University of Washington

School Info:

Founded in 1861 by a private gift of 10 acres in what is now the heart of downtown Seattle, the UW is one of the oldest public universities on the West Coast. As the state’s flagship university, the UW serves more students than any other institution in the Northwest — more than 92,000 annually. In addition to UW Seattle, the university has thriving campuses in Tacoma and Bothell and a robust professional and continuing education program (http://www.washington.edu/discover/).

How The University of Washington Ranks:

The UW receives more federal research funding than any other American public university, a ranking held since 1974. In the most recent ranking by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the UW ranked (http://www.washington.edu/discover/academics).

The History of “Dubs” the Alaskan Malamute (http://www.gohuskies.com/genrel/dubs-history.html):

Prior to 1920, the University of Washington had two unofficial mascots-first the Indians, and later the Vikings. Neither name seemed appropriate, so most local publications referred to the university’s athletic teams as the “purple and gold.” Midway through the scholastic year of 1920, the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) held general elections and voted to adopt “Sundodger” as its official mascot. The name was quickly adopted by the alumni’s publication, “Washington Alumnus,” which sported a smiling figure named Sunny holding an umbrella. Many people took Sundodger to be a negative reference to the city’s rainy weather. In 1922, after mounting pressure from local newspapers and businesses, the university considered finding a more suitable representative for the school.

Arriving at the Husky
A committee was formed by the ASUW to take on the daunting task of naming a new mascot. Many argued that Sundodger had no particular meaning, could not be characterized and reflected an untrue climatic condition of the state. The committee considered several mascots and took another look at the previously considered Husky as a potential winner. At a basketball game in early February 1922, the Husky was officially introduced as the new mascot.

The Husky was favored because it was easy to cartoon, a fitting name for an athletic team, and is short and easy to use in newspaper headlines. In an unofficial poll the following week, the school’s paper, the Daily, published that 16 of 24 students and faculty favored Husky over Sundodger. The committee believed the Husky captured the true spirit of the Northwest because Seattle was recognized as the “Gateway to the Alaskan frontier.”

The UW uses the Husky breed, the Alaskan Malamute, because it is the largest and strongest of all Husky breeds.

Husky Football Homepage: http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/wash-m-footbl-body.html

2011 Huskie Football Schedule: http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/wash-m-footbl-sched.html