One of the two major, power five, division one sports programs in the state of Iowa, the Iowa State Cyclones have a very rich history in regard to the way their nickname came about.
Oftentimes team names come about randomly or from public surveys, others have more meaning and reason behind the decisions.
The decision to name Iowa Agricultural College the Cyclones is one of the better stories in the history of college sports.
Before Iowa State
Iowa State University was originally named Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm. The school was established on March 22, 1858. Although the school was established in 1858, the first official class would not enter campus until 1869, which would be the school’s first graduating class in 1872.
It wasn’t until 1890 that Iowa Agricultural College had its first sports program to achieve varsity status, which was the men’s track and field team.
Two years later, in 1892, both the football and baseball teams achieved varsity status, and the baseball team was eventually discontinued following the 2001 season.
Fast forwarding all the way to 1959, just over 100 years after the school was established, Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm would be renamed Iowa State University of Science and Technology.
A school whose first class included just 26 students, 24 of those being men, has progressed to a student population today of over 30,000.
Birth of the Cyclones
The year 1895 was one in which the state of Iowa was struck particularly hard by cyclones, a time before they were more commonly referred to as tornadoes. Of these cyclones, one would be named “The Great Tornado”, which swept through Sioux County on May 3, 1895.
This tornado killed multiple and injured many more and was the most devastating of the tornadoes that passed through the state in 1895. While Iowa is not one of the states in which tornadoes occur most, the timely increase across the state in 1895 is one that Iowa State fans will never forget.
This 1895 football season would be one of the most historical for the now Iowa State University, which would have nothing to do with the team’s performance during the season.
After two tough losses to start the season, Pop Warner took his team to Northwestern, where they would win in a blowout victory by a score of 36-0. Following the game, a headline would be featured in the Chicago Tribune, which read, “Struck by a Cyclone: It Comes from Iowa and Devastates Evanston Town.” This article would prompt Iowa Agricultural College to name its athletic teams the Cyclones.
Iowa State’s Mascot
From the naming of the team in 1895, all the way until 1954, the Iowa State Cyclones were without a mascot. That year, a suggestion was made that the school should have a mascot created. Although it was a great idea, a problem arose as they began to work on a costume that resembled a real cyclone.
As they worked to create a mascot, there was even a push to change the school’s nickname, which was quickly shut down due to the rich history of Iowa State becoming the “Cyclones”.
In order to solve this issue, a contest was held at the school to determine the new mascot. The winner of this contest was a cardinal, which was chosen in the representation of the school’s colors, which are cardinal and gold. Following the decision of the mascot, the next was to name it.
Another contest was held, at which it was decided that Iowa State’s mascot would be named “Cy”, a very clever twist off of the school’s “Cyclones” nickname. Cy was introduced to the student body on October 16, 1954.
Happy Labor Day, Cyclones!!🌪
I hope everyone is taking this day to prepare for the moment we’ve all been waiting for…Rivalry Week. 😎
Can’t wait to see everyone back at the Jack this weekend!!🤩 pic.twitter.com/2iUsBUcKHe
— The Mascot Cy (@TheMascotCy) September 6, 2021
Early National Champions
32 years after its first sport achieved varsity status and 27 years after officially adopting the “Cyclones” name, Iowa State, then Iowa Agricultural College, honored its first National Champion. Lloyd Rathbun, the member of the men’s track and field team, was the National Champion in 1922, after winning the two-mile event.
Following the feat, two more men’s track and field athletes would become National Champions, as well as four wrestlers from 1928-1932, before Iowa State had its first team win a National Championship. In 1933, Iowa State’s wrestling team won the National Championship after the team had three National Champion wrestlers in their respective weight classes.
Merrill Frevert won at 155 pounds, George Martin won at 165 pounds, and Robert Hess won at 175 pounds, defending his championship from the previous year.
Not only is the wrestling team Iowa State’s most-winning team, with eight National Champions, but they are also the school’s most-winning individual team, as they have had 70 wrestlers become National Champions on their own.
Final Thoughts
All across the nation there are schools that have a history behind their nicknames and mascots. Dating back to the Pop Warner days, the story in which Iowa Agricultural College became the Cyclones is one of the better stories out there.
If there is one thing that Iowa State fans will always have, it’s the great story of how they became the “Cyclones”.
Credits on Featured Image: Bobak Ha’Eri, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
