L.R. Pletz

Purchased by L.R. Pletz and given to the university, Lee Roy, a 650-pound Royal Bengal Tiger, was one of the largest in captivity. The tiger’s presence became immediately known not only on Trinity’s campus, but also within the greater San Antonio community – the cage and trailer in which Lee Roy would be presented at football games were built and donated by San Antonio’s own Southern Steel Company and Harper General Tire Company, respectively (Trinitonian, 1953). As Stark had promised three years prior, when Lee Roy was not being used by the university, he was located at the San Antonio Zoo, where the community was able to see him in his permanent habitat. Beyond the San Antonio community, Lee Roy gained fame when after his arrival he was featured in a spread in Life Magazine.