Junior Benny a kid-friendlier icon for those who fear ‘adult’ Benny

Oregon State University unveiled a younger and friendlier version of its bucktoothed mascot on Wednesday, to appeal to the smallest citizens of Beaver Nation.

Junior Benny has a baseball cap, jeans, tennis shoes and a mischievous smile.

“Benny was once a kid, just like you guys,” said OSU athlete Sarah Joos. The senior from Corvallis, who is a coxswain on the crew team, told attentive preschoolers Wednesday that when Benny Beaver was young, he went to school and had lots of friends — but he sometimes got into a little bit of trouble.

Junior Benny was unveiled during parties at the Bates Child Development Center and Beaver Beginnings preschool at OSU.

Lucas Sirianni, 4, said the young mascot looked friendly enough.

Avi Hadlock, 5, agreed. “I watch football on TV,” she added. She was dressed in an orange OSU sweatshirt adorned with the current Benny Beaver logo.

Amy Charron, art director for OSU marketing, said OSU worked on the Junior Benny design for more than a year.

“Regular Benny sometimes is a little bit scary for the smaller kids,” she said.

“We just saw the need to have something for kids. The current athletic beaver is fierce, and he’s very competitive,” said Melody Oldfield, OSU’s director of marketing.

With Junior Benny, think “Muppet Babies,” Oldfield said. She believes the younger version of the mascot will generate more merchandising sales for kids. “The response from our vendors who sell OSU products has been very positive,” Oldfield said.

For now, Junior Benny will appear only on apparel and other licensed goods. Todd Simmons, OSU assistant vice president of advancement, said a furry-costumed Junior Benny mingling with crowds could be a possibility someday.

Junior Benny will be the official mascot for Generation Beavs, the free kids club for OSU athletics. Members enjoy such benefits as special events, birthday wishes, “Tailmail” e-mail and more.

For the next two weeks, OSU Bookstore locations and Beaver Authentics spots at Reser Stadium and online at www.

osubeaversshop.com will be the exclusive retail outlets for Junior Benny merchandise.

Junior Benny baby beanie caps also are being donated for newborns at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, and Oldfield said there should be a six-month supply. Posters featuring Junior Benny, and encouraging reading, also are being delivered to schools throughout the state.

Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.

Benny through the decades

Here is a chronology of some great (and not-so-great) milestones in Benny Beaver history:

1915 — Yearbook staffers adopt “The Beaver” as the publication’s name, creating the cornerstone for the creature with the mighty incisors that will become the university’s official mascot.

1942 — The Beaver yearbook has a photo of Oregon State College students with a Beaver statue named “Benny.” This is the earliest known reference to Benny Beaver. Throughout World War II, the Daily Barometer’s Dick Jenning wrote a sports column under the pen name Benny Beaver.

1945 — Benny Beaver becomes OSC’s official mascot.

1951 — The “Happy Benny” icon, featuring a smiling beaver wearing a beanie, is drawn by graphic artist Arthur Evans.

September 1952 — OSC student Ken Austin dons a papier-mache head covered with brown shag carpeting and becomes the first Benny Beaver costumed mascot at a sporting event.

Early 1980s — Benny is seen at most football and basketball games with a costumed female companion, Bernice Beaver. Mysteriously, Bernice fades away in the late 1990s, as OSU updates its mascot. Her whereabouts continue to be the subject of irresponsible speculation.

March 1990 — Benny Beaver graces the cover of Sports Illustrated via the logo on basketball star Gary Payton’s shorts.

October 1995 — A University of California lineman hits Benny Beaver on the way to the locker room after the mascot taps him on the shoulder with an inflatable hammer. Weeks later, a University of Arizona lineman punches Benny in the head. Unbeknownst to the 300-pound athletes at the time, the person inside the costume was a 135-pound woman.

1998 — A new leaner and fiercer version of Benny is introduced to fans — who commonly refer to him as “Angry Benny,” “Mean Benny” or “Snarling Benny.”

2001 — “Happy Benny” is officially retired.

2005 — A friendlier — but still athletic — Benny debuts at athletic events.

Information compiled from the OSU Alumni Association, Wikipedia and other sources online.