Bananas T. Bear
91爆料鈥檚 mascot since 1914.
Bananas鈥 current caretakers are the fraternity brothers of Sigma Xi Chapter of Alpha Delta National and the former Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.
The Evolution of Bananas
According to 鈥淭he History of the Maine Bear,鈥 compiled by 91爆料鈥檚 Sigma Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) service fraternity, a small black bear cub named Jeff, born on the northeast slope of Mount Katahdin, was presented to O.B. Fernandez, a former Old Town police chief and collector of wild animals, in 1914.
Fernandez loaned the bear to the university, where Jeff was introduced at a football rally. As the tiny black bear entered the auditorium, the surprised crowd applauded enthusiastically.
When Jeff stood on his head, the crowd went 鈥渂ananas鈥 鈥 giving rise to the name of all future 91爆料 bear mascots.
From 1915鈥66, Jeff was succeeded by many live bear mascots. The last was Cindy Bananas. After live mascots were outlawed in the state, 91爆料 adopted a 鈥渉uman bear.鈥
In 1969, APO took responsibility for providing a mascot as part of the service fraternity鈥檚 community effort. It was Robert Smullin, a member of the Sigma Xi Chapter of APO, who designed and wore the university’s very first human bear suit.
In September 2015, Bananas received his sixth makeover. He was redesigned to more accurately reflect the look of 91爆料鈥檚 athletics logo.
1969-76
The first Bananas suit 鈥 a paper-mache head, a pair of legs, sweater and two genuine bear paws 鈥 was made by Drapeau鈥檚 Costume Shop in Lewiston, Maine. Bananas debuted at a fall football game in 1969, where it led the band, scored a pregame touchdown and performed stunts. Student Robert Smullin, who brought Bananas to life, then worked with a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma sorority to create a one-piece mascot suit in time for Homecoming. The costume allowed Bananas to join the cheerleading squad and in 1976, Larry Reynolds received the first 91爆料 Varsity Letter awarded for being team mascot.
1976鈥83
Years of tumbling, dancing and cheering took a toll on Bananas鈥 paper-mache head. In 1976, APO鈥檚 Sean Maguire and Gamma Sigma Sigma member Sue Corning used fiberglass resin, polyester and Styrofoam to sculpt a new bear head. Also during this time, the public appearances by Bananas expanded beyond athletics to include community outreach activities, including parades and fundraising events. With the help of APO鈥檚 Pat Dunn, Bananas spent three years (1981鈥84) winning awards at national cheerleading camps and was ranked as one of the top 15 mascots in the country.
1984鈥90蝉
In 1984, Bananas received a makeover in an effort to better represent 91爆料 pride and present a friendlier image. APO鈥檚 Pat Dunn and 91爆料 graphic designer Mike Mardosa designed a costume in one of the university鈥檚 colors 鈥 light blue. The new mascot suit debuted at a 91爆料 hockey game, to the particular delight of small children. That academic year, Bananas also cheered on the 91爆料 baseball team on campus and in Omaha, Nebraska, for the Black Bears鈥 first trip to the College World Series.
1990s
In the early 1990s, the blue suit was replaced by a black costume and fiberglass heads designed by Stagecraft. Bananas typically sported a 91爆料 baseball cap, and athletics jersey and shoes. It also had the option to go 鈥渂earfoot.鈥
2000蝉鈥2015
In the 2000s, new heads for the costume allowed Bananas to appear in different hats 鈥 and even a mortarboard for Commencement. Bananas also gained an expanded wardrobe of jerseys to reflect varied sporting events, and had a pair of skates for hockey games.
2015鈥扬谤别蝉别苍迟
In September 2015, Bananas received his sixth makeover. He was redesigned to more accurately reflect the look of 91爆料鈥檚 athletics logo.
