Rock Chalk, Jayhawk - wikipedia Rock Chalk, Jayhawk `` Rock Chalk, Jayhawk '' ( a.k.a. the `` Rock Chalk '' chant ) is a chant used at University of Kansas Jayhawks sporting events. The chant is made up of the phrase `` Rock chalk, Jayhawk, KU ''. Contents 1 History 2 Usage 3 References 4 External links History The chant was first adopted by the university 's science club in 1886. Chemistry professor E.H.S. Bailey and his colleagues were returning by train to Lawrence after a conference. During their travel, they discussed a need of a rousing yell. They came up with `` Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, Go KU '', repeated three times, which later became `` Rock Chalk Jayhawk, KU ''. By 1889, `` Rock Chalk '' -- a transposition of chalk rock, a type of limestone, that exists in the Cretaceous - age bedrocks of central and western parts of the state as well as on Mount Oread, where the University is located, which is similar to the coccolith - bearing chalk of the white cliffs of Dover -- later replaced the two `` rahs. '' Those responsible for the change are unknown, with Bailey himself crediting the geology department, and others an English professor. Kansas troops have used it in the Philippine - American War in 1899, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War II. In the 1911 Border War football game, over 1,000 fans gathered in downtown Lawrence to listen to a `` broadcast '' of the game by telegraph and participated in cheers including the Rock Chalk. In the 1920 Summer Olympics, Albert I of Belgium asked for a typical American college yell, and gathered athletes replied with the chant. Former United States President Theodore Roosevelt called the Rock Chalk chant the greatest college chant he ever heard. Usage Fans have used the phrase `` Rock Chalk '' in creative ways, such as Rock `` Chocolate '' Jayhawk ice cream. It is best known as being loudly chanted at basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse and football games at University of Kansas Memorial Stadium. During pregame, the refrain of `` Rock chalk... Jay - Hawk... KU, '' is repeated twice slowly, and then three times quickly. It is usually preceded by the Kansas alma mater `` Crimson and the Blue, '' and followed by the fight song, `` I 'm a Jayhawk. '' Since the early 1990 's, Kansas fans have been known to do the slow repetition of `` Rock chalk... Jay - Hawk... KU '' when the Jayhawks are believed to be safely ahead, and victory is guaranteed. `` Rock chalk '' is also often used on campus as a way to say goodbye, with the reply being `` Jayhawk. '' References Jump up ^ `` Rock Chalk K - State ? Kind of, a century ago ''. The Topeka Capital - Journal. 2007. Jump up ^ KUhistory.com - A Swell Yell Jump up ^ `` The Rock Chalk Chant ''. RockChalk.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2008. ^ Jump up to : DeReus, Bailey and Betsy McLeod ( May 20, 2005 ). `` The Land of the Jayhawks ''. The University Daily Kansan. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved April 5, 2008. Jump up ^ `` 100 years ago : Football fans enjoy mechanized reproduction of KU - MU game ''. Lawrence Journal - World. November 27, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Chant ''. KU.edu. External links MP3 of the chant University of Kansas Academics Schools School of Law School of Business School of Engineering School of Medicine School of Architecture, Design, and Planning Locations Lawrence Edwards Campus in Overland Park Kansas City Wichita Salina University of Kansas Health System ( St. Francis campus ) People Notable alumni and faculty Misc Carrie Center for International Political Analysis Center for the Study of Science Fiction Coal City Review Kansas Geological Survey Studio 804 Athletics Men 's basketball Football Baseball Women 's basketball Crew Team Mascots Big Jay Baby Jay Centennial Jay Facilities Allen Fieldhouse David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium Hoglund Ballpark Misc Rock Chalk, Jayhawk Border War Sunflower Showdown Campus Bailey Hall Budig Hall Kenneth Spencer Research Library Natural History Museum Lied Center of Kansas Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics Spencer Museum of Art Student life Marching Jayhawks University Daily Kansan Broadcasting Kansas Public Radio KJHK KUJH - LP History History of the University of Kansas Established : 1865 -- Endowment : $1.86 billion -- Students : 28,447 ( fall 2017 ) Kansas Jayhawks men 's basketball Venues Robinson Gymnasium ( 1907 -- 1927 ) Hoch Auditorium ( 1927 -- 1955 ) Allen Fieldhouse ( 1955 -- present ) Rivalries Kansas State ( results ) Missouri Culture & lore Big Jay Baby Jay Champions Classic `` Rock Chalk, Jayhawk '' 2018 corruption scandal People Head coaches Jayhawks of note Seasons 1898 -- 99 1899 -- 00 1900 -- 01 1901 -- 02 1902 -- 03 1903 -- 04 1904 -- 05 1905 -- 06 1906 -- 07 1907 -- 08 1908 -- 09 1909 -- 10 1910 -- 11 1911 -- 12 1912 -- 13 1913 -- 14 1914 -- 15 1915 -- 16 1916 -- 17 1917 -- 18 1918 -- 19 1919 -- 20 1920 -- 21 1921 -- 22 1922 -- 23 1923 -- 24 1924 -- 25 1925 -- 26 1926 -- 27 1927 -- 28 1928 -- 29 1929 -- 30 1930 -- 31 1931 -- 32 1932 -- 33 1933 -- 34 1934 -- 35 1935 -- 36 1936 -- 37 1937 -- 38 1938 -- 39 1939 -- 40 1940 -- 41 1941 -- 42 1942 -- 43 1943 -- 44 1944 -- 45 1945 -- 46 1946 -- 47 1947 -- 48 1948 -- 49 1949 -- 50 1950 -- 51 1951 -- 52 1952 -- 53 1953 -- 54 1954 -- 55 1955 -- 56 1956 -- 57 1957 -- 58 1958 -- 59 1959 -- 60 1960 -- 61 1961 -- 62 1962 -- 63 1963 -- 64 1964 -- 65 1965 -- 66 1966 -- 67 1967 -- 68 1968 -- 69 1969 -- 70 1970 -- 71 1971 -- 72 1972 -- 73 1973 -- 74 1974 -- 75 1975 -- 76 1976 -- 77 1977 -- 78 1978 -- 79 1979 -- 80 1980 -- 81 1981 -- 82 1982 -- 83 1983 -- 84 1984 -- 85 1985 -- 86 1986 -- 87 1987 -- 88 1988 -- 89 1989 -- 90 1990 -- 91 1991 -- 92 1992 -- 93 1993 -- 94 1994 -- 95 1995 -- 96 1996 -- 97 1997 -- 98 1998 -- 99 1999 -- 00 2000 -- 01 2001 -- 02 2002 -- 03 2003 -- 04 2004 -- 05 2005 -- 06 2006 -- 07 2007 -- 08 2008 -- 09 2009 -- 10 2010 -- 11 2011 -- 12 2012 -- 13 2013 -- 14 2014 -- 15 2015 -- 16 2016 -- 17 2017 -- 18 2018 -- 19 Helms and NCAA national championships in bold ; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rock_Chalk,_Jayhawk&oldid=832428135 '' Categories : Chants Kansas Jayhawks Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 25 March 2018, at 23 : 32. 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Question: where does the phrase rock chalk jayhawk come from
Answer: the university's science club in 1886