What's A Billiken?

One of the truly unique mascots in college athletics, the Billiken is a symbol of good luck that became a national craze in the early 1900s.

In 1908, Florence Pretz, an art teacher and illustrator in Kansas City, Mo., received a patent for her version of an ancient Asian figure – a chubby character with pixie ears, fat cheeks and an ear-to-ear grin. A year later, the Billiken Company of Chicago adopted the likeness, giving it its eventual name. Initially manufactured as a bank and statuette, the Billiken reached its peak of popularity in 1911, when it was widely recognized as a universal symbol of good fortune.

Legend has it that the Billiken has three kinds of luck – good, better and best. To buy a Billiken gave the buyer luck. To have one given to you is better luck. The best luck came if the Billiken were stolen.

How the name became associated with Saint Louis University remains a hotly debated issue. Whatever version you accept, it happened between 1910 and 1911 at the height of Billikenmania.

The generally accepted version of the story can be traced back to two St. Louis sportswriters who felt the SLU football coach, John Bender, bore a striking resemblance to the impish creature. William O’Connor and Charles Z. McNamara noticed the similarity one afternoon at practice as Bender was especially satisfied with his team’s performance. Looking at the coach with a broad grin and squinty eyes, O’Connor exclaimed, “Why Bender’s a regular Billiken!” After practice, McNamara drew a cartoon of Bender as a Billiken, posted it in a local drugstore window and tabbed the football team “Bender’s Billikens.” The sporting public took up the name with such enthusiasm that it soon became the official nickname of all SLU teams.

Please Note: All images of the Billiken are registered trademarks. Approval from the Collegiate Licensing Company and Saint Louis University is required for usage.