is UNC's mascot a Ram?
UNC cheerleader Vic Huggins is credited with beginning the tradition of Ram mascots at UNC. In 1924, during a rough year for the football team, Huggins decided that UNC needed an animal mascot similar to N.C. State's wolf or Georgia's bulldog. The idea for using a ram came from the nickname for star Tar Heel fullback Jack Merritt, known as the "Battering Ram."
Huggins obtained $25 from the University for the mascot and ordered a live ram from Texas. They named him Rameses. The ram arrived when the team was 2-4 and looking for inspiration. Rameses's first appearance on the sidelines was during the UNC-VMI game on November 8, 1924, a hard-fought Carolina victory. Rameses and his descendants have been fixtures at UNC football games ever since.
UNC introduced a costumed Rameses during the 1987-1988 basketball season. While the costume has gone through a few changes over the years, the student-worn ram costume has become an equally important part of the UNC athletics experience.
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When did the University of North Carolina open and when did it admit its first students?
North Carolina's 1776 constitution called for the creation of an institution of higher learning, but the state's General Assembly did not charter the University of North Carolina until December 1789. A site for the University was located in 1792, and the cornerstone of the University's first building, Old East, was laid on October 12, 1793, which is now celebrated as University Day. The University opened its doors on January 15, 1795. The first student, Hinton James, arrived on February 12.
Law and custom restricted non-white students at the University until the second half of the 20th century. State laws that prohibited racially integrated education prevented the admittance of African Americans and Native Americans. The admittance of Henry Owl, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to graduate school in 1939 was a rare exception.
There were some international students at UNC in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Shinzaburo Mogi, from Japan, attended Carolina during the 1893-1894 school year and may have been UNC’s first international student. Several students from Cuba enrolled at UNC in the early 20th century.
UNC resisted efforts by African American students to attend the school until 1951, when a federal court ruling ordered the University to admit African American students to its graduate programs. A separate court order led the University to admit African American undergraduates beginning in 1955.
Learn more:
Kemp Plummer Battle, History of the University of North Carolina (volume 1, 1789-1868). http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/battle1/menu.html
Pamela Dean, Women on the Hill: A History of Women at the University of North Carolina. https://archive.org/details/womenonhillhisto00dean
Neal Cheek, "An Historical study of the Administrative Actions in the Racial Desegregation of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1930-1955." Dissertation, UNC-Chapel Hill, 1973. Available in Wilson Library: http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb4331171.
Was the University of North Carolina the first state university?
A friendly debate rages between the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina concerning which school can accurately claim the distinction of first state university. The University of Georgia claims the title based on the fact that it received its charter before the University of North Carolina. UNC claims to be first because it was the first to open.
The University of Georgia was chartered in 1785. UNC received its charter in 1789. While the North Carolina legislature was a few years later than Georgia in chartering a state university, North Carolina was quicker to act. UNC opened on January 15, 1795, and the first student arrived on February 12. UNC's first graduation was held in 1799, making it the only public university to graduate students in the 18th century. By the time the University of Georgia opened in 1801, the University of North Carolina had graduated three classes.
Learn more:
William Snider, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. NCpedia: http://www.ncpedia.org/university-north-carolina-chapel-hi
Why are UNC's colors white and light blue?
UNC's school colors come from two of the oldest student organizations on campus. The Dialectic and Philanthropic societies, literary and debate groups founded shortly after the University opened in 1795, each had its own distinctive color. The Dialectic Society's color was light blue and the Philanthropic Society's was white.
Students wore blue or white ribbons, depending on which society they belonged to, to dances and other school events. For many years, the ribbons were used on official certificates and diplomas.
When UNC began participating in intercollegiate sports in the late 1880s, choosing light blue and white were obvious choices for the school colors. The light blue color became so closely associated with the University that by the 1920s it was referred to as "Carolina blue."
The exact color of Carolina blue has often been debated. Early ribbons and publications show a very pale blue in contrast to the darker shade that was used for football and basketball uniforms in the late 20th century. In 2015, the University declared Pantone 542 as the official color of Carolina blue.
