The Lamar Spirit Bell was originally donated to “Lamar Tech” by the Santa Fe Railroad Company over 50 years ago. It replaced “Big Mac,” the civil war cannon named for former university president F.L. McDonald, at football games to celebrate scores after Southland Conference banned the use of cannons, citing safety concerns.
The bell was rediscovered in one of Lamar University’s storage facilities. Officials wasted no time in having the bell restored so that it could be reintroduced to Cardinal Football for the 2018 season.
The revitalized ringer drew attention from local media. Before it’s retirement, Spirit Bell duties fell to members of Lamar University, then Lamar Tech, cheerleading team. Former members Carl Stockholm and Genie West (née Montie) were among the first to ring the bell at its introduction in 1966. Both returned to the field on September 1, 2018, to initiate the first game ring in over 30 years, passing their duties to the newest generation of LU cheerleaders and opening up a new era of tradition.
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