About the Demon Deacon Mascot

After Wake Forest defeated rival Trinity (now Duke) in Garrity's first football season (1923), Parker first referred to the team as "Demon Deacons," in recognition of what he termed their "devilish" play and fighting spirit. Wake Forest's news director Henry Belk and Garrity liked the title and began using it extensively. The name has, of course, remained as one of the most unique in America.

With the "Demon Deacon" terminology has come the actual mascot himself (or herself, which has been the case on a couple of occasions). Jack Baldwin ('43) was the original student Deacon mascot, the first of a long line of entertainers to lead the school's teams into action.

"Some of my fraternity brothers and I were just sitting around one evening," Baldwin recalls, "and came to the agreement that what Wake Forest needed was someone dressed like a deacon -- top hat, tails, a black umbrella and all that. We wanted him to be more dignified than other mascots, sort of like an old Baptist Deacon would dress."

The fraternity president asked Baldwin, who was known for his sense of humor, if he would be willing to don such an outfit, and he agreed. An old tuxedo was found. So was a worn top hat, and the following Saturday, there was Baldwin leading the Wake Forest football team onto the field, riding the North Carolina ram.

The stunt that began as a late-night joke has become tradition.

By the time Baldwin graduated two years later, a number of interested students were willing to keep the Deacon alive. At first that responsibility remained with his fraternity, but later broadened to include the entire student body. Today, special try-outs are held annually to fill the Deacon's shoes, and the competition is intense.

Over the years, the Deacon has performed numerous memorable stunts, some of which school officials probably would just as soon forget.

Jimmy Devos ('55) shocked a Bowman Gray Stadium football crowd one afternoon by dropping his pants -- only to reveal a pair of colorful Bermuda shorts. Ray Whitley ('57), introduced the art of goal-climbing to Wake Forest contests. Bill Shepherd ('60) answered Auburn's war eagle cry with his own "turkey buzzard," and Hap Bulger ('65) gained notoriety as the stately "Debonair Deacon."

Perhaps the most well-known Deacon was Jeff Dobbs ('77), a spirited and acrobatic dancer, who even has returned on occasion to inspire Wake Forest crowds with his cheering and antics.

In most recent years, the Deacon has become more of an entertainer than cheerleader. He steps prominently throughout the crowd and playing field/court at all home contests and is the favorite of children and adults alike. One very popular Deacon of the 80s, Chris Kibler ('84) even managed to sing the National Anthem from inside his oversized head and costume.

Whether in Miami, Shreveport, or even at stadiums and arenas in nearby Durham or Chapel Hill, "the Deacon" stands alone as a unique representative of Wake Forest. Easily recognizable, always distinctive, he adds a special dimension to WFU Athletics wherever he goes.