Most importantly, the new image had to tie to the name. William Penn University has long been the home of the Statesmen . That name has its roots in the Founding Fathers, the thirteen original colonies, and the formation of the United States of America. Many images are associated with these roots, but the one that caught Penn's attention was the eagle. The symbol of the United States, eagles are athletic and competitive.
Eagles imply strength, endurance and tradition.
Further, south central Iowa is a part of the country where eagles roost, making it a natural tie-in as the University's new mascot. To test the idea, Penn proposed an eagle to the Athletic Department and student focus groups. According to these focus groups, Penn's first design looked too much like the U.S. Postal Service emblem, while the second draft looked too much like Mighty Mouse. My hobby for the past 30 years has been designing uniforms for sports teams. As a student going into my senior year at Penn, I would like the third version to be our new image.