How did the Miami Hurricanes get their mascot? Curious305 looks back at UM’s Sebastian
Editor’s Note: This article was inspired by a question we had and is part of Curious305, our community-powered reporting series that solicits questions from readers about Miami-Dade, Broward, the Florida Keys and the rest of the Sunshine State. Submit your question here or scroll down to fill out our form.
Hey, Curious305: How did Sebastian the Ibis become the University of Miami’s mascot?
It’s hard to imagine not seeing Sebastian the Ibis cheering on the University of Miami.
The popular mascot is synonymous with Miami Hurricanes and is loved by fans. He’s a local celebrity — people rep the mascot on their clothes and take photos with him. He’s even made an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon.
His fans also like to see what he’s up to. Sebastian’s verified Twitter and Instagram accounts each have more than 20,000 followers.
But, have you ever wondered how Sebastian became UM’s biggest fan?
While it seems like Sebastian was always destined to be UM’s mascot — the name “Ibis” was chosen for the school’s yearbook after all — the bird wasn’t always the private university’s mascot. In fact, UM’s first official mascot was a 65-pound thoroughbred boxer pup named Hurricane I.
The 3-year old boxer (whose real name was Beau Bo of Box Haven) was flown to Miami International Airport from New Haven, Connecticut. He was introduced to the university community by the Miami Hurricane student newspaper staff before the homecoming game in 1949, more than two decades after the school opened.
“Gators are my meat! Lemme at ‘em!” were the pup’s first statement to media, UM’s student newspaper reported at the time.
Hurricane I would be attending all of the school’s major events, according to the student newspaper at the time.
The boxer was owned by UM student Bob Day, who had also owned Yale’s bulldog mascots for 10 years. The student newspaper says Hurricane I was selected to be UM’s official mascot a few weeks after it wrote about Day.
Another fun fact: When UM’s athletic department announced a mascot search in 1935, years before Hurricane I made his debut, people had a variety of suggestions, including crocodile, duck, cat, flamingo, cotton mouth moccasin, swan, pelican and heron. And yes, an ibis, the wading bird UM’s yearbooks were named after.
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So, when did Sebastian take his rightful place as the U’s biggest fan?
Well, it seems like Sebastian’s mascot career began at a 1958 October homecoming pep rally, except back then the ibis was called “Icky.” He was created by a group of students living in San Sebastian, a residence hall on campus. The name Sebastian was chosen for the mascot via a contest.
“Student John Stormont performed at games in an Ibis costume that was glued, sewn and pinned together and was the forerunner of today’s bird,” UM says. In 1959, Sebastian the Ibis became UM’s official mascot.
The folklore surrounding the bird is also fitting for a South Florida university known as the “Miami Hurricanes.”
“Folklore maintains that the Ibis, a symbol of knowledge found in the Everglades and Egypt, is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm,” UM says.
And that’s how Sebastian began repping the U.
This article was compiled using information found in UM’s yearbooks and student newspaper archives.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022, 12:11 PM.
