1962 elephant race led to official Titan mascot


•In an effort to make Tuffy more Greek, at one point he was referred to as "Titus."

•Later elephant races, which followed the first races in 1962, were held at Los Alamitos Race Track after college administrators got nervous when Kenny the one-eyed elephant charged into the crowd. Luckily, nobody was injured.

•Tuffy the Titan attracted "Tiffy" the Titan in 1992.

Titan vs. Tuffy


•The name "Titans" is the name that all university athletic teams carry.

•Titan can be used to refer to students, faculty, staff, and alumni and the "greater Titan family."

•Cal State Fullerton associates Titans with the imagery of an elephant – the official, formal illustration in the Athletics Titan shield.


•The name "Tuffy" refers to the costumed elephant that serves as the university's mascot and attends athletic games and events.

•There is only one Tuffy; he does not have a spouse, children, or family members, and is not associated with a herd.

•Tuffy is a Titan and if often called Tuffy the Titan or just simply, Tuffy.

Source: Christopher Bugbee, CSUF Media Relations

Before identifying the elephant as the mascot for Orange County State College – now Cal State Fullerton – a student-vote deemed "Titans" as the school's nickname in 1959.

Former dean of students Ernest Becker pushed "Titans" to the top of the list of potential nicknames, which included the rebels and the aardvarks.

Different animals were in the running to become the mascot to symbolize the Titans, including the basset hound of the school's first basketball coach, Alex Omalev.

The droopy-eyed pup often wore a Titans monogrammed coat to games.

But it wasn't until after students held the "Day of the Titan" celebration, which featured "The First Intercollegiate Elephant Race in Human History" on May 11, 1962 that the elephant was adopted as Cal State Fullerton's mascot to represent the Titans.

What started as a joke between Becker and one of his assistants became an event that invited 10 universities from around the nation to compete in the elephant races at Cal State Fullerton.

About 10,000 spectators and journalists watched the grey creatures hobble across a converted cornfield called "Dumbo Downs," as the world watched on TV. Live media coverage of the elephant race made The Associated Press' top 10 stories of the year list, said Stacia Walker, CSUF spokeswoman.

The elephant race is considered the first major sporting event in Orange County.

In 1966, "Tuffy the Titan" was voted as Cal State Fullerton's mascot by the Associated Students Senate, the student government.

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