<p>How many applying know the official name for Stanford University?</p>
<p>Where / why did the TREE mascot come from and the nickname Cardinal?</p>
<p>I’m an alum, not an applicant so I won’t answer. Just glad to see the score of the Big Game today and to see Stanford retain the Ax!</p>
<p>Leland Stanford Junior University ! :)</p>
<p>Ok pep, one point for you
Now the second question (Corinthian gave you a hint)</p>
<p>The tree’s not the official mascot, but it’s the Stanford Band’s mascot and by association the school’s unofficial mascot. It comes from the pine tree gracing the cardinal “S” in the Stanford logo</p>
<p>Palo Alto means tall tree in Spanish. El Palo Alto is a tall redwood tree in Palo Alto. That tree is on the Palo Alto and Stanford seal. </p>
<p>Stanford began as the “Cardinal” (the color, like crimson). This was in 1892, when cardinal and white were selected for the team’s colors. For a while (four decades) they became the Stanford Indians, and our mascot was an Indian. Then the tides of PC took over in the '70s, and Stanford’s athletic teams reverted back to the Stanford Cardinal. But there was popular demand for a mascot. There was a long debate as to what the official mascot would be (Robber Barons was a popular idea, but the administration didn’t approve). The band at this time also came up with some mascot ideas. The tree was one of their ideas, and it proved very popular. The rest, as they say, is history. The tree is still, though, an unofficial mascot (I could be wrong, but this explains why it isn’t on any athletic uniforms, for instance). </p>
<p>That’s mostly from the Wikipedia page.</p>
<p>Correct,
The student body did vote for the Robber Baron which was over-ruled by admin. It is also interesting that in the “PC” vote, the majority vote by American Indians was to keep it, it was the liberal white kids who voted it down. Interestingly, Chief Lightfoot Who danced with the Band) and the several Indian tribes in the area sent letters supporting being proud of the reference (although the Band’s caricature was disapproved)</p>
<p>The “Cardinal” was used by sports announcers with nothing else to use and it stuck</p>