Herky the Hawk Herky the Hawk is the athletics mascot of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes . Herky is a student dressed in black and gold , including wings made out of fabric , with a headpiece shaped like a hawk ' s head . Herky was first drawn as a cartoon in 1948 , and was first portrayed at a football game in 1959 . Periodically , Herky ' s wardrobe and overall design have been updated . There are currently two different styles of Herky costumes . The version used at football games and related events features Herky wearing a Hawkeye football helmet . The version used at basketball games and other events features Herky with different facial features and no helmet . Other important figures to the University of Iowa are the tiger hawk symbol , a logo designed during Hayden Fry ' s tenure as coach of the Iowa football team , and the Golden Girl and Drum Major which perform with the University of Iowa marching band and during football games . History . Hawkeyes . The University borrowed its athletic nickname from the state of Iowa ( also known as the Hawkeye State ) many years ago . The state of Iowa acquired the nickname , chiefly through the efforts of Judge David Rorer of Burlington and James G . Edwards of Fort Madison . Burlington had been established in 1833 after the Black Hawk War of 1832 . Edwards proposed the nickname " Hawk - eyes " in 1838 to " . . . rescue from oblivion a memento , at least of the name of the old chief , " Black Hawk . Edwards , editor of the Fort Madison Patriot , moved his newspaper to Burlington in 1843 and renamed it the " Burlington Hawkeye " in tribute to his friend Chief Black Hawk . The name " Hawkeye " was already in the public conscious through James Fenimore Cooper ' s The Last of the Mohicans of the 1820s and 1830s ; Hawkeye was the Indian name of the series ' protagonist , Natty Bumppo . Cooper ' s books were bestsellers ; it is thought by some that their popularity helped Rorer and Edwards ' campaign to make Hawkeyes a nickname for Iowans . Birth of Herky . In 1948 , journalism instructor Richard Spencer III ( better known as Dick Spencer ) drew a caricature of a hawk for Frank Havlicek , business director for the university ' s athletic department , who was looking for a symbol to represent the athletic teams . The university liked the drawing and adapted it , but left the naming of the bird to the fans through a statewide contest . John Franklin , a Belle Plaine alumnus , suggested the name Herky as a reference to Hercules . Spencer continued to draw Herky playing a variety of sports and doing other activities inside and outside of the university . During the Korean War , Herky donned a military uniform and became the mascot of the 124th Fighter Squadron . Herky takes the field . Herky first appeared as a costumed mascot during a football game in 1959 . Herky ' s appearances at games were tumultuous , including pranks pulled on other mascots and hazardous stunts , leading to university officials to decide to put an end to the costumed version of Herky . However , Larry Herb , a transfer student , had a desire to portray Herky , and convinced administrators to give him a chance . It was Herb ' s enthusiasm that also led to a fiberglass headpiece being manufactured and other changes being made to the costume . When Herb , a member of Delta Tau Delta , left the university , he handed the duties of being Herky off to one of his fraternity brothers . This led to a longstanding tradition of only Delts being inside Herky ' s costume . However , in 1999 the Delts lost their charter , and since that time the university has held open tryouts for prospective Herkys . Herky today . The most common depiction of Herky today is a result of the athletic department ' s decision in the early 1980s to use Herky as a marketing tool . A universal version of Herky that could be used for all sports was needed . Native Iowa City artist Charles Reed based his drawing of Herky on two sources : former Hawkeye wrestler Barry Davis and cartoon character Mighty Mouse . Herky is also involved in occasional gimmicks , such as the Alumni Herky with a white beard who appears alongside the normal Herky at the annual homecoming game , and in 2010 , a special Captain America - themed Herky was introduced during Iowa ' s football game with Michigan State . As part of the 75th anniversary of historic Kinnick Stadium , the University of Iowa athletic department and Iowa City / Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau partnered with the cities of Iowa City , Coralville and University Heights to organize " Herky on Parade . " 90 different statues of Herky , each decorated with a different theme , were placed on campus and in the surrounding communities . On November 22 , 1997 , during a below freezing Iowa 31 - 0 football victory over Minnesota at Kinnick Stadium , a Golden Gopher drummer had a cup of water thrown on his face by Herky . As Herky skipped away he was tackled from behind by the drummer . Rather than take a hand offered to help the mascot to his feet , Herky broke the drummer ' s glasses with a punch to the face . The end result of Herky ' s assault on the drummer was the breaking of the historic 40 - year - old cheer - bird ' s head . Members of the Minnesota band took small trophy pieces of the broken helmet back to Minnesota . The helmet was re - made of Kevlar for the 1998 season . Herky has become a regular representative of Iowa athletics in national mascot competitions . Herky began participating in the Universal Cheerleading Association ' s mascot competition in 2004 . In 2006 Herky made his first appearance in the national finals in Orlando , FL and placed 8th out of 10 , and Herky qualified for the finals a second time in 2008 .