In 1943, MSU art professor Leonard D. Jungwirth designed a statue for the university, which had to be cast in terra cotta because of World War II rationing.

In printed literature, the university uses a copyrighted cartoon Spartan, usually drawn with a grimace and several days worth of whiskers, lending the nickname of "Gruff" Sparty.

The mascot costume, worn by an anonymous student, appears at most university sporting, alumni, and fundraising events; he is often portrayed in MSU notices and materials.

The first mascot appeared in 1955 and was a papier-mâché Spartan head made by Theta Xi fraternity brothers Donald Pais, Kenneth Roberts, and Don Bauer.

[3] By the 1956 Rose Bowl Game, the papier-mâché head had been replaced by a fiberglass version that was thirty pounds lighter.

In 1985, MSU Alumni Association Graphic Designer Dave Giordan was asked to draw a muscular Sparty in full body armor.

To introduce MSU's new mascot, six billboards designed by Tom Sapp were positioned around East Lansing announcing his Spartan Stadium debut.

The costume, with a cartoonishly oversized head, bulging muscles, and a facial expression that treads a fine line between cute and pugnacious, was introduced to MSU fans during the 1989 football season.

Any revenues generated go to the upkeep of the Sparty Mascot Program, which is funded mainly by the MSU Alumni Association.

He also appeared in ESPN ads with background cameos, such as eating in a diner booth or browsing the shelves of a bookstore.

[12] When John Hannah became president of Michigan State College in 1941, he commissioned assistant professor of art Leonard D. Jungwirth to design a statue of an athletic Spartan warrior.

[2] The terra cotta statue stood on the banks of the Red Cedar River, until 2005, when the university replaced it with a bronze replica.

When the statue was erected, popular media claimed that it was the tallest free-standing ceramic sculpture in the world,[2] though that record remains unconfirmed.

During MSU's 2005 summer semester, the intersection at which the statue stood was completely redesigned to allow for safer traffic interaction with pedestrians.

During the week before the annual football game against the University of Michigan Wolverines, members of the marching band take turns each guarding the statue against vandalism by fans of the rival school.

The tradition is known as "Sparty Watch"; a similar vigil takes place at the Michigan Diag, where the inlaid "M" is defended against MSU fans.