Auburn, Ala. — The Special Collections and Archives Department of Auburn University Libraries recently opened an exhibit on Aubie the mascot, commemorating the soon-to-be 40th anniversary of the mascot.
Phil Neel, an artist for the Birmingham Post-Herald, drew the original cartoon Aubie. The drawing made its first appearance on the cover of an Auburn football program on Oct. 3, 1959, during the Auburn versus Hardin-Simmons game.
In 1979, then Student Government Association spirit director James Lloyd, with the help of the Auburn Alumni Association, bought the first Aubie costume for $1,350, creating the university’s live mascot. The costume appeared for the first time at the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament on Feb. 28, 1979.
Aubie has won nine national mascot competitions since 1991, with his most recent win being in 2016.
The exhibit will run through May 2019 and is located on the first floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library. It is open to the public during the library’s regular library hours.
