Nittany Lion

While on a trip to Princeton University, Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a mascot.

Mason did not let that deter him: he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat the Princeton Bengal tiger.

The Lion's primary means of attack against the Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes, which is now traditionally exemplified through cumulative one-armed push-ups after the team scores a touchdown.

[2] The name "Mount Nittany" derives from the Algonquian word meaning "single mountain.

[4] According to a July 1992 article in National Geographic by Maurice Hornocker titled "Learning to Live with Mountain Lions", "Courthouse records from Centre County, Pennsylvania, show that one local hunter killed 64 lions between 1820 and 1845.

Penn State football coach Hugo Bezdek shakes hands with the Nittany Lion in the 1920s
The Nittany Lion mascot pumps up the crowd at the 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football game versus Cincinnati at Beaver Stadium