Hokies is the official name of Virginia
Tech's sports teams. Fans, students, and alumni of Virginia Tech are
also referred to as Hokies. The Hokie Bird, modeled after a large
turkey, has been the official sport mascot of Virginia Tech since 1961.
According to the school handbook, the Hokies name originated in the
1890s. In 1896 the team was in need of increased spirit and attendance.
A competition was held for a spirit cheer and O.M. Stull, a member of
the Class of 1896, invented the word "Hokie" as part of the winning
cheer, now known as the Old Hokie. "Hokie" was a nonsensical word used
as an attention-getter in the cheer. Stull received a $5 prize. Around
1908, Tech students began referring to student athletes as "Gobblers"
because of the way they "gobbled" up ample servings of food at the
dining halls. In 1913, a local boy serving as a clown mascot had a large
turkey pull him in a cart at football games. From then on, fans and
sportswriters associated the gobbler with Tech's athletic teams, and for
many years the school's official name for its sports teams was the
Fighting Gobblers; though the term Hokies was widely used, the official
designation was only changed in the mid-1980s by then-football coach and
athletic director Bill Dooley. A costumed Gobbler mascot (now the Hokie
Bird) was introduced during games in 1962, and has been a symbol of
school spirit ever since.
