A Look Back At Our Mascots
By: Benjamin Rupp
Do you know where the beloved mascots of the University of Toledo come from? Rocky and Rocksy have been a huge part of our school culture dating back all the way to 1966. Rocky was the first of the mascot duo, created by the University’s Spirits and Traditions Committee. Made from a jumpsuit and papier-mâché, the first-ever version of Rocky the Rocket was born.
Two years later, the first Rocky was retired and replaced with a new version of the mascot.
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A number of different jumpsuits and metal helmets were used for the mascot until 1977. Outfitted with legendary bell-bottom pants and an authentic space helmet and boots courtesy of NASA, Rocky rocked on in this new attire all the way until 1983.
In 1983, a new era of Rocky the Rocket emerged with a more plush “huggable design.” The first of the new generation of Rocky was known as plush, with huge feet, until an alteration in 1986, when an updated smaller version was released.
In 1998, a new, more dapper version of Rocky the Rocket Man appeared. Sporting a new jetpack, Rocky ushered in a new era as the old mascot retired, riding away in a limousine
The inflatable Rocky the Rocket was created in 2002 alongside the “Rocket Man” Rocky. This inflatable design was then updated in 2008 to the current version we all know and love today.
Rocky’s adorable sidekick, Rocksy the Rockette, was the most recent mascot addition, introduced not long ago during MusicFest 2011.
