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Auburn Tigers
History
 It's the Auburn Tigers
Not the Auburn War Eagles!
Auburn's nickname is the TIGERS.
Auburn's battle cry is "WAR EAGLE!"
Through the years, these two Auburn terms have often been used
interchangeably and incorrectly. There are hats and T-shirts with Auburn
War Eagles on them. Even the news media has been known to refer to an
Auburn team as the War Eagles or to an Auburn player as a War Eagle.
In fact, when the Tigers play a game on the road, there is often an
article written in the local paper wondering why Auburn has three
nicknames -- the Auburn Tigers, the Auburn War Eagles and the Auburn
Plainsmen.
To set the record straight, Auburn has only one nickname -- the Auburn
Tigers.
"War Eagle" is a battle cry, used by Auburn fans in the same manner
Alabama fans yell "Roll Tide!" and Arkansas fans yell "Sooie Pig!" You
never hear Alabama referred to as the Alabama Roll Tides or Arkansas as
the Arkansas Sooie Pigs, and to call Auburn teams the Auburn War Eagles
would be just as incorrect. The battle cry "War Eagle" should never have
an "s" on the end of it.
The nickname "Tigers" comes from a line in Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The
Deserted Village," published in May 1770, "where crouching tigers wait
their hapless prey..."
The term "Plainsmen" comes from a line in that same Goldsmith poem,
"Sweet Auburn, loveliest (sic) village of the plain..." Since Auburn
athletes were, in the early days, men from the Plains, it was only
natural for newspaper headline writers to shorten that to "Plainsmen."
It may be confusing to an outsider, but to Auburn people, it is very
simple. That's why War Eagle VI, Auburn's golden eagle symbol, is named
Tiger!
War Eagle: Fact or Fable
Whenever Auburn people gather, the battle cry "Warrrrrrr Eagle!" is
almost certain to be heard. Although little is actually known about how
the battle cry originated, it has been a part of Auburn’s spirit for
more than 100 years. Since the first War Eagle, there have been five
other birds throughout Auburn’s history which have served as the
school’s symbol and kept alive the legendary battle cry.
The first War Eagle, according to legend, died the same day it inspired
Auburn students to yell its name -- 1892 in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park when
Auburn played Georgia in the Deep South’s first football game. In 1932,
a group of Auburn people got together and bought a second eagle from a
farmer for $10. Due to economic problems caused by the Great Depression,
however, the group could not afford to feed the bird and was forced to
give it away to a carnival that was passing through town.
Nearly 30 years later, in 1960, Auburn received a wounded eagle from Dr.
Dell Hill of Talladega, Ala. An Auburn architecture student, Jon Bowden,
took care of War Eagle III for a few months but eventually gave him to
another student, Elwyn Hamer. Hamer was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega
fraternity at the time and ever since that day, the brothers of that
fraternity have helped take care of the Auburn eagles. Hamer would later
be honored by having the aviary, which is one of the homes for the bird,
named for him.
During the week prior to Auburn’s game against Alabama in 1964, War
Eagle III broke free and landed in a nearby backyard. The owner of the
property shot and killed the eagle claiming it was attacking his
children.
The following year, 1965, the City of Birmingham acquired an eagle from
the Jackson, Miss., zoo and gave it to Auburn. War Eagle IV would enjoy
a reign of 15 years.
War Eagle V arrived in Auburn March 3, 1981 from Wyoming. After
examination and observation at the College of Veterinary Medicine, the
two-year-old immature golden ealge was presented to the university on
A-Day, May 9, 1981. She died Sept. 4, 1986 after suffering a ruptured
spleen.
Her successor, War Eagle VI, was located at the TVA Raptor
Rehabilitation Facility at Land Between the Lakes, Ky., but she was born
in St. Louis, Mo. War Eagle VI, which is named Tiger as were her
predecessors, arrived in Auburn, Oct. 8, 1986 at the approximate age of
six-years-old.
The female golden eagle weighs 11 pounds and has a wingspan of seven
feet. War Eagle VI has talons that can squeeze down with a grip of 450
pounds per square inch. To put it into perspective, the average person
has a grip of 20 pounds per square inch.
In 2000, the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center took over the
primary care of War Eagle VI. Alpha Phi Omega, a non-profit service
fraternity, provided care for the bird for 41 years and several members
of the fraternity have been trained at the Southeastern Raptor
Rehabilitation Center.
Tiger, who belongs to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, lives at both
the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center and the campus aviary next
to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Beginning with the 2000 season, Tiger will not
be perched on the sideline for the entire football game. She will make
appearances before and during games.
