Pee Dee’s 40th Birthday
East Carolina University mascot Pee Dee celebrates on the field during a football game in Ficklen Stadium. 29 Oct. 1983. Visual Media: UA55.03.15677. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/59593
Happy American Archives Month…again! As mentioned in the previous blog post, we are celebrating ECU’s archives throughout October by exploring some of the stories preserved in our collections. As we are in the height of football season here at Pirate Nation, it was extra fitting that this year’s Archives Month celebration overlapped with the birthday of our very own Pee Dee the Pirate!
This October commemorates the 40th anniversary of the adoption of The Pirate, also known as Pee Dee, as East Carolina University’s mascot. The announcement was featured on the front page of the East Carolinian on October 6, 1983. David Franks, at the time a senior art major, created the design with assistance from an ad hoc committee chaired by David Stevens, the university attorney.
The school’s association with pirates began in the 1930s when it was East Carolina Teachers College. In February 1934, the Men’s Athletic Association at East Carolina Teachers College voted to adopt the name Pirates (p. 3) for their athletic teams. Eastern North Carolina has a historical connection with pirates dating back to the late 1500s. Previously the men’s athletic teams were known as the Teachers, but the students believed that the new moniker would generate more spirit and enthusiasm.
The 1934 Tecoan prominently features pirate themed artwork and a short narrative about “Teachy the Pirate.” History professor Dr. A. D. Frank is credited for creating “Teachy,” a play on words for the Teachers College as well as Edward Teach, more commonly known as the famous pirate Blackbeard. Since 1934 pirate themes were regularly used by students, athletic teams, and the school.
However, this trend of featuring pirates did not immediately carry over to mascots. The school instead had a series of live animal mascots. This began with the Women’s Athletics Association at East Carolina Teachers College adopting a wildcat as their mascot for the 1930-1931 school year. In 1958 a Great Dane named Buc, shorthand for Buccaneer, became the school mascot. He served as the mascot until his passing in 1961. Brandy, a French poodle, succeeded Buc as the mascot in 1968. The trend of canine mascots continued with a terrier, referred to as both Pete and Wild Dog, who was the mascot from 1972 to 1974. He resembled Pete the Pup from the old Little Rascals films. In addition, his name was in recognition of the defensive players on the Pirates football team who were called “The Wild Dogs.”
After the adoption of The Pirate, a competition (p. 13) was held in April 1984 among Pitt County elementary schools to name the new mascot. A fifth-grade class at G. R. Whitfield School in Grimesland came up with the winning name Pee Dee (p. 10). The name originated from the Pee Dee Rivers which flow through North and South Carolina that had been used by pirates. The Pirate was officially named Pee Dee during half-time at the 1984 Purple and Gold spring football game.
Some controversy followed the adoption of the name Pee Dee. Many students had felt that the naming process was unfair as they had no say in it. The Student Government Association legislature passed a resolution urging the ECU Department of Athletics to give serious consideration to changing the name. The name Pee Dee was retired at the end of 1984 and the mascot became known as The Pirate. Despite this, The Pirate is still commonly referred to as Pee Dee.
Pee Dee’s look was updated in 2008 which is featured in this ECU promotional video.
The Pirate, or Pee Dee, after forty years is the longest serving mascot and is one of the most prominent representations of ECU and the Pirate Nation.
You can view additional photos of the ECU mascots in our Digital Collections. To learn more about ECU history you can contact the University History and Records Department in Joyner Library.
Cheerleaders with Pee Dee in Ficklen Stadium. Nov. 1983. Visual Media: UA55.03.16056. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/51261
Pee Dee sits outside of the Pirate Club facility. 1987. Visual Media: UA55.03.9350. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/59673
ECU Football players in a skit with Pee Dee. 1980-1989. Visual Media: UA55.01.89. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/17470