Editor's note: In honor of the university's centennial year, The Daily News is counting down 100 days to the university's celebration Sept. 6 with 100 of Ball State's most famous traditions and figures. Check back each day to read about Cardinal history.
Ball State athletics teams were first known as the Hooserions, adopting the “Cardinals” name in 1927, but it wasn’t until 1969 that an important addition to the field was made — Charlie Cardinal.
The first tryouts for Charlie Cardinal, who was then just a papier-mâché headpiece, were held in the fall of 1969. Since then, Charlie’s appearance has changed five different times.
This image shows the original Charlie Cardinal in 1969. The large head was made out of papier-mâché. Ball State University, Photo Provided.
It was just a year later that Charlie saw an upgrade from papier-mâché to a fiberglass head, red suit and yellow leggings.
This image shows Charlie Cardinal dancing for the crowd in 1978. Ball State University, Photo Provided
In 1973, Charlie Cardinal’s head was stolen and it cost Student Programs $75 to replace.
This Sept. 25, 1973, edition of The Daily News shows what Charlie Cardinal looked like during that time. The article states that Charlie's head was stolen from the Student Center Governing Board workshop.
In this Nov. 8, 1973, edition of The Daily News, the person who portrayed Charlie Cardinal anonymously wrote a column for The Daily News. In it, Charlie asks students to turn out for the last home basketball game and speaks about how his head was stolen.
In the 1980s, the costume changed to a feathered body suit.
“The character of Charlie was not too desirable in the past,” Dick Hester, president of Blue Key, the company who was asked to choose Charlie Cardinal, told The Daily News.
In this photo from the Dec. 8, 1982, edition of the Daily News, Charlie can be seen running around the basketball court. This was shortly before the Charlie suit changed to a feathered version.
This image of Charlie Cardinal from 1984 shows the addition of the feathered body suit. Ball State University, Photo Provided
In the March 19, 1986, edition of The Daily News, Charlie Cardinal is shown being carried around the basketball court.
“We are working to build up the name of Charlie Cardinal and make it an honor to represent him,” Hester said. “When people see Charlie, they also see Ball State.”
In 2006, Charlie was upgraded to a professional-grade suit and in 2012 the head was updated for breath-ability and his talons were made smaller, creating the current version students see now.
Charlie Cardinal's new appearance, with an updated head and suit can be seen in this Sept. 19, 2011, edition of The Daily News.
Charlie is one of the most well-known faces at the university, appearing at home games and community events, though the people underneath the mask remain anonymous.
Each year, eight to nine students are chosen to appear in the suit after showing off their dance moves and improvisation skills.
Read more centennial content here.
Contact Brynn Mechem with comments at bamechem@bsu.edu or on Twitter @BrynnMechem.
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