Pitt-Bradford’s panther mascot finally has its name

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has revealed the name of its costumed panther mascot - Piper.

Beyond a happy alliteration, Piper salutes the campus' ties to aviation history. The current campus stands on what was once the Harri Emery Airport. On a corner of the airport property where Blaisdell Hall stands today, the Taylor Aircraft Co., owned by Bradford oilman Willim Piper, manufactured the iconic light plane "The Cub" during the Great Depression.

A fire destroyed the factory in 1937, and Piper moved his company to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, renaming it Piper Aircraft Corp. The Cubs developed on the land where Pitt-Bradford would stand became important aircraft in World War II, serving as reconnaissance and observation planes, transport vehicles and training airplanes for pilots.

In 2006, Pitt-Bradford dedicated a monument to the little plane's place in aviation history at Blaisdell Hall.

The University undertook a multistep process to choose the perfect moniker, asking for suggestions, then holding an election in which more than 500 people voted. Piper received 162 votes.

Emeriti alumni like Mary Rizzo (A&S '68, SCI '69G), who attended Pitt-Bradford from 1964 to 1966, had been rooting for the name. It didn't take students long to warm up to it either.

"I was surprised, but I like it," said Makartnee Mortimer, a senior exercise science major and women's lacrosse player from Westfield, New York. She added that she thought one of the naming options that began with a "B" would have come out on top.

Voters had the chance to choose from Jett, Brad, Kinzua, Blaze, Blizzard and, of course, Piper.

While it's never had a name, Pitt-Bradford's mascot has always been a panther.

When the Bradford campus was founded in 1963, it adopted the University's panther mascot. Pitt's athletic teams had been called the Panthers since 1909, when students and alumni there selected the native predator of Western Pennsylvania. And, in Appalachia, eastern cougars were called panthers.

Besides, Pitt Panthers has a nice ring to it.

Photo illustration courtesy of Pitt-Bradford