History of the Hornet | About Kalamazoo College

The first reference to the Hornets in a college publication was in 1925 when it appeared in the college newspaper, The Index. It was first used in The Boiling Pot in 1926. These references provided no explanation of the Hornet’s origin. Before then, athletic teams were simply referred to as Kalamazoo College in print, or occasionally the Orange and Black, or even the Kazooks.

According to a 1974 article in The Index, Jerry Hagan, a one-time Kalamazoo Gazette reporter, gave the label to the school’s football team. “It was my first year at the Gazette, in 1923. K had some great players and a fine team. Everyone seemed to be buzzing around enthusiastically and stinging the opponents, so the Hornet tag seemed natural.”