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UGA Traditions
Serving as the official symbol of the University of Georgia, the Arch was built in the 1850s and originally served as part of a larger iron fence securing the campus. Daniel Redfearn (BL 1909, BS 1910) is credited with making the Arch the sacred symbol of UGA. Recognized as one of the school’s finest icons, students today hold the Arch in high regard as its three pillars represent the virtues of wisdom, justice, and moderation.
The ‘‘G’’
In 1963 after becoming the Bulldogs’ Head Football Coach, Vince Dooley redesigned the football uniform, choosing a red helmet with a black “G” on a white background as the dominant feature of the new uniform for the 1964 season.
He discussed with his staff that a forward-looking “G” would be an appropriate emblem for the helmet of the Georgia team. Dooley had just hired John Donaldson, former Georgia player from 1945 to 1948, as backfield coach. Donaldson was keen on the idea of a new image and volunteered his wife, Anne, who had a BFA in commercial art from UGA, to design a logo for the new Georgia helmet with the general specifications Dooley had outlined. Dooley accepted Anne’s original “G” which fit his vision for a forward look to Georgia’s new emblem.
Since the Georgia “G”, though different in design and color, was similar to Green Bay’s “G”, Coach Dooley thought it best to clear the use of Georgia’s new emblem with the NFL team. Athletic Director Joel Eaves called for permission, which was granted. However, since its inception in 1961, the Green Bay “G” has been redesigned several times and now looks like Georgia’s original 1964 “G.” Georgia is proud that the Packers apparently liked the special nuances of the Bulldogs’ forward-looking “G”.
Georgia’s oval “G”, eventually replacing Georgia’s old block “G” as the official UGA symbol, has stood the test of time. It made its first appearance in the opening game in 1964 and was an immediate hit with the Georgia fans, especially after Dooley’s first three teams were so successful—highlighted by the 1966 SEC Championship.
Silver Britches were an innovation of Coach Wally Butts, who took over as head coach in 1939. The handsome pants complemented the bright red jersey and made for a striking uniform. Through the years, fans referred to the Bulldogs’ silver britches in their chants and on banners, but the phrase really caught on in the early fifties with a cheer, banners, and colorful vests that proclaimed ‘‘Go, You Silver Britches.’’ Coach Vince Dooley re-designed the uniform when he came in 1964 and used white pants; however, he re-instituted the silver britches in 1980 just prior to what turned out to be Georgia’s national championship season.
The Chapel Bell
The ringing of the chapel bell after a Georgia victory is a tradition that continues even though freshmen are no longer ordered to do the chore. In the 1890’s, the playing field was located only yards from the Chapel and first-year students were compelled to ring the bell until midnight in celebration of a Bulldog victory. Today students, alumni, and townspeople still rush to the Chapel to ring the bell after a gridiron victory.
The Arch
Chapel Bell
“Bulldogs”
“Between the Hedges”
“Lone Trumpeter”
“Silver Britches”
Among the University’s oldest and most lasting traditions is the school fight song, ‘‘Glory, Glory,’’ which is sung to the tune of ‘‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’’ It was sung at games as early as the 1890’s, but arranged in its present form by Georgia’s immortal musician-composer Hugh Hodgson in 1915. There have been many Bulldog songs through the years and at least two collections dating back to 1909 have been published, but none have enjoyed more acceptance than ‘‘Glory, Glory.’’
This is a slogan of recent vintage, but one that has become a battle cry of Bulldog fans probably because of its obvious grammatical slur. It first surfaced during the mid to late 1970’s especially during the 1978 season when the Bulldogs posted several remarkable, come-from-behind victories. It gained national attention and exposure when Georgia won the national championship in 1980. A major wire service used the phrase in its story of Georgia’s victory over Notre Dame and many newspapers picked it up in glaring headlines across the country proclaiming ‘‘How ‘Bout Them Dogs!’’
Many oldtimers say Georgia acquired the nickname, “Bulldogs,” because of the strong ties with Yale, whose nickname is “Bulldogs.” Georgia’s first president, Abraham Baldwin, was a Yale man and the early buildings on campus were designed from blueprints of the same buildings at Yale. However, the first references to the nickname “Bulldogs” actually came in the 1910’s (1911-20) by Atlanta newspaper writers covering both football and baseball games. Although used occasionally during the previous decade, the nickname began to be consistently used around 1920.
On Nov. 3, 1920, Morgan Blake of the Atlanta Journal wrote about school nicknames and said "The Georgia Bulldogs would sound good because there is a certain dignity about a bulldog, as well as ferocity." After a 0-0 tie with Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov. 6, 1920, Atlanta Constitution writer Cliff Wheatley used the name "Bulldogs" in his story five times. Gene Hinton also used the term “Bulldogs.” The nickname seemed to be off and running.
A reference to Sanford Stadium that dates to the early 1930’s. The famous Chinese privet hedges that surround Sanford’s playing field were only one foot high when the stadium was dedicated in 1929 and were protected by a wooden fence. It was natural for a clever sports writer, referring to an upcoming home game, to observe ‘‘that the Bulldogs will have their opponent ‘between the hedges.’’ At least one old-timer says the phrase was first coined by the legendary Atlanta sportswriter Grantland Rice.
Seven minutes before kickoff in Sanford Stadium, the Bulldog Nation directs its attention to a lone trumpeter standing in the upper deck of the southwest corner of the stadium. The soloist is recognized and begins to play the first 14 notes of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." The Battle Hymn solo was originally composed in 1987 as a student project by Jeff Simmons and became a part of the pre-game traditions in 2000. Each year, 25-30 members of the Redcoat Band audition for one of the 4-5 soloist positions.
