Campbell University, in Buies Creek, North Carolina, has a fairly unique mascot immortalized in the bronze sculpture standing proudly at the front of the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center. The "Fighting Camel" mascot was created by Atlanta, GA artist Gregory Johnson. The statue, dedicated 02 May 2011, was a gift from state-renowned Charlotte businessman, Irwin Belk (04 April 1922 – 24 February 2018).
I couldn't find any definitive reason for the camel being named "Gaylord." The common supposition seems to be that the camel was named for North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 1973) and Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted 1991) member, right-handed pitching-phenom Gaylord Perry, who attended Campbell University, 1958-60.
Taken 01 March 2020, by D. Denise Dianaty, with an E600 Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, ISO 200, 42mm, ƒ9, 1/200s. As is my preference, I used the noir treatment in my Apple Photos application to convert the color images to black and white photography.
The Camel
Many stories exist as to the origin of the nickname "Fighting Camels" and the adoption of a camel as the mascot of Campbell University athletic teams. To date, there is still uncertainty as to why the unique mascot (only one other school in the United States -- and none in Division I -- has the nickname "Camels") was chosen.
According to historian J. Winston Pearce, author of "Campbell College, Big Miracle in Little Buies Creek," the nickname's origin perhaps stretches back to the turn of the century when all but one of the school's original buildings were destroyed by fire. In the aftermath, Z.T. Kivett visited the school's founder and president, Dr. James Archibald Campbell, at his residence.
As Dr. Campbell bemoaned the fate of the institution he had worked 13 years to build, Mr. Kivett encouraged him, "Your name's Campbell; then get a hump on you! We've got work to do." Dr. Campbell thought that Mr. Kivett said, "You're a camel, get a hump on you." Hence the nomadic nickname.
Campbell's athletic teams were originally named the "Hornets." Copies of Creek Pebbles, the school newspaper, in the 1920s and 1930s described the teams as "Hornets." Other references to the athletic teams were "The Campbells" or the "Campbellites."
Although an official date is unknown, the changing of the mascot to a camel came in late 1933 or early 1934. There is no explanation why the nickname was changed to Camels, only this one sentence was printed in the Jan. 13, 1934 issue of Creek Pebbles: "Eight new men were recently initiated into Campbell's monogram club, which has changed its name from 'Hornets' to 'Camels.'"
From that point on, all Campbell athletic teams have proudly worn the Camel mascot.
Buies Creek NC, is around thirty miles south of Raleigh.
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