What Is a Ohio State Buckeye?

The buckeye is the official state tree of the Ohio and the nickname given to the Ohio State University athletic teams and alumni. The mascot of the university is a buckeye nut named Brutus Buckeye. The residents of Ohio have been known as Buckeyes since the middle of the 19th century and the college has produced famous Buckeyes like basketball coach Bobby Knight and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

  1. Buckeye tree

    • The Ohio buckeye is a tree that is found from the upper Midwest into the Great Plains south to Texas. The leaves are palmately compound, meaning that in the case of the buckeye there are five separate leaflets radiating from a central point on each stem. The buckeye tree's leaves and stem have the ability to produce a very pungent odor when they are bruised. The buckeye tree grows very well along rivers and streams in Ohio and is a member of the horse chestnut family.

    Buckeye nuts

    • The buckeye tree takes its name from the fact that the Native Americans thought the nuts the tree produced in the early fall resembled the eye of a deer. These nuts are brown and glossy with a lighter color on one end. Though poisonous to a small degree they can be eaten if heated properly. The fans of Ohio State athletic teams will carry buckeyes with them in their pockets for good luck and wear necklaces of these nuts.

    Brutus Buckeye

    • In 1965 two Ohio State students petitioned the school to come up with a proper mascot. The decision to make the buckeye nut the official mascot was arrived upon and the initial costume was a simple paper-mache head worn by an individual, first appearing at a football game on October 30th, 1965. Upgrades to the costume ensued and the name Brutus Buckeye was selected after a contest at the school in November of 1965. The current buckeye mascot wears a head like the large nut with an Ohio State cap, a shirt with the scarlet and gray school colors, and red pants.

    History

    • In April of 1788 the first settler west of the Ohio River supposedly cut down a tree, which happened to be a buckeye tree. This initial tree that was cut to be used for its wood eventually gave rise to the state being named the Buckeye State. A string of buckeyes that according to legend was found on the cabin that William Henry Harrison lived in during the 1840s; this symbol of the state also contributed to its people being termed "Buckeyes." The buckeye tree was made the official tree of Ohio by the legislature in 1953.

    Famous Buckeyes

    • Ohio State has produced many famous athletes, with standout basketball players such as Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek among them. The amazing Olympian Jesse Owens went to Ohio State and was a Buckeye as was baseball slugger Frank Howard, who starred with the Washington Senators. Jack Nicklaus, the golfer that won a total of 18 major championships over his career, was a member of the Ohio State golf team. Former Buckeye football coach Woody Hayes is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as is Paul Brown, who went to Ohio State briefly and coached the team in the early 1940s.