Just Askin': What are the origins of University of Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot?

The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google.

University of Cincinnati students and alumni proudly wear their Bearcat mascot as a badge of honor.

It's been over a century since the inception of the UC Bearcat. The mascot's image has evolved, from a snarling bear to the actual animal bearcat, also known as binturong.

Turns out, it traces back to a rivalry with the University of Kentucky and its Wildcat mascot.

What are the origins of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats?

The Bearcat mascot was not initially inspired by the animal. It came from the name of a student-athlete.

During a 1914 football game between UC and UK, a chant was created to honor UC star player Leonard K. "Teddy" Baehr, according to UC Magazine. The chant went: “They may be Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side."

With players' heightened spirits, the new battle cry worked, and UC won that day.

The chant was repeated in a cartoon by John "Paddy" Reece published in UC's independent, student-run newspaper, The News Record. The cartoon shows a Wildcat being chased by an animal dubbed "Cincinnati Bear Cats."

It wasn't until 1922 that the first logo of the Bearcat appeared in an institutional logo. It was clearly depicted as an actual snarling grizzly bear; no binturong in sight.

It started appearing less as a lifelike animal after World War II, depicting a cartoonish growling bear with long claws and whiskers. It started showing up on decals, posters and other promotional materials, and was colored UC red.

UC also has a live mascot who lives at the Cincinnati Zoo named Lucille. She took over for longtime bearcat ambassador Lucy in 2019 when Lucy retired from campus life due to her age and health. Lucy died in 2021.

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