Joseph Dick, Creator of Zippy

Zippy is the mascot of the University of Akron athletics team. Zippy is a kangaroo, and was chosen by a committee in 1953. The school's nickname, "Zips," is a shortening of "Zippers," a pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company of Akron. It was originally adopted by the school in 1925 after a contest to give the school a nickname. "Kangaroos" was one of the choices at the time. In 1950, the current nickname was adopted because of the rising popularity of zippers in use on pants. Three years later, a committee suggested the kangaroo as a mascot, and it was accepted by the student council on May 1, 1953. Originally, it was met with derision, as it was not put to a campus-wide vote. However, over time, Zippy has become a fan favorite at the school. In 2007 Zippy was chosen as one of twelve collegiate mascots to compete for Capital One Bowl mascot of the year. With an unprecedented 13–0 record, Zippy was named the winner on January 1, 2008.