KU TRADITIONS THE ROCK CHALK CHANT The Rock Chalk Chant has been the battle cry of KU fans for more than 90 years. This strange, traditional chant, which is among the most famous of all college cheers, was started by E.H.S. Bailey, a professor of chemistry. Bailey wanted a cheer for his Science Club. Returning from a convention in Wichita, Bailey and some associates patterned a yell after the rhythmic cadence of their train rolling along the tracks. On May 21, 1886, Bailey submitted the cheer to his club. Before the University adopted the cheer in 1897, it consisted of “Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU” being repeated three times. An English professor soon suggested that “Rock Chalk” be substituted for “Rah, Rah” because it rhymed with Jayhawk. “Rock Chalk” was also symbolic of the chalky limestone formations found on Mount Oread. Teddy Roosevelt once said the Rock Chalk chant was the best he had ever heard. THE FIGHT SONG George “Dumpy” Bowles, a student with the class of 1912, longed to make a great contribution to the KU spirit, but wasn’t athletic enough to do historic deeds on the athletic field. He turned to music and produced some outstanding student musical shows. A song in one of these shows was “I’m a Jayhawk.” Written in 1912, it was dormant until 1920 when a growth in school spirit brought out “I’m a Jayhawk” once more. The song contributed to the raising of funds to build both the KU football stadium and student union as World War I memorials. The 1926 glee club made it known nationally. During homecoming week in 2010, the KU Alumni Association held a public contest to reword portions of the song because of the impending departure of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big 12 Conference. Matt Schoenfield of Countryside, Kan., won the contest. The fight song now mentions all 10 of the current Big 12 schools in its lyrics. CAMPANILE HILL Campanile Hill forms the picturesque backdrop for Memorial Stadium. On a sunny fall Saturday, the “Hill” is transformed into a congregating place for watching Jayhawk football, sunning and barbequing. Potter Lake, just to the southeast of Memorial Stadium and at the bottom of Campanile Hill, adds to the beauty of the Kansas campus. On Commencement Day, KU Grads make the walk down Campanile Hill in a procession line before entering Memorial Stadium for graduation ceremonies. WAVING THE WHEAT Since the early days of KU sports, it has been a ritual of Jayhawk fans to “wave the wheat” following every Kansas scoring drive. The ritual consists of fans waving their arms in the air, an activity which, when done by a large crowd, resembles a breezy Kansas wheat field.
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