Learn more:
UNC Creative, "Carolina Blue & Color Guidelines." http://identity.unc.edu/colors/
How did the Yackety Yack (the student yearbook) get its name?
The original UNC yearbook, The Hellenian, was first published in 1890. The name reflected the heavy influence of the campus fraternities, who were primarily responsible for the yearbook. In 1901, the name was changed to the Yackety Yack. The phrase comes from a school cheer that had been popular since the mid-1890s:
Boom Rah, Boom Rah,
These organized school cheers were heard at football and baseball games and other events where students were gathered. After the UNC-Virginia football game in 1900, the student newspaper reported that the "Yackety Yack! caused a storm of enthusiasm."
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What is the origin and significance of University Day?
University Day is a celebration of the University’s founding. It is observed annually on October 12th, the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the first campus building, Old East, in 1793.
The University first celebrated University Day on October 12, 1877, after Governor Zebulon B. Vance ordered that “the anniversary of the day on which the cornerstone of the University was laid be made a college holiday to be observed with appropriate ceremonies under the direction of the faculty.” The first University Day ceremony was held in Gerrard Hall, which was decorated with evergreen garlands for the occasion.
The Glee Club performed and President Kemp Plummer Battle spoke for an hour on the University’s origins.
In 1906, former UNC president Dr. Edwin A. Alderman received an honorary doctor of laws, the first honorary degree given on University Day. The practice of awarding honorary degrees later evolved to the presentation of Distinguished Alumna and Alumnus Awards, first given in 1971 to “alumni who had distinguished themselves in a manner that brought credit to the University.”
The ceremonies have often featured prominent speakers. On University Day 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke to a crowd of 32,000 people in Kenan Stadium. Kennedy and Governor Terry Sanford received honorary degrees. For the University's Bicentennial University Day in 1993, President Bill Clinton addressed a capacity crowd at Kenan Stadium.
University Day has occasionally served as a venue for student protests. In 1987, students interrupted the ceremony to demonstrate against apartheid in South Africa. In 1992, students advocating for a freestanding Black Cultural Center spoke out, and in 2015 and 2017 students urged the University to take down the on-campus Confederate monument ("Silent Sam").
Learn more:
North carolina mascot name
Take a look around town and you can hardly miss the sight of a “Tar Heels” logo on T-shirts, bumper-stickers, and coffee mugs. Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are known as “Tar Heels,” but they are not the only ones. A Tar Heel is really anyone from the entire state of North Carolina, which is also known as the Tar Heel State. Ever wonder how North Carolina got such a nickname?
One version of the nickname's origin has the moniker first being applied to North Carolinians during the Civil War. A record talks of a battle in Virginia, where their supporting column retreated, leaving the North Carolina troops to fight alone. The victorious troops were asked in a condescending tone by some Virginians, who had retreated, “Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?” The response came quickly: “No, not a bit; old Jeff's bought it all up.” The Virginians asked: “Is that so? What is he going to do with it?” The reply: “He is going to put it on you'ns heels to make you stick better in the next fight.”
According to another version of the tale, the name was originally an insult, alluding to the production of turpentine, pitch and tar in the Eastern part of the state. The slur became a badge of honor when Robert E. Lee reportedly said during a battle, “God bless the Tar Heel boys.” [10].
The UNC Alumni Association offers the following explanation:
The term “tar heel” dates back to North Carolina’s early history, when the state was a leading producer of supplies for the naval industry. Workers who distilled turpentine from the sticky sap of pine trees and burned pine boughs to produce tar and pitch often went barefoot during hot summer months and undoubtedly collected tar on their heels. To call someone a “rosin heel” or “tar heel” was to imply that they worked in a lowly trade.
During the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers flipped the meaning of the term and turned an epithet into an accolade. They called themselves “tar heels” as an expression of state pride. Others adopted the term, and North Carolina became widely known as the “Tar Heel State.”
In the 1880s, when UNC teams began competing in intercollegiate sports, they needed a nickname. There does not appear to have been any debate over what to call the teams and how to express school spirit. They were then, and have always been, Tar Heels.
