View source for Nittany Lion

{{Short description|Mountain lion mascot of Pennsylvania State University}}
{{about|the mascot|the fight song|The Nittany Lion (song)}}
{{Infobox mascot 
| name = Nittany Lion
| image = Penn State Nittany Lion.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = The Nittany Lion mascot at the [[2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|2007 season]] opener at [[Beaver Stadium]] against [[2007 FIU Golden Panthers football team|FIU]]
| university = [[Pennsylvania State University]]
| conference = Big Ten Conference
| conference_short = Big Ten
| description = Nittany Lion
| name_origin = [[Mount Nittany]] in [[Pennsylvania]]
| first_seen = {{start date and age|1904}}
| last_seen = 
| related_mascots =
| website = {{URL|https://gopsusports.com/spirit/nittany-lion|gopsusports.com/nittany-lion}}
| hall_of_fame =
}}
The '''Nittany Lion''' is the [[Eastern cougar|eastern mountain lion]] [[mascot]] of the athletic teams of the [[Pennsylvania State University]], known as the [[Penn State Nittany Lions]]. Created in 1907, the "Nittany" forename refers to [[Mount Nittany]], which overlooks the university.

== History ==
[[file:Coach hugo bezdek and the nittany lion.jpg|thumb|Penn State football coach [[Hugo Bezdek]] shakes hands with the Nittany Lion in the 1920s]]
The mascot was the creation of Penn State senior H. D. "Joe" Mason in 1904. While on a trip to [[Princeton University]], Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a mascot. Mason did not let that deter him: he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat the Princeton Bengal tiger.<ref name="history2">{{cite web |url=http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html |title=Penn State: What is a Nittany Lion? |access-date=27 March 2008 |archive-date=10 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310152101/http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Lion's primary means of attack against the Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes, which is now traditionally exemplified through cumulative one-armed push-ups after the team scores a touchdown. Upon returning to campus, he set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, he wrote in the student publication ''The Lemon'': {{cquote|Every college the world over of any consequence has a college emblem of some kind—all but The Pennsylvania State College...Why not select for ours the king of beasts—the Lion!! Dignified, courageous, magnificent, the Lion allegorically represents all that our College Spirit should be, so why not 'the Nittany Mountain Lion'? Why cannot State have a kingly, all-conquering Lion as the eternal sentinel?<ref name="LATimes2">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2012-may-30-la-sp-sn-the-story-of-the-penn-state-nittany-lion-20120530-story.html|title=The story of the Penn State Nittany Lion|last=Cronin|first=Brian|date=May 20, 2012|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>}}

=== Origins of the Nittany Lion ===
[[File:PSU_Lion_2005_Cincy.JPG|thumb|The Nittany Lion mascot pumps up the crowd at the 2005 [[Penn State Nittany Lions football]] game versus [[University of Cincinnati|Cincinnati]] at [[Beaver Stadium]]]]
Eastern mountain lions had roamed on nearby Mount Nittany until the 1880s.<ref name="LATimes2" /> The name "Mount Nittany" derives from the Algonquian word meaning "single mountain."<ref>{{Cite web | title=Creating Penn State memories {{!}} The history, impact of Mount Nittany {{!}} State College News {{!}} psucollegian.com | url=https://www.psucollegian.com/news/borough/creating-penn-state-memories-the-history-impact-of-mount-nittany/article_128e9686-a884-11eb-9d42-97b2dfce47a0.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114211819/https://www.psucollegian.com/news/borough/creating-penn-state-memories-the-history-impact-of-mount-nittany/article_128e9686-a884-11eb-9d42-97b2dfce47a0.html | access-date=2025-08-30 | archive-date=2025-01-14}}</ref> The "original" Nittany Lion can be seen in the Penn State All-Sports Museum. It was killed in [[Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna County]] by Samuel Brush in 1856.<ref>''This Is Penn State, An Insider's Guide to the University Park Campus'', pg. 74</ref> 

According to a July 1992 article in ''[[National Geographic]]'', "Courthouse records from [[Centre County, Pennsylvania]] show that one local hunter killed 64 lions between 1820 and 1845."

=== The Tale of the Nittany Lion Mascot ===

The history of the Nittany Lion mascot is documented in ''The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale'' (1997) by Penn State librarians Jackie R. Esposito and Steven L. Herb. The book traces the origins of the mascot from the local folklore of Indian Princess Nita-nee and the mountain lions that once roamed central Pennsylvania, to the adoption of the “lion” as Penn State’s symbol following a 1904 baseball game at Princeton University. It also details the creation of the limestone Nittany Lion Shrine on the University Park campus, and the tradition of the “Men in the Suit,” the many students who have performed as the mascot. The work further connects the mascot’s story to notable figures in Penn State and Pennsylvania history, including folklorist Henry Shoemaker, student leader H. D. “Joe” Mason, sculptor Heinz Warneke, mascot performer Norm Constantine, and football coaches Rip Engle and Joe Paterno.

=== Female Nittany Lion Mascot Finalist ===
In 1996, Nancy Barrett (Rehm) became the first and, to date, only female to try out for the Nittany Lion mascot position. She was one of four finalists for the 1996–97 role, performing a prepared skit, impromptu routine, and the traditional one-arm pushups at the final tryout in Rec Hall. Although not ultimately selected, Barrett’s advancement marked a historic milestone in the mascot’s history.<ref>{{cite book 
 |last1=Esposito 
 |first1=Jackie R. 
 |last2=Herb 
 |first2=Steven L. 
 |title=The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale 
 |publisher=Penn State University Press 
 |location=University Park, PA 
 |year=1997 
 |isbn=0-271-01588-8 
 |others=Foreword by Joe and Sue Paterno
 |pages=204–206}}</ref>

==The Lion Suit==
The design and construction of the Nittany Lion mascot costume has evolved significantly over time. The earliest versions were produced by Clearfield Furs and made from real mountain lion skin. In 1990, following the company’s closure, production shifted to Elisabeth DeAngelo-Tucker and her husband John Tucker, who continue to create the suit. Elisabeth, trained in sewing by her mother Mieko DeAngelo, modernized the costume by introducing lightweight and washable polyester faux fur, improving durability and ease of maintenance. Despite these updates, traditional features such as the Lion’s exposed teeth - carried over from the original design - remain part of the suit’s appearance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foley |first=Anna |date=2014-10-10 |title=Meet The Lion Makers |url=https://onwardstate.com/2014/10/10/meet-the-lion-makers/ |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=Onward State |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Theme song ==
{{Main|The Nittany Lion (song)}}
In the early 1920s, a song was created to honor the mascot. Entitled "[[The Nittany Lion (song)|The Nittany Lion]]", it is played during sporting events on campus.

==See also==
* [[Nittany Lion Shrine]]
* [[Penn State Nittany Lions]]
* [[Pennsylvania State University]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html Nittany Lion Mascots] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310152101/http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html |date=2018-03-10 }}
* Esposito, Jackie R. and Steven L. Herb. ''[http://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-01588-8.html The Nittany Lion]'', Penn State Press, 2001 {{ISBN|0-271-02115-2}}

{{The Pennsylvania State University}}
{{Penn State Nittany Lions football navbox}}
{{Penn State Nittany Lions basketball navbox}}
{{Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer navbox}}
{{Big Ten Mascots}}

[[Category:Big Ten Conference mascots]]
[[Category:Penn State Nittany Lions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania State University]]
[[Category:Fictional mountain lions]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic lions]]
[[Category:Lion mascots]]
[[Category:Mascots introduced in 1904]]