The name is reason enough for
Hickman (Columbia, Mo.) to be famous. The school chant and a particular alum make it that much more notable.
So first things first. Hickman High is the Kewpies. We'll get into that shortly.
Photo courtesy of Columbia Public Schools
Second of all, Hickman High is the alma mater of Sam Walton. Perhaps you don't know who Walton is, but chances are you have been in one of his businesses. Walton is the man who founded Wal-Mart.
Third, the school's cheer is: "Strawberry Shortcake, Gooseberry Pie, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! Are we it? Well, I guess yes! We're the Kewpies of H-H-S!"
Lastly, Wikipedia cites a 2008 statistic that shows Hickman as the biggest high school in Missouri by enrollment and also goes to say that more Presidential Scholars come from Hickman than any other high school in the nation.
But getting back to the Kewpies. The school is the only one in the nation to go with the name and has been around for about 100 years. It refers to the Kewpie Doll, which was a popular doll in the early 1900s. The story goes that the school secretary used to keep a Kewpie Doll on her desk in 1913 and one time she placed the doll in the center of the basketball court and it emerged unbroken after the game. They were easily broken, so this was quite an anomaly.
Since Hickman won that game, the Kewpie Doll became a good luck symbol and then the mascot. The 1914 team photo even had a Kewpie Doll at the feet of the team's top player and the 1914 yearbook featured a Kewpie Doll.
They definitely chose history over toughness/ferocity at Hickman High. Not too many other schools are too eager to be known as a bunch of dolls.
You can't argue with the success, and you can't argue with the originality - that's for sure. About all you could ask for is maybe some clothing for the baby in the logo.
