Why is Davenport's mascot a Gorilla?

DAVENPORT - Since 2014, students and visitors who enter Davenport High School's east entrance have enjoyed the Harold the Gorilla statue, named for beloved teacher, principal, coach and athletic director Harold Patterson. Gorilla pride runs deep at the high school.

But recently a curious new Davenport resident posed a question to a Lincoln County Museum volunteer, "Why a Gorilla?" This sent volunteers searching through old yearbooks and newspaper articles as to when and why the Gorilla became the Davenport High School mascot. In addition, some Davenport school alumni were questioned.

Research points to the Davenport class of 1938 as being culpable in putting forward Gorilla as the mascot. In evidence, the family of Claire Van Buren announced in her 2005 obituary the pride in her being a part of the class of 1938 that chose the Gorilla mascot.

The story goes that Davenport High School sports teams in the 1930s were called the Davenport teams with a letter D on the uniform. In the year 1940 the Davenport High School yearbook is called "The Gorilla." At this point the sports teams go by Gorillas.

An article from the April 3, 2014 issue of the Davenport Times tells a story of a new superintendent, Mr. Walling, coming to Davenport thinking that a school mascot was in order. It was a time when high schools began to adopt mascots.

Mr. Walling arranged for a class competition. Trissie Sanguinet, a Davenport resident and school alumni, confirmed this story. Sanguinet's mother, Helen (Palmer) Ehlenfeldt, was a sophomore in high school in the year 1936 and took part in this contest.

She said each high school class put forward a mascot recommendation, then the entire school voted for a favorite. When asked, "Why a gorilla?" Sanguinet thought the students felt a gorilla was big and fierce.

A slightly different version of the competition emerged from Harold "Ole" Olsen, class of 1938 and ASB President. The above-mentioned Davenport Times article says he took issue with the superintendent's mascot contest, thinking it dumb.

Olsen said he suggested the most ridiculous animal for a mascot he could think of...gorilla. It took off and his class won the competition.

His contribution gave him amusement through the years. He even wrote to the Davenport Times after watching the Davenport High School girls' basketball team play for the State B championship on television. Olsen said he needed to apologize to the girls after hearing them called Lady Gorillas.

One museum volunteer wondered if the successful monster horror movie "King Kong" had anything to do with the gorilla suggestion since it was released in 1933 and rereleased in 1938 (censored version). Both films were likely shown in Davenport, possibly at the Blue Mouse Theater. We'll never know.

If we are to believe Olsen's account that the gorilla mascot started out as a ridiculous suggestion, it has since become a proud symbol of Davenport High School sports to generations of alumni. The Lincoln County Museum volunteers welcome any alumni stories about Davenport Gorilla lore at lincohistorical@gmail.com.