The Mammoth: A new mascot for Amherst College

This paper analyses how and why Amherst College changed its historic, unofficial institutional symbol — the scope and pitfalls of the process; the highly controversial nature of the undertaking; the diligent work of alumni, students, faculty and staff and the ultimate success of the project. It begins with Lord Jeffery Amherst (1717–1797), a commander in the French and Indian War for whom the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, is named. Amherst College, founded in 1821, was christened after the town. Although never officially adopted by the college, the unofficial use of Lord Jeffery Amherst — ‘Lord Jeff ’ — as the college’s mascot began in the 1920s. As scholars started to raise new questions about the American colonial past, some of Lord Jeffery Amherst’s actions at the time of the French and Indian War gained new attention, and critics of his mascot status at the college began to emerge. Over time, the Amherst community became divided on this issue. In January 2016, the chair of Amherst’s board of trustees announced that the college would no longer use Lord Jeff in an official capacity and suggested an alumni/student committee to consider next steps. This paper details how that committee was formed; how it was managed by Amherst’s Office of Alumni and Parent Programs and the ultimate development, implementation and successful conclusion of Amherst’s mascot selection process.