Volume 17 , Issue 25

NW Okie's Journey

The Alva Goldbugs are not the only high school mascots known as the "Goldbugs." It was about eleven years ago that we mentioned the Kansas mascot Kensington, Kansas. Kensington and Alva both based their Goldbug mascots on Edgar Allen Poe's short story, The Goldbug, written in 1843. There was also another Goldbug mascot from Fowler, Kansas. The Fowler, Kansas Goldbug was like Alva's Goldbug, a beetle.

The McKinley High School in St. Louis, Missouri took its name from the Republican National Convention, which was held in St. Louis in 1896, when William "Bill" McKInley was nominated for President on the Gold-standard platform. It was the members who were campaigning for McKinley were called "Goldbugs." The McKinley Goldbug was an odd-looking hybrid character that has both bug and human characteristics with books trailing behind it.

The first graduating class in Fowler had two students in 1912. In 1934, there was a contest to come up with a mascot for Fowler and the winner of the contest was Fern Barger with the "Goldbug." Virgil Hill, class of 1935, came up with the design of the mascot which was a beetle. The Fowler idea was taken from the 1843 short story by Edgar Allan Poe, also. The first picture of the Fowler beetle Goldbug was on the cover of the school's 1941 yearbook. This beetle lasted from 1934 to 1955. In 1956, the Goldbug was changed from the beetle to the mascot now in use at Fowler High School.

The Kensington Goldbug was created in 1921 as a result of a young man who doodled during Science class. His creation was adopted as the black and gold school mascot and remained so until the school consolidated in 2008. The Alumni have erected a sign on main street to commemorate their beloved mascot. In 2008, Kensington, USD 238 and Agra, USD 339 consolidated to create ThunderRidge Schools, USD 110. They are now known as the ThunderRidge Longhorns sporting l]blue & silver as their colors.

Good Night! Good Luck!
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