For years Central had no mascot. In the 1800's each class had its own colors and mottos. However, in 1893 one class adopted green and black as their colors and the entire school chose to use them as the official Central colors. The official Eagles' mascot came in 1914 Central shut out Westminster (Mo.) 53-0 on the football field.
As noted by former CMU President Robert H. Ruff in 1935:
"About twenty years ago a farmer saw an eagle whipping a whole flock of blue jays. The bird was injured in the battle and the farmer took it to Central [CMU] for mounting. The crippled bird was nursed by students and became the pet of the campus. That fall Central defeated Westminster fifty-three to nothing on the gridiron of Westminster. The members of the athletic teams of Westminster College, situated in Fulton, Mo., are the traditional rivals of the members of teams of Central College, who are designated The Blue Jays. After thisgame the students composing the teams of Central College immediately adopted the sobriquet, The Eagles, as their official nickname." (noted on Nov. 22, 1935 from Central/CMU president Robert H. Ruff, as referenced in George Earlie Shankle, American Nicknames: Their Origin and Significance (New York: H.W. Wilson, 1955): 99.)
The "Eagle Song" written around 1920 by T. Berry Smith.
The first mascot was "Old Baldy", who was purchased in the late 1920's. He had perched on the football field entrance until the mid 1980's. He was then moved to a permanent home in Brannock Hall.
Other versions of the mascot have appeared throughout the years. One appeared on the official Razzers patch in the 1920's. The traditional mascot costume appeared for the first time in a Ragout in 1979 and has appeared many times since.
