Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
The Margaret Norris Collection of NC State Wolf Mascot Heads collection contains 1 small felt and 3 extra-small paper depictions of the NC State Wolf mascot's head.
The NC State Wolf mascot heads belonged to Margaret Norris' father-in-law who attended NCSU in the 1950s.
North Carolina State's first unofficial mascots were 5 year old Wallace Whitfield Riddick in 1899 and a pair of English bulldogs, Tige and Togo, in the 1910s. NC State’s football team was first referred to as the Wolfpack in 1921. Realistic wolf logos were used in football programs and yearbooks, and a live timber wolf named "State" was adopted in the 1940s. Other live mascot names used throughout NC State's history include Lobo from the 1950s to the 1970s and Tuffy in the 2010s to the present. Student Ira Helms created a popular mechanical wolf figure called "Hell" or "Wolf-Monster" that made appearances at football games in 1946 and 1947. In 1947, the Wolfpack name was officially adopted for all NC State Athletics teams. In the late 1940s, depictions shifted from realistic wolves to cartoon drawings, like the ones in this collection. The wolf head turned into Mr. Wolf, a felt mascot costume, in the 1960s. In the 1980s, the mascot became Mr. Wuf, and Ms. Wuf began to represent women athletes in the 1970s."
The small wolf heads in the collection resemble the wolf head design printed on the 1948 Student Handbook. This design is very similar to today's logo. Today, however, the wolf's hat says "NC State" rather than "N.C.S."
The NC State wolf heads belonged to Margaret Norris' father-in-law who attended State College (now NC State University) in the 1950s.
The Margaret Norris Collection of NC State Wolf Mascot Heads collection contains 1 small felt and 3 extra-small paper depictions of the NC State Wolf Head mascot.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Margaret Norris Collection of NC State Wolf Mascot Heads, MSS 00495, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Margaret Norris (Accession 2025.0136)
Processed by: Hailey Mandel, 2025 November; Collection guide updated by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 March.
1 small felt and 3 small paper
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], Margaret Norris Collection of NC State Wolf Mascot Heads, MSS 00495, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.