Purdue Pride is world renowned, tying together 600,000-plus alumni. Explore our Boilermaker traditions and the Daniels School of Business community.
With its reputation of recruiting students out of the boiler shops, Purdue was first called the "Boiler Makers" by a Crawfordsville, Indiana, reporter covering Purdue's 44-0 trouncing of Wabash College in October 1891. Lafayette newspapers picked up the name. In October 1892, The Purdue Exponent gave it the stamp of approval. In the early days of Purdue football, the team was called by other names as well, including "haymakers," "railsplitters," "sluggers" and "cornfield sailors."
Made famous by Arnette Tiller, wife of Joe Tiller, former head coach of the football team (1997-2008), Boilermakers say “Boiler Up!” to express their school spirit. Coach Tiller previously coached at the University of Wyoming and used to cheer up his players with “Cowboy Up!” Arnette and Joe Tiller came up with “Boiler Up!” to proclaim “Go Purdue” in a creative new way. It’s often heard on campus when someone wants to evoke school spirit. The response is “Hammer Down!”
Formed in 1923, the Purdue Reamer Club supports Boilermaker spirit. The club takes its name from its initial pledge that “Reamers smooth out the Gimlets.” Initially, the club’s founders competed with Greek organizations who named themselves the Gimlets to champion Boilermaker pride. Reamers are tools that smooth out holes made with gimlets. Reamer Club members keep Purdue's traditions alive.
The Boilermaker Special has a storied history as “the world’s largest, fastest, heaviest, and loudest collegiate mascot.” It was conceived in 1939 after sophomore Israel “Izzy” Selkowitz wrote a letter to the campus newspaper The Purdue Exponent advocating for the construction of a locomotive mascot. The Boilermaker Special's body sits on a car chassis. A smaller iteration, the Boilermaker Xtra Special, sits on a golf cart chassis and can be used indoors.
Purdue Pete came about in 1940 when founders of University Book Store, “Red” Samuels and “Doc” Eppell, designed it based upon Carl Verplank, a Purdue offensive forward who could run 100 yards in 10 seconds. The university adopted him as the official athletic mascot in 1958, and Purdue Pete appears at most sporting and special events. No one knows where his first name “Pete” came from.
The official band of Purdue and the Indianapolis 500, the All-American Marching Band formed in 1886 with five members of the Purdue Student Army Training Corp. Now nearly 400 members strong, the band features the Purdue Big Bass Drum, the Purdue Gold Girl featured twirler, and the “Block P.” The band performs at each home football game and travels to concerts and festivals around the world.
Purdue’s Big Bass Brum is called the world’s largest drum, standing over 10 feet when the carriage is included. It is played by the All-American Marching Band at home games and the Indianapolis 500. The Leedy Company of Indianapolis built the drum in 1921.
Purdue’s official fight song “Hail Purdue” was sung at ceremonial occasions until the adoption of the Purdue Hymn. After the lyric "Thus we raise our song anew," singers raise one fist and shout, "Boiler up!" The Purdue All-American Marching Band interjects, "Fire up!" at the same point in the song, as they have traditionally done since the mid-1970s.
Listen and learn here!
Known as “the greatest spectacle in college racing,” Purdue’s Grand Prix began in 1958. Drawing over 1,000 spectators, the event raises money for Purdue student scholarships under the leadership of the Purdue Grand Prix Foundation, whose motto is "Students Helping Students." The event has expanded to two events, an EV Grand Prix that attracts competitors throughout the U.S. and encourages innovation, as well as the traditional event. Held on a Saturday, the race includes associated festivities, parties, parades, and other events throughout the week. Alumni often return to campus for Grand Prix weekend.
The trophy that represents the longstanding gridiron rivalry between Purdue and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, came out of a 1925 meeting of Chicago alumni from both schools. The alums wanted to select a suitable Hoosier symbol. The alumni chapters drafted a resolution that stated "an old oaken bucket as the most typical Hoosier form of trophy, that the bucket should be taken from some well in Indiana, and that a chain to be made of bronze block 'I' and 'P' letters should be provided for the bucket. The school winning the traditional football game each year should have possession of the 'Old Oaken Bucket' until the next game and should attach the block letter representing the winning school to the bail with the score engraved on the latter link."
Founded as an ice cream parlor and soda shop in 1919, Harry’s first served beer at the end of Prohibition in 1932. This rustic restaurant and bar sits across from the Daniels School's Rawls Hall and remains a popular, often packed go-to for students and visitors. It’s the reported site for the signing of the Purdue Reamer Club constitution.
The Breakfast Club tradition is honored on the mornings of sporting events, particularly during football season. Started in the mid-1980s by members of Theta Chi Fraternity to see how early establishments could open for drinking legally, students and alumni dress in costumes to fill local bars. Described as “a cross between a pep rally, a Halloween party, and a bar crawl,” some dedicated participants arise at 5 a.m. to line up at the bars.
The annual Purdue Business Toast began as the Krannert Global Toast in gratitude for the $2.73 million that Herman and Ellnora Krannert donated to establish the Krannert Graduate School of Industrial Administration, now the Krannert Graduate Institute. Alumni worldwide gather on the first Thursday of November to raise a glass in honor of the Krannerts and to celebrate being part of the alumni family.
Daniels School of Business hosts an annual tailgate party for alumni, students and faculty to network and celebrate together for two hours prior to the homecoming football game. Attendees meet up at the Daniels School tent, enjoy food and walk together to the game to cheer on the Boilermakers.
