Butch T. Cougar

This is a Limited Edition of 250 numbered copies.  Each print is numbered.

Washington State University Mascot.

Charity:  Cougar Athletic Fund

From riots over stuffed cougars, to live animals smuggled on trains, the path to WSU’s mascot was anything but straightforward.

Washington Agricultural College football began in 1894, with newspapers calling the team “Farmers” or “Potato Diggers.”

By 1905, players had pets as mascots, most notably, “Squirt” the dog and “Toodles” the black bear.  Squirt was stolen during a game at Oregon State, but the team came home with Toodles instead.

In 1919, after defeating Cal’s Golden Bears, sports writers commented that the Bears received a Cougar mauling.  After a student body meeting on October 28th, the University claimed the Cougar as it’s mascot.  Stuffed cougars first appeared on the sidelines, sparking a rivalry later that same season when UW stole one.  A 1932 attempt to reclaim it led to a riot during halftime, and left WSC’s Ken Bement clutching the mascot’s torn ears.

WSC’s first live cougar mascot arrived in 1927, a tradition lasting until 1978.  One cougar was renamed “Butch” after quarterback Herbert “Butch” Meeker, and the name stuck.  During WWII, a statue of Butch on the USS Washington became a good-luck charm for sailors.  The ship never took a hit or lost a soldier in enemy combat, and it was also known for sinking the most enemy tonnage. 

When the last live Butch died, students created a costume version in 1977.  That handmade suit marked the start of the beloved Butch T. Cougar, who continues to embody WSU spirit today.

Cougar Athletic Fund

A gift to the Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF) supports a world-class experience for over 450 WSU student-athletes. The annual giving program is the backbone of philanthropic support to WSU Athletics. They ensure necessary resources are provided for student-athletes across all sport programs through scholarships for in-state aid, cost of attendance, academic support, travel, equipment, medical services, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and game expenses. By supporting the Annual Fund, we can provide a transformational student-athlete experience, build champions on and off the field, and elevate Washington State University.

This is a Limited Edition of 250 numbered copies.  Each print is numbered.

Print is 12 inches x 16 inches, including borders.

The frame is a matte finished black wood that is roughly 1” deep. The acrylic glass is UV coated and the end result is a framed print that is roughly 14x18 inches.

Shipping available to the USA only. If you are outside our current territory, fill out our contact form noting your country and celebrity in the message. We will notify you when shipping becomes available.

Style: Framed

Framed
$260.00

* For products costing $260.00, $213.00 of purchase is a tax deductible donation. For products costing $132.00, $85.00 of purchase is a tax deductible donation

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HOW IT WORKS

Dennis Murphy working at computer

We put our hands together
to do a lot of good

My Hand My Cause captures highly detailed, artistic hand photographs of celebrities. These are notable people from the worlds of Sport, Music, Movies, Art, Medicine, Science and more — people who are leaders in their fields and working to make our world better along the way.

We use these unique photos to raise money by selling high quality, life size prints of each celebrity's hand along with their printed signature and date it was shot. We offer the print in exchange for a $132 donation ($260 for Limited Edition prints) with the net proceeds going to the charity chosen by, and associated with, that celebrity.

HOW IT
ADDS UP

DISCLAIMER: The printing & packaging figure shown here is an estimate only. It does not purport to reflect the actual printing & packaging costs associated with printing and packaging a life size fine art archival print to your location.  However, regardless of actual printing & packaging costs, $75 of the proceeds from the sale of each $132 print ($150 of each $260 Limited Edition print) will be donated to the charity chosen by, and associated with, such celebrity.