Lee Roy's Reign on Campus
Lee Roy would arrive at campus in his custom cage for each football game, accompanied by the Bengal Lancers. The Lancers had been instrumental in the plan to bring a live mascot to campus, and upon his arrival served as Lee Roy’s protectors and caretakers during his appearances on campus. Lee Roy would sit on the sidelines during the games, and when Trinity scored, he would make his way around the football field in celebration, accompanied by the Lancers on each side of his cage. The tiger’s occasional roar could rarely be heard over the cheers of the fans, who attended the games to see their mascot as much as they were there to cheer on the team. While many schools had live mascots at the time, few were in possession of an animal as formidable as a Bengal tiger, a source of pride for those attending the games.
In 1957 Lee Roy fell ill and became unable to attend games, prompting his retirement to the San Antonio Zoo in 1958. Other tigers, including one of Lee Roy’s female cubs, attended the football games in his absence until a permanent replacement could be selected (The Mirage, 1958). This decision was made by the San Antonio Zoo based on the tiger’s health, and fans attending games were often unaware that the tiger they saw appearing at games was not Lee Roy. Despite this, the presence of Trinity’s mascot continued to grow as people beyond the “Trinity bubble” heard of the live tiger owned by the university. While most of Lee Roy’s appearances were at football games; he would occasionally represent Trinity at significant events in San Antonio, such as at parades in the city, introducing the mascot to a new group of fans that may have never seen the animal before.
In February 1962, Trinity’s beloved mascot passed away. Lee Roy’s death was felt throughout the community, as the tiger had been a staple at athletic events for nearly a decade and was a much-loved member of the Trinity family. At fourteen years old, Lee Roy had been expected to live for six or seven more years, but complications from an illness were likely the cause of his death. On campus, an in memoriam was published in the Mirage, and an obituary and article recounting Lee Roy’s impact on campus were published in The Trinitonian. In addition, his skin was tanned, and his head mounted for display at Trinity. For his impact on the San Antonio community, an obituary was published in the San Antonio Express following the announcement of his death.