Originally, Princeton's mascot was the lion—seen by the administration as the most regal animal. However, in 1867 the sophomore baseball team decided to adorn orange ribbons with black numerals. The orange and black combination stuck and by the early 1880s florid sports writers began to refer to Princeton's teams as the Tigers. In 1911 the lions that flanked the entrance to Nassau Hall were replaced by the bronze tigers we see today. In 1998, the gilded lions were brought out of storage and are now on display in Wilson College.

(Adapted from A Princeton Companion.)

Class of 1879 Lions, which flanked the entrance to Nassau Hall until 1911

Class of 1879 Tigers, which now guard the entrance to Nassau Hall