Auburn University has several notable traditions, many related to its varsity teams, the Auburn Tigers.
Creed and songs Auburn University has a creed, an alma mater, and a fight song.
Auburn Creed In the early 1940s, Auburn professor George Petrie, who brought football to Auburn in 1891, wrote a creed which grew to become a unifying set of beliefs and principles common to all Auburn students, faculty, and alumni. This creed is said to embody the spirit of Auburn and is reflected in every member of the Auburn family.
The Auburn Creed was written in 1943,Shug Jordan had a copy of the first publication of the Auburn Creed with him on D-Day: The War Eagle Reader not 1945 as is frequently stated in various Auburn publications. It was first published in Auburn's student newspaper in 1944.
Alma mater Auburn's alma mater was composed by Bill Wood in 1924, with revision to its lyrics by Emma O'Rear Foy in 1960. The 1960 changes became necessary when the Alabama Legislature granted university status to what had been known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute. The author of the 1960 revision was unclear until 2000, when Auburn professor Dale Coleman discovered the author to be Foy, wife of former dean of students James Foy. Both were University of Alabama alumni who later became boosters of Auburn.
Originally the first verse and refrain were:
Fight song
Auburn University's fight song, "War Eagle", was written in 1954 and 1955 by Robert Allen and Al Stillman. It was introduced at the beginning of the 1955 football season and served as the official fight song ever since.
The alternate version the second half of the lyrics has been around since the initial publication, but is rarely heard. It was designed for use when singing with children, and for those offended by hell in the lyrics:
The carillon in the Samford Hall clock tower play the fight song every day at noon.Road Trip: Auburn, a September 14, 2006 SI on Campus article from Sports Illustrated
Game-day traditions
A-Day Each spring, a Founder's Day celebration is held in Auburn. As part of this celebration, the football team plays a scrimmage game that gives Auburn fans a chance to preview the Tigers before the fall.
Tiger Walk Two hours before the kickoff of each Auburn home football game, thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from the Auburn Athletic Complex to Jordan–Hare Stadium. The tradition began in the 1960s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs. During his tenure, coach Doug Barfield urged fans to come out and support the team, and thousands did, including the person responsible for starting this tradition: Dick Andrews. Today the team, led by the coaches, walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk. To date, the largest Tiger Walk occurred on December 2, 1989, before the first-ever home football game against rival Alabama—the Iron Bowl. On that day, an estimated 20,000 fans packed the one block section of road leading to the stadium. According to former athletic director David Housel, Tiger Walk has become "the most copied tradition in all of college football."
Toomer's Corner
The intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn, which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus, is known as Toomer's Corner. It is named for businessman and State Senator Sheldon "Shel" Toomer who founded Toomer's Drugs on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in 1896, and helped to found the Bank of Auburn in 1907. Toomer's Drugs is a small business on the corner that has been an Auburn landmark for over 130 years.
After their planting in 1937, two massive old-growth oak trees hung over the corner.Evan Belanger, Exact age of Toomer's oaks still unknown, but they're younger than many think, Auburn professor says (historic photos), Birmingham News (AL.com) (April 25, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. A tradition developed in which, whenever there was cause for celebration in the Auburn community, the trees were festooned with toilet paper. Also known as "rolling the corner" or "rolling Toomer's," the tradition is often said to have begun when Toomer's Drugs had the only telegraph in the city. During away football games, when employees of the local drug store received news of a win, they would throw the ticker tape from the telegraph onto the power lines. The apocryphal ticker tape origins are frequently taught prospective students and incoming freshman in various orientation activities, though there is zero evidence to support the theory.Toomer’s Corner rollings didn’t start with Punt, Bama, Punt says history: The War Eagle Reader The corner likely first began to be rolled at least semi-regularly in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The massive celebration at Toomer's Corner following Auburn's win in the 1972 Iron Bowl (the so-called "Punt, Bama, Punt" game) is often cited as the first time the corner was rolled; however, by that time fans had been rolling the corner for at least a year.Jeremy Henderson, Toomer's Corner rollings didn't start with Punt, Bama, Punt says history, The War Eagle Reader (September 26, 2011). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. Mainly used as a way to celebrate football victories, the tradition became a way to celebrate anything good that happened involving Auburn. The student government association worked with the City of Auburn to bring pep rallies on the plains back to Toomer's Corner during football season.
On January 27, 2011, a caller to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network who identified himself as "Al from Dadeville" claimed to have poisoned the oaks at Toomer's Corner with Spike 80DF, a potent commercial herbicide containing tebuthiuron, after Auburn's defeat of Alabama in the 2010 Iron Bowl.Harvey Updyke's call to Paul Finebaum, from YouTube. Retrieved on August 25, 2013. Subsequent soil tests showed high concentrations of the poison around the trees, and experts did not expect them to survive.Auburn's historic Toomer's Corner oaks poisoned with herbicide, likely to die, AL.com and Press-Register (February 16, 2011). Retrieved on August 25, 2013. There was also some concern about the possibility of the poison affecting the groundwater,Testing on groundwater near oak trees in Toomer's Corner begins , WBMA-LD (February 28, 2011). Retrieved on August 25, 2013. but, on April 19, 2011, the university announced that tests of the groundwater had determined that it was safe.Statement of Auburn University on April 19, 2011 , reprinted on the website of WVTM-TV. Retrieved on August 25, 2013.
