The University of Wisconsin-Platteville unveiled an updated and stylized version of Pioneer Pete during the Homecoming Yell volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 18, giving the university an official mascot for the first time in at least two decades.
“The university is proud to announce this mascot, which embodies the true Pioneer spirit from which our great institution was founded,” said UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis J. Shields. “We have combined our Pioneer name with our strong mining history in coming up with a representative mascot. I know our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members will come to take pride in this new Pioneer Pete.”
The city of Platteville was incorporated by John Rountree, a mine owner in the 19th century. The university is a combination of the Platteville Normal School and the Mining Institute.
The mascot is based on a 2011 survey in which nearly 5,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni participated. The Pioneer and the miner both scored a 90 percent favorable rank in almost every question. The other finalists, the dog and horse options, both were below 30 percent.
The UW-Platteville Image Committee, with 14 females and 12 males representing 14 different constituencies, worked with Torch Creative Inc. to design the new mascot, which features a determined character with a blue helmet and pick axe and dressed in an orange shirt and blue pants. The mascot replaces the curved “UWP” that the athletic department had used.
“Knowing that the university had been looking for a mascot for a number of years was definitely an appealing challenge, and we were honored to be asked to participate in the process,” said Michael Thurman of Torch Creative. “Our goal was to create a contemporary mascot which relied upon a classic aesthetic and exaggerated personality, and we sincerely hope that the Pioneer will be well received and will effectively represent the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the Pioneer fans for many years to come.”
At least six mascot committees had previously tried to come up with a replacement for older versions of Pioneer Pete, whose old western and unkept appearance was deemed outdated in the late 1980s.
Suggested ideas over the years were a horse, a covered wagon, an orange fox with a blue sweater, a manadnock (the rock formation upon which the Big “M” sits) and the Mighty M. Finally, in 2011, the Image Committee surveyed the many constituents to better ascertain feelings. Contrary to long-standing beliefs that derailed previous mascot efforts, 92 percent of the 1,964 female respondents found both the Pioneer and miner to be “non-offensive.”
“Pioneer fans voted, and we listened,” said Paul Erickson, director of University Information and Communications, who chaired the mascot search. “The Image Committee put in a great deal of time and effort, ensuring that this mascot will represent the UW-Platteville brand in the very best ways. It was a great team effort that led to this new symbol for the Pioneers.”