Today, the most famous resident of UConn Nation is synonymous with the University: Jonathan, the name given to successive generations of beloved huskies who cheer on athletic teams from the sidelines, delight students, faculty, and visitors when taking cross-campus strolls, and serve as the ultimate goodwill ambassador for UConn. But for more than 50 years, the institution founded in 1881 as Storrs Agricultural School had no mascot, and no consistent name for its athletic teams, who were sometimes called the Blue and Whites, the Statesmen, and other monikers. That changed in December 1934, with the arrival of a brown, black, and white husky puppy, who was named Jonathan, after Connecticut’s Revolutionary War governor, Jonathan Trumbull. “To all and sundry he emanates an air of great satisfaction,” the Connecticut Campus wrote at the time, “based undoubtedly on the obvious fact that he likes himself, likes the students, and most of all likes being the mascot of Connecticut State College.” The first Jonathan’s tenure was short; in February 1935, he was hit by an automobile, and is buried at the corner of Rte. 195 and North Eagleville Road. Today, Jonathan XV carries on the proud tradition of embodying Husky Spirit wherever he goes.
UConn Firsts: First Jonathan
A new era for UConn began in December 1934