Weird West Texas: All about the Will Rogers and Soapsuds statue – LubbockOnline.com
Howdy, y’all!
I’m Brandi D. Addison, the regional agriculture and natural resources reporter for the USA TODAY network in West Texas, covering all things from the earth to the sky — and this is the introductory column to our newest series, “Weird West Texas.”
Each week, we will explore some of the most odd, eccentric and just plain weird things our region — from the state’s northernmost town of Booker down into the Big Country, westward to the Permian Basin and all the way into the Rolling Plains.
For our debut, we couldn’t think of a better topic than what we picked.
Although it’s certainly not the weirdest thing in all of West Texas, there are quite a few interesting storylines behind it — and it’s pretty iconic for Texas Tech fans. (Plus, it supports my own biases as a Fort Worth native.)
So, here we go: What’s the story behind the Will Rogers statue on Texas Tech’s campus?
More:Weird West Texas: A new series about the odd, eccentric and just plain weird things of our region
Standing almost 10 feet tall and weighing more than 3,200 pounds just west of the entrance at University Avenue and Broadway, the statue of Will Rogers with his beloved horse Soapsuds is one of the most well-known landmarks on campus.
But many wonder why it’s even there … Will Rogers neither attended Texas Tech nor grew up in West Texas.
According to the university website and archives from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal — whose then-editor presented a brief ceremony of the casting — the statue was a gift dedicated by longtime friend Amon G. Carter, who, if you didn’t know, was one of Texas Tech’s founders and the university board’s first chairman. (Yes, Carter’s name also has major associations with the TCU campus as a longtime Fort Worth philanthropist and founder of Fort Worth Star-Telegram.)
The statue at Texas Tech’s campus — located in Amon G. Carter Plaza which stretches all the way to the university seal — is one of four castings. Archives say Carter believed the statue would fit into the traditions and scenery of West Texas, memorializing Rogers’ lifetime as a cowboy legend.
The other three castings are located in Dallas, Fort Worth and Claremore, Oklahoma, where Rogers was buried.
Before each football game, a group called the Saddle Tramps, dresses the Will Rogers and Soapsuds statue with about 20 rolls of red crepe paper. When they finish, they circle the statue and sing the university Fight song and Matador song.
One story published in TTU Today in 2008 says the tradition began in the 1950s as part of a ceremony called “Painting the Campus Red.” Each Thursday night, the Saddle Tramps would wrap the statue then decorate the rest of the campus with streamers, according to the story.
But archives in the 1970 edition of La Ventana — the university yearbook — says its because the Saddle Tramps wanted to “protect” the sculpture after fans found the statue covered in maroon paint when the Red Raiders defeated the Texas A&M Aggies, 13-9, in 1969.
With no confirmation of which story is true, just pick your favorite version!
The sculpture was originally positioned to face northwest, so it appeared that Will Rogers and Soapsuds were riding into the sunset. After all, “Riding into the Sunset” is the name of the work, and an inscription on it reads: “Lovable Old Will Rogers on his favorite horse, ‘Soapsuds,’ riding into the Western sunset.”
But that position caused Soapsuds’ hind end to face east toward Downtown Lubbock, and local officials allegedly believed that may insult the local business community.
University legend says officials turned the sculpture 23 degrees, so instead, the hind end directly faced College Station — home to Texas A&M. And although the tale is even shared on the university website, just over a decade ago, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal put the rumors to an end citing the Texas Tech Alumni Association’s vice president Chris Snead who refuted that there was any truth behind that story.
“In reality, it’s 23 degrees south from north,” Snead explained to the A-J in 2011, “and faces in the general direction of College Station. But to be honest, it probably faces closer to Leander and Austin. But that’s OK. The story is still good.”
Whether toward University of Texas or Texas A&M, either is a fable I could get behind.
If you’re curious to learn more about one of the many oddities or quirks in our region, submit your question via email to BAddison@gannett.com with “Weird West Texas” in the subject line or via text at 806.496.4073 .
Brandi D. Addison is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. She also compiles the weekly “ICYMI” column — rounding up the biggest news from the week prior each Monday — and “In Ag. and Eco,” which explores news about agriculture and environment from around the U.S. Find her on Twitter @BrandiDAddison.
