Wichita State University, formerly Fairmount College, received its first mascot name about the time it received its first football coach. Tradition has it that in 1904, football manager and student R.J. Kirk needed a name for the team in order to advertise Fairmount's upcoming engagement with the Chilocco Indians. He came up with Wheatshockers. At the time, many Fairmount football players earned tuition and board harvesting, or "shocking," wheat during the summer harvests, so the name seemed appropriate. Early football games were played on a stubbled wheat field. Pep club members were known as Wheaties. Although the Wheatshockers name was never officially adopted by the university, it caught on and survived until it was later shortened to Shockers. Until 1948, the university used a nameless shock of wheat as its symbol. WuShock came to life in 1948!