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Students love patting it, parents love photographing it and everyone from visitors to alumni consider it a must-capture photo opp when on campus. The wildcat statue has become an undeniable emblem of UNH, and it turns 10听years听old this fall.

The fierce听looking, bronze-cast, hard-to-miss sculpture听may be getting older, but it hasn鈥檛 lost its appeal. On a warm, sunny day this month听its admirers were everywhere. 听

鈥淲e live in New Hampshire and our kids went to UNH, just like us,鈥� said Gloria Andrews 鈥�79. 鈥淲e had to take a family photo in front of the cat when they graduated.鈥�

Although the wildcat became UNH鈥檚 official mascot in 1926,听the lifelike statue, designed by Washington artist Matthew Gray Palmer, wasn't听installed in front of the Whittemore Center until听September 2006. It was commissioned by the Alumni Association, which spent two years working with UNH affiliates to select an artist and statue design.

The $160,000 statue was funded by private gifts, including support from the UNH Alumni Association, UNH Parents Association and several alumni donors. There was also a generous contribution from the Edward 鈥�42H and Selma 鈥�42 Bacon Simon Fund. The hope then was that the cat would become a public art听focal point on campus.

鈥淚 always make it a point to stop by when I鈥檓 here,鈥� said Doug Delong 鈥�80, an alumnus of the civil engineering program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 iconic.鈥�

Iconic it is. 鈥淭he cat symbolizes UNH as a whole,鈥� said Billy Cavanaugh 鈥�18, a finance major and lacrosse player. 鈥淚 remember our captains had us touch the nose freshman year to be initiated.鈥�

Indeed, the 鈥溾�� tradition that began in 2009听sees upwards of 3,000 new freshmen each year touching its nose during

Cavanaugh鈥檚 teammate and friend听Max Craig 鈥�18 feels the same. 鈥淚 think it represents the drive and fierceness each Wildcat has within,鈥� Craig said. 鈥淪ince we practice and play games on this field right behind the cat, I always feel like it鈥檚 there watching over our games, feeding our drive.鈥澨�

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