| East Lansing -- April 2, 2009 -
In an article in MSU�s The State News on February 18, 2009, the very first
�Sparty� cleared the historical air, and recounted exactly how the most
famous mascot on the planet (or at least the Big Ten!) was born.
Alumnus of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management
(the forerunner of The School of Hospitality Business) William Clithero
(BA �58) wore the very first Sparty costume in 1955 at a pep rally at Jenison
Field House before the Notre Dame game. The papier-mâché
Spartan head was made by his fraternity brothers, Donald Pais and Kenneth
Roberts, and was six feet tall and weighed more than sixty pounds.
The 6-foot-4 and 200 pound Clithero was a perfect fit for the larger than
life mascot costume.
By the 1956 Rose Bowl game, papier-mâché had been replaced
by fiberglass, and though Bill could not attend the bowl game, he did play
the role of Sparty for the following two years. �I got to go with
them (the Spartan Marching Band) � with my giant head,� explains Bill in
The State News. �It sounds dumb, but this is how Sparty was introduced
to the Big Ten. Everywhere we went, we went by train. Sparty�s
head got shipped with the band instruments.�
In fact, at an away game against Minnesota, the weather was so bad that
band instruments could not be used. ABC officials who were
broadcasting the game asked that Sparty provide some half time entertainment
instead, and Bill obligingly allowed the Minnesota Gopher to chase him
into the end zone where Minnesota students pelted him with hundreds of
snowballs. Bill remembers his mother phoning him after the game to
make sure he was alright. �It felt like my head was inside of a drum,�
says Bill.
�We are proud that the very first Sparty is one of our alumni,� says
Dr. Ron Cichy (BA �72, MBA �77), director and professor in The School.
�The State News story was a thrill for us, because our School�s position
is: The First, The Original, and STILL The Leader. Well, now we know
that Bill, our graduate, is The First, The Original, and STILL Sparty!�
As for the other aspects of his college career, Bill admits to having
a lot of fun, even in some of his hotel management classes.
He recalls a class during one of his spring quarters which called for students
to �taste and grade bowls of ice cream� produced by MSU. |
William Clithero in MSU�s first Sparty costume
Photo courtesy of the 1956 MSU Wolverine
|
.
Bill also chuckled about his �poultry� class, in which students wearing
aprons and gloves had to draw live turkeys from a crate, and, in Bill�s
words, �hang them, slit their throats, steam the feathers off, and field
dress them.� It is hard to envision current students taking any classes
that even come close to something of that sort, but it is even harder to
imagine a scene where Alumna and Wall of Fame Class of Developers Zoe Slagle
(BA �59) and one of Bill�s classmates, successfully grabbing her turkey
which then proceeded to drag Zoe around the room before she could get it
under control. �Zoe couldn�t have weighed much more than that turkey,�
Bill laughs.
In a more serious vein, Bill explains that decision to attend what was
at the time called the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management
(HRI) was based on his cousin. �I was very close to my cousin, who
at the time was secretary to the general manager at the LaSalle Hotel in
Chicago. She told me that hospitality was an up and coming industry.
She also said that because I loved to play cards I should consider moving
to Las Vegas with my degree and start my career there.�
As it turns out, Bill�s first position after graduating was with a small
private club in Chikaming, MI, south of St. Joseph. He supplied the
restaurant and bar, managed the profits from those areas, and maintained
the nine-room lodge and 9-hole golf course. As Bill tells it, however,
�I noticed that those who had time to golf in the afternoon weren�t running
clubs and restaurants. They were insurance agents!� He began
to contact insurance agencies, and went on to enjoy a highly successful,
50-year career with Metropolitan Life and Aetna insurance agencies.
�What that tells me,� says Bill, �is that the degree I earned in HRI
is very flexible. It�s a well-rounded business degree, which allowed
me to pursue other options.�
The same is true today. �Of course our School is tied to the hospitality
industry,� says Director of Academic Programs Dean James Rainey.
�But our curriculum can also take students in other directions, preparing
them for leadership roles in a number of areas.�
Whatever careers they choose, graduates of The School can be proud of
their beloved mascot, and even more proud that the tradition began with
a fellow alumnus: The First, The Original, and STILL Sparty!
About The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University
Recognized as the top-ranked hospitality business school in the world,
The School celebrates its 82nd year anniversary in 2009. The
School has more than 9,000 graduates worldwide, including a number of leading
academicians and industry executives, who have earned both undergraduate
and graduate degrees. Founded in 1927, the mission of The School
is to continually enhance The School's leadership position in hospitality
business education through teaching, research, and service. The School
offers an exceptionally well-crafted curriculum, taught by innovative professors
who are leading textbook authors, sought-after consultants, and respected
researchers. The mission of The School of Hospitality Business Alumni
Association is to provide active leadership in support of the mission of
The School of Hospitality Business through membership participation, image
enhancement, financial commitment, and promotion of synergies among students,
faculty, alumni, and friends. The First, The Original, and STILL
The Leader. . . The School of Hospitality Business. For more information,
please visit www.bus.msu.edu/shb/ |
