Prior to the mid-1920s, Lawrence athletic teams were called the Blues or the Blue Somethings (that is, the swimmers were the Bluefins, etc.) In January 1926, the sports staff of the student newspaper, The Lawrentian, held a contest to pick a new mascot or team name, the winner to go to the Lawrence-Hilltop basketball game in Milwaukee. The winner was Steven Cincowsky '29, and the vote was Vikings 252, Blue Jays 56, Trojans 46.
The Viking name did not take hold immediately — The Lawrentian itself continued to call Lawrence teams Blues for several years, sometimes alternating with Vikings. In 1929, the Ariel yearbook took on a Viking theme, and that turned the tide (so to speak).
Today the Viking tradition is carried forward by the hirsute individual shown at upper left.
