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Five Things You Didn't Know About the Billiken

If you've ever visited Saint Louis University, you've probably rubbed the Billiken's belly or seen the Billiken mascot dancing around Chaifetz Arena. 

Billiken Statue
 

Here are five things you may not know about SLU's beloved mascot. 

  1. Florence Pretz, who received a patent for the Billiken image in 1908, was from Kansas City, Missouri. She claimed that the name "Billiken," which she gave to the image, came from a poem called "Mr. Moon" written by Bliss Carman and Richard Hovey.
  2. There was an ivory carver in Alaska known as "Happy Jack" who carved little statues which looked like the Billiken in the early 1900s.
  3. There is a Billiken statue in Osaka, Japan, where the Billiken is very popular.
  4. The Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic has been held annually since 1929 in Chicago and is the largest African-American parade in the United States.
  5. There is a magazine for children currently published in Argentina known as The Billiken.

As part of the "Legends and Lore" series, John Waide, SLU archivist emeritus, will discuss the origins of the Billiken on Oct. 26 in Pius XII Memorial Library.