Where did Utah State Aggies get their name?
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| Utah State Aggies Concept Football Helmet |
The name "Aggies" is a fixture of many universities that began as land-grant and agricultural colleges. Early USU sports teams were sometimes simply referred to as the "Farmers" as well as the Aggies, though the former name was never official. Beginning in the 1930s, an image of a "bean-pole farmer" with a pitchfork in hand and hay stalk in mouth began to be used to represent the college, though this too was never made official, and disappeared following the transformation into a full-fledged university in 1957.
During the late 1960s and early '70s, a movement began on campus to shed the Aggie name in favor of the Utah State Highlanders, but the movement met with widespread opposition and was abandoned. The name "Highlanders" was a nod to the university's historic ideological tie to Scotland, which came about very early on in the college's history, mostly due to the university's setting on a hill in a high mountain valley. In fact, for a brief period, USU's teams were indeed nicknamed the "Scotsmen" as well, and a remnant of this era lives on in the current and popular fight song "The Scotsman".
The name "Aggies" is short for Agriculturalists, and was adopted by the university in the early 1900s. The name is a reference to the university's focus on agriculture and its role as a land-grant institution. The Aggies are a proud tradition that is celebrated by students, alumni, and fans alike. The Aggies are a symbol of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The Aggies are a force to be reckoned with on the field and in the stands.
