Silly Hats, Masks, a palimpsest

Four University of Portland Face Masks. Class of 2021, Shipstad Hall, UP, Portland — University of Portland Face Masks, 2021

In the new circumstances, as vaccinations and other mitigations make Covid-19 a lesser anxiety, a new generation of students and staff at UP may find donning face masks as colorful, various, and incongruous a fashion choice as the Freshmen Beanies once sported by an earlier generation of our citizenry.

two students wearing freshmen beanie caps — Two freshmen students wearing beanie caps, 1963

Readers paging or scrolling through the Log yearbooks from the 1950’s and 60’s will likely spot individuals or groups of students wearing UP-colored beanie caps. The captions and descriptions beneath the photos identify these capped students as freshmen.

black and white photo of freshman students buying beanie caps — Students buying beanie caps, 1960

This not-entirely-voluntary student life tradition begun around 1949 (running until circa 1970), REQUIRED incoming freshman students to purchase and wear a beanie cap during their first weeks on campus. Throughout this period freshman were to be seen with beanies on their heads for classes and events. And being caught without a beanie would result in the offender paying a minor fine, either a small cash amount or performing public-service (i.e. scrubbing the exterior of Early Hall).

Cover page of Meet Mr. SPU autograph book — Meet Mr. SPU Autograph Book, 1967

Beanie caps went through design and style changes over the years. Some simple purple and white beanies (1949-1954), other years, solid purple caps with or without a white pom and Portland or Pilots branded across the front (1955-1960). The last generation (1962-1969) beanies returned to alternating panels bearing the University colors, with or without the designation “FROSH” across the front.

Thomas Rothschild, ’71, recalls “Freshmen had to wear the beanie for at least one month. During that month freshman were required to get fifty upper classmen signatures in a small notebook entitled Meet Mr. SPU The Spirit of University of Portland” and signatures of two student body officers. The length of time for wearing a beanie could be shortened if freshmen emerged as victors in the annual freshman-sophomore tug-of-war. Some 50+ years later, beanie caps are still spotted at University alumni reunions.

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