More reading:
NCpedia: Tar Heel
Michael W. Taylor, Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. (2006)
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" Over time, the term became associated with the people of North Carolina as a whole, representing their resilience, independence, and pride in their state. While the Tar Heel mascot name has a long history and is generally embraced by the university and its supporters, there have been calls for change. Some argue that the term has racist origins and perpetuates negative stereotypes.
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North carolina mascot name
For nearly 70 years the mascot of North Carolina's football team has been a ram. Since Carolina's nickname is Tar Heels, it might seem strange to have a ram as a mascot. It is. But, there is a good explanation. It's offered by Vic Huggins, Carolina's head cheerleader back in 1924.
"In 1924 school spirit was at a peak," Huggins once explained. "But something seemed to be missing. One day it hit me. State had a wolf. What Carolina needed was a symbol."
Two years earlier the Tar Heels had posted a brilliant 9-1 record. The star of that 1922 team was a bruising fullback named Jack Merritt. Merritt was nicknamed "the battering ram" for the way he plunged into lines. It seemed natural to Huggins to link a mascot with Merritt's unusual sobriquet.
"Charlie Woollen, the athletic business manager at that time, agreed with the idea and gave us $25 to purchase a fitting mascot," said Huggins.
Rameses the First was shipped in from Texas, arriving just in time to be introduced at a pep rally before the VMI game. Complete with a monogram blanket on his back, Rameses helped make the pep rally one of the school's greatest.
Then the ram was taken to Emerson Field where Carolina was an underdog to a strong VMI team. But, for three quarters the Tar Heels battled the visitors to a scoreless tie.
Late in the fourth period Carolina's Bunn Hackney was called upon to attempt a field goal. Before taking the field he stopped to rub Rameses' head for good luck.
Seconds later Hackney's 30-yard dropkick sailed between the goalposts, giving the Tar Heels a 3-0 victory and a legendary mascot.
Tar Heels rams have traveled everywhere from New York City (for the Carolina-Notre Dame game in 1949) to Jacksonville for Carolina's Gator Bowl appearances.
They believe that using a mascot name associated with a historical industry that relied on enslaved labor is offensive and inappropriate. In recent years, there have been discussions about selecting a new mascot name that better represents the university's values of inclusivity and diversity. Some suggestions that have been proposed include the Carolina Cardinals, the Carolina Bluebirds, or the Carolina Falcons. Ultimately, the decision to change the mascot name is a complex and contentious issue. It involves considering the historical context, the sentiments of the university community, and the desire to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. The university administration has stated that they are open to discussions and feedback on the topic, and it remains to be seen if any changes will be made in the future..
Reviews for "The Influence of Mascot Names on North Carolina Athletics"
1. Jane - 2/5 stars - As a proud native of North Carolina, I was disappointed to learn about the mascot name chosen for our state. It lacks originality and fails to represent the rich cultural heritage and history of our state. I believe that a mascot name should be unique, meaningful, and inclusive. Unfortunately, "North Carolina mascot name" falls short on all these aspects. It feels like a generic choice that could have been picked for any other team or state. I was hoping for something that truly embodies the spirit of North Carolina and unites us as a community.
2. Michael - 1/5 stars - I can't express enough how much I dislike the chosen mascot name for North Carolina. It shows a complete lack of creativity and imagination. The name doesn't evoke any sense of pride or connection to our state. It feels superficial and superficially chosen just to appease the masses without considering the cultural significance or history of North Carolina. I wish the decision makers had taken their time to come up with a more thoughtful and representative name. This choice is a missed opportunity to create a mascot that could have truly captured the essence of North Carolina.
3. Sarah - 3/5 stars - While I understand that choosing a mascot name is a challenging task, I can't say that I'm entirely pleased with the selection made for North Carolina. While it's not the worst name out there, it lacks uniqueness and doesn't really stand out among other state mascots. I would have preferred a name that truly sets us apart from the rest and showcases the distinct characteristics of North Carolina. This mascot name feels generic and doesn't ignite any strong emotions within me. It's just average, and that's disappointing when it comes to representing our state.