2008 Woodie Awards
Warhawks name reaches 50th anniversary
Sarah Millard
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News
When the UW-Whitewater football team received the 2007 national championship, the name Warhawks was heard nationwide through an ESPN broadcast of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Had the championship happened in 1957, the name Quakers would have been heard across the country instead.
The Royal Purple sponsored a contest in 1958 to rename the Quakers to removed the pacifist symbolism from the athletic department's name. The 50th anniversary of the name change is Tuesday. Four men, John Rabata, Bill Jolly, August Revoy and Ronald Hall, had suggested the name be changed to the Warhawks and were among 200 different name suggestions. The winners were to split a $10 cash prize and have their names inscribed on a gold plaque, compliments of the Royal Purple.
"We split a prize of $10," Rabata said. "Can you imagine that? But the Royal Purple probably didn't have a lot of funds at that point. There is a gold plaque somewhere with our four names on it, but I have never seen it. It's buried somewhere, maybe."
Rabata first heard of the Warhawks name during his time with the Air Force. There was a Texas team named the Warhawks. He was with the Air Force during the Korean War-era. Although Rabata desired the symbol to be similar to the current bird, the university used a controversial American Indian figure to represent the university. However, Rabata said it still feels great to be able to watch the success of the Warhawk athletics and know he had a part in its name.
"For 50 years I have watched these accomplishments," he said. "There was a point at which Willy Warhawk was politically incorrect. He was an Indian. At some point Coach Perkins mentioned that he never meant for it to be an Indian. It was an easy choice, politically too; you don't want to offend the Native Americans. So they changed the symbol to a hawk.
"It is a symbol to be proud of. I think it is unique ... It was one of the first in this state of any high school or college."
The American Indian theme seemed positive at the time because the area was historically inhabited by the Blackhawk tribe and would fit well with Homecoming floats, according to an April 1958 Royal Purple article. However, the use of American Indian mascots was banned from NCAA tournament play in 2005 in order to reduce negative stereotypes of American Indians, according to an article on ESPN's Web site.
"A few schools have hung onto their Indian mascots, but they get a lot of heat for it," Rabata said. "It was great for me because I didn't like it at first that they had used an Indian rather than a bird of prey. So, I was glad to see it. I wrote Coach Perkins a letter saying that I am glad he helped push it along too."
Rabata took a few years off from school in 1958 to get married. However, after he had two children, he decided to finish college. He graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1965 while working third shift and taking summer courses.
Rabata worked in the education field for around 30 years. He taught for three years in Lake Geneva and then moved to Beaver Dam where he spent the rest of his career.
The Royal Purple sponsored a contest in 1958 to rename the Quakers to removed the pacifist symbolism from the athletic department's name. The 50th anniversary of the name change is Tuesday. Four men, John Rabata, Bill Jolly, August Revoy and Ronald Hall, had suggested the name be changed to the Warhawks and were among 200 different name suggestions. The winners were to split a $10 cash prize and have their names inscribed on a gold plaque, compliments of the Royal Purple.
"We split a prize of $10," Rabata said. "Can you imagine that? But the Royal Purple probably didn't have a lot of funds at that point. There is a gold plaque somewhere with our four names on it, but I have never seen it. It's buried somewhere, maybe."
Rabata first heard of the Warhawks name during his time with the Air Force. There was a Texas team named the Warhawks. He was with the Air Force during the Korean War-era. Although Rabata desired the symbol to be similar to the current bird, the university used a controversial American Indian figure to represent the university. However, Rabata said it still feels great to be able to watch the success of the Warhawk athletics and know he had a part in its name.
"For 50 years I have watched these accomplishments," he said. "There was a point at which Willy Warhawk was politically incorrect. He was an Indian. At some point Coach Perkins mentioned that he never meant for it to be an Indian. It was an easy choice, politically too; you don't want to offend the Native Americans. So they changed the symbol to a hawk.
"It is a symbol to be proud of. I think it is unique ... It was one of the first in this state of any high school or college."
The American Indian theme seemed positive at the time because the area was historically inhabited by the Blackhawk tribe and would fit well with Homecoming floats, according to an April 1958 Royal Purple article. However, the use of American Indian mascots was banned from NCAA tournament play in 2005 in order to reduce negative stereotypes of American Indians, according to an article on ESPN's Web site.
"A few schools have hung onto their Indian mascots, but they get a lot of heat for it," Rabata said. "It was great for me because I didn't like it at first that they had used an Indian rather than a bird of prey. So, I was glad to see it. I wrote Coach Perkins a letter saying that I am glad he helped push it along too."
Rabata took a few years off from school in 1958 to get married. However, after he had two children, he decided to finish college. He graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1965 while working third shift and taking summer courses.
Rabata worked in the education field for around 30 years. He taught for three years in Lake Geneva and then moved to Beaver Dam where he spent the rest of his career.
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