UA homecoming this weekend is all about Wilbur the Wildcat - the beloved and furry mascot turns 50 on Saturday.
The UA used real animals as mascots off and on between the early 1900s and the late 1950s (with at least one tragic mishap), until two UA students (Richard Heller and John Paquette) pitched the idea of using a costume-wearing human.
Wilbur made his first appearance at the UA vs. Texas Tech football game on Nov. 7, 1959, and was an immediate hit, according to a UA Web site.
Wilbur's look has evolved over the years. It was during one of those costume makeovers that Wilma the Wildcat was created.
She made her first public appearance on March 1, 1986, during a "blind date" with Wilbur. The pair later "married" before an Arizona-Arizona State football game.
For a chance to win a a set of three audio books, tell us the date of their wedding.
"You can't write about The Maverick until you've learned how to two-step," said Elizabeth Cavolo, a waitress at the East Side country-music bar who stumbled upon me while I was busily writing in my notebook. ...
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