After an investigation, Auburn city police, on February 17, 2011, arrested Harvey Updyke Jr., a 62-year-old man from Dadeville, and charged him with criminal mischief, a class C felony in Alabama.Andy Bitter, Auburn tree poisoning: Harvey Updyke charged with felony; remains jailed , Ledger-Enquirer (February 18, 2011). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on four felony charges and two misdemeanor charges.Associated Press, Harvey Updyke accused of poison Auburn trees, indicted on 6 charges (May 18, 2011). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. Updyke originally pleaded an insanity defense, but, on March 22, 2013, as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage of an agricultural facility. The prosecutors dropped all other charges. Updyke was fined $1,000 and was given a three-year "split sentence"See Alabama Code, § 15-18-8. Retrieved on August 24, 2013. of imprisonment. Under the terms of the split sentence, he had to serve six months in jail and would then be on five years of supervised probation. He was given credit for 104 days of time already served. The conditions of his probation included a 7 p.m. curfew and bans on talking to the news media, entering the Auburn campus, or attending a college sporting event.Ed Enoch, Harvey Updyke pleads guilty to poisoning Toomer's oaks, Birmingham News (AL.com) (March 22, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013.Associated Press, Harvey Updyke receives 3 years, published at ESPN.com (March 25, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. Updyke was released from jail on June 10, 2013.Ed Enoch, Harvey Updyke, Jr. leaves the Lee County jail without comment after completing sentence, Birmingham News (AL.com) (June 10, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013.
Tree experts worked for more than two years to save the Toomer's oaks, but, in the end, the efforts were not successful. On April 23, 2013, the two trees were cut down.Evan Belanger, Auburn University's iconic oaks removed from Toomer's Corner, Birmingham News (AL.com) (April 23, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. Three days earlier, Auburn fans "rolled" the trees for a final time.Kevin Van Valkenburg, Fans say goodbye to Toomer's Oaks, ESPN.com (April 23, 2013). Retrieved on August 25, 2013. Wood from the trees was made into keepsakes, and royalties from the sales of the keepsakes were earmarked for a special scholarship fund for Auburn students.Evan Belanger, Want to own a piece of the Auburn oaks? University says famous trees will be cut into keepsakes, Birmingham News (AL.com) (April 8, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013. A bowl that was also made from the wood was placed in the university art museum's permanent collection.Woodturn item made from Toomer's Oaks will be in Auburn art museum's permanent collection, The War Eagle Reader (March 21, 2013). Retrieved on August 24, 2013.
In November 2014, the university announced it would plant two new full grown oak trees in the spot the original trees stood, and additionally would plant thirty oaks descended from the original trees along a walkway approaching Toomer's Corner. The new trees would be planted in February 2015, and would be given at least one year to acclimate before the toilet paper rolling tradition would resume.Jerry Hinnen, Auburn to replace Toomer's Corner oaks in February 2015 CBSSports.com, November 7, 2014.
Aubie
Aubie is the official tiger mascot of Auburn University. Aubie is an anthropomorphic tiger.
Aubie has very animated characteristics such as his strut walk, quick turns, and exaggerated pointing. His style is to mix tiger and human traits such as using props, riding a moped, leading the band, and performing clownish pranks. Aubie made his debut in 1979 and is a popular beloved character among Auburn fans and one of the more animated mascots in the country.
Aubie has won a record ten mascot national championships (his latest coming in 2021), more than any other mascot in the United States. Aubie was named the 2014 Capital One Mascot of the Year and was among the first three college mascots inducted to the Mascot Hall of Fame, inducted on August 15, 2006.
Birmingham artist Phil Neel first drew the cartoon tiger Aubie in the late 1950s. From 1958 through 1976, Aubie was featured on the cover of all of Auburn's home football game programs. In 1979, James Lloyd, spirit director for the Auburn Student Government Association, brought Aubie to life when he ordered a man-sized Tiger costume based upon the cartoon and wore it to the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament. Barry Mask became the first official Aubie in 1979–80.
Aubie won an eighth Universal Cheerleaders' Association mascot championship on January 17, 2014. Aubie was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame on August 15, 2006. He was part of the first group of three collegiate mascots inducted.
War Eagle
The Auburn University battle cry is "War Eagle". It originated as an expression of support of Auburn's athletic teams, but today is also commonly used as a greeting between members of the Auburn community. The cry is yelled in unison by spectators for kickoffs of football games and tip-offs of basketball games.