The big fix of '47: The Apache picked as L-P-O Junior College mascot
| To student newspaper report of Apache name choice in 1947 | To story about the color purple: college color predates team name | To story about Spartans: team name picked in 1942, never used |
By Davina Hammel
Apache Staff
World War II had ended. In cities and towns across America Johnny was marching home and back to school, courtesy of the GI Bill.
L-P-O Junior College, predecessor of IVCC, saw its predominantly female enrollment balloon from 115 in 1945 to 368 in 1946, to 629 in 1947, as the boys came home. Now it was time to select an official name for the swelling ranks of the athletic teams.
At this point, in February 1947, John Strell, the lone athletic coach, met with the Letterman’s Club to decide upon a name. Until that time the school’s single basketball team and some low-key intramurals had been referred to collectively as The Purple Raiders.
“During that period there were a lot of motion picture films depicting wars between the fierce Comanches and rival Apaches,” Strell recalls, “and the Lettermen were equally divided between which of the two names they liked best.”
In full confidence that one of the Indian names would be selected, it was decided to submit the vote to the student body.But, like the time-honored tradition in Chicago elections, the fix was on. Comanche, the longer of the two tribal names, was not submitted for consideration.
It should be pointed out that in those days, much as now, there were financial considerations. A few letters could make a big difference to a straining budget when jerseys and other printing requirements had to be considered.
“I’ve never revealed this before, because I was never asked,” said Strell. “This is the first time the real story is being told. It was a fixed-up job. There was a little bit of politicking.”
But the plan almost backfired.According to Strell, among the student body were fans and members of a highly popular and successful Junior League softball team called “The Choppers.” The strong write-in campaign initiated to transfer that name to the college was, fortunately, unsuccessful.
The Apache name has served the school well.
“In 13 years we won nine football championships and four second places,” Strell said. “And in the years that followed, servicemen from this area received instant recognition of the team name throughout the country.”
Now, at age 75, Strell’s pride and enthusiasm for IVCC continues unabated.
“Back then as now,” he said, “IVCC has always been recognized as a high-class academic institution.”
Election procedures, we have learned, have since been considerably upgraded.
(This article was originally published in the Apache on Nov. 28, 1988, and was written by a reporter and columnist on the Apache staff at that time.)