The Indian’s Departure: The Removal of the Indian Mascot at Stanford University

Faculty Advisor:

Tomás Jiménez 

Graduate Mentor:

Sandra Nakagawa

Abstract: 

The rise and fall of the Stanford Indian is a story that extends far beyond its 42-year tenure as the University mascot. Officially adopted in 1930, the Indian symbol was embedded in campus culture and could be found everywhere from jerseys to notebooks to bumper stickers. By the early 1950s, the Indian mascot was brought to life by a Yurok Indian named Timm Williams, who performed alleged cultural dances in full regalia at Stanford athletic events. Prince Lightfoot, as Williams’ character came to be known, was officially dropped as the school mascot along with the emblem in 1972, when the 55 Native Americans of the Stanford American Indian Organization (SAIO) petitioned to have the symbol and Prince Lightfoot removed. Though no longer present in day-to-day campus culture, the legacy of Prince Lightfoot lingers close to the surface.

View final Honors Thesis here.