In addition to appearing at Auburn athletic events, Tiger makes numerous
public appearances each year including visits to schools promoting
conservation education about eagles and other endangered species.
Aubie
Aubie, Auburn’s costumed Tiger mascot, is in his 25th season as a spirit
leader and goodwill ambassador for Auburn University.
A popular character among Auburn fans and one of the more animated
mascots in the country, Aubie has been on the job since 1979.
Aubie’s existence began as a cartoon character that first appeared on
the Auburn/Hardin-Simmons football program cover on October 3, 1959.
Birmingham Post-Herald artist Phil Neel created the cartoon Tiger who
continued to adorn Auburn program covers for 18 years.
Aubie’s look changed through the years. In 1962, he began to stand
upright and the next year, 1963, wore clothes for the first time—a blue
tie and straw hat.
Aubie’s appearances on game programs proved to be somewhat of a good
luck charm for Coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan’s teams. The Tigers were
victorious in the first nine games he graced the cover and in his first
six years, Auburn posted a 23-2-1 home record. Auburn’s home record
during the 18 years Aubie served as Cover Tiger was 63-16-2.
Aubie’s last appearance on the game program cover was October 23, 1976,
when Auburn downed Florida State, 31-19, but Aubie returned to Auburn’s
cover against Alabama on Nov. 30, 1991, Auburn’s last home game at
Legion Field.
In 1979, Aubie came to life at the Southeastern Conference basketball
tournament. James Lloyd, Auburn spirit director for the Student
Government Association, with help from the Alumni Association, contacted
Brooks-Van Horn Costumes in New York, N.Y.
The company was provided with copies of the 1961 Auburn-Alabama and 1962
Auburn-Georgia Tech game programs to use for reference in creating a
costume of the cartoon character. The firm, which also provided costumes
for Walt Disney, designed and produced a Tiger costume for $1,350.
Individual contributions from various Auburn clubs, alumni and friends
helped pay for the first costume.
Aubie proudly marched into the Birmingham-Jefferson County Civic Center
on February 28, 1979, and helped lead first-year Auburn coach Sonny
Smith’s team to an upset of Vanderbilt. The following day, Aubie
returned to the arena and the Tigers surprised Georgia in the longest
game in SEC tournament history, four overtimes. Before the weekend was
complete, Aubie helped lead the ninth-place team in the regular season
to the semifinals of the tournament.
Aubie was selected as the nation’s No. 1 college mascot of 1990-91 by
the Universal Cheerleader Association as Chris Wood, Mike Jernigan and
Rob Thomson represented Aubie in the suit. And the 1994-95 Aubies, Trey
Humphreys, Mike Murphy, and Billy Stephens, received No. 1 college
mascot again. In 1995-96, the three Aubies, Billy Stephens (Head Aubie)
of Metarie, La., along with Mike Griffin and Josh Agerton, both of
Auburn, claimed the title again. In 1998-99, the Aubies, J.G. Carver
(Head Aubie) of Huntsville, Eric Krausse of Chesterfield, Va., and
Brannon McKim of Montgomery captured Auburn’s fourth national
championship. The most recent and fifth national championship was
awarded in 2002-03, with the following students representing Aubie in
the suit- Taylor Griswold (Head Aubie) from Montgomery, Jeremy Legg from
Franklin, Tenn., and Trey Mock from Marietta, Ga.
This year’s Aubies are Trey Mock (Head Aubie), Matt Grainger of
Homewood, and Chris Keenan from Spanish Fort.
Auburn Fight Song, Alma Mater and Creed
WAR EAGLE (FIGHT SONG)
War...Eagle, fly down the field, Ever to
conquer, never to yield.
War...Eagle fearless and true. Fight on, you orange and blue.
Go! Go! Go!
On to vic'try, strike up the band,
Give 'em hell, give 'em hell.
Stand up and yell, Hey! War...Eagle, win for Auburn,
Power of Dixie Land!
THE AUBURN CREED
I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on
what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.
I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and
trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the
respect and confidence of my fellow men.
I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not
afraid, and in clean sports to develop these qualities.
I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.
I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow
men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.
I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it
is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly,
loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."
And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in
Auburn and love it.
THE ALMA MATER
On the rolling plains of Dixie
'Neath its sun-kissed sky,
Proudly stands, our Alma Mater
Banners high.
To thy name we'll sing thy praise,
From hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our
Loyalty the ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
Hear thy student voices swelling,
Echoes strong and clear,
Adding laurels to thy fame
Enshrined so dear.
From thy hallowed halls we'll part,
And bid thee sad adieu;
Thy sacred trust we'll bear with us
The ages through.
We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.
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