Anyone in the Auburn community is probably familiar with the phrase “War Eagle." It’s used as a greeting, a battle cry and everything in between.
There are different stories circulating regarding the origin of this phrase.
Lawton Vallely, junior in communication, said he remembers the story he heard when he first came to Auburn.
“The story I have always heard was there was veteran who became a professor at Auburn who had a pet eagle that couldn't fly and he would sometimes take around with him on campus because it couldn't fly,” Vallely said.
The eagle then took its first flight since being injured at a football game, according to Vallely.
“One football season he had it at the Georgia-Auburn game, and when we beat Georgia, the eagle flew for the first time around the stadium even though he couldn't fly previously,” Vallely said. “That's when we started saying ‘War Eagle.’”
Cristiana Shipma, junior in communication, is a student recruiter and knows by heart the story she shares with people touring Auburn.
“A long time ago, there was a student pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine, but before he could earn his degree, he was drafted to fight in the Civil War,” Shipma said. “He fought brave and true, as all Auburn men and women do.”
During this student’s time in the war, he stumbled upon an injured eagle, according to Shipma.
“One day, as he was hiding in the bushes, he heard a shot overhead and an eaglet fell out of a nest,” Shipma said. “This guy knew his animals, so he knew right away that this eagle would never fly again. He took it under his care and nurtured it back to health.”
Shipma said this student then became a professor commonly associated with his eagle.
“He survived the way and went back to Auburn, taking this eagle with him," Shipma said. "He earned his degree, and eventually became a professor. Everyone knew him as the cooky old prof with the eagle, but he was well loved by his students.”
Shipma said the Auburn-Georgia football game in 1896 was tied at 0-0 until Georgia took the lead in the third quarter.
“One of the fans present was this professor with his eagle," Shipma said. "All of a sudden, the eagle perks up and takes flight, circling around the stadium. The professor was aghast because he knew that this eagle could never fly.”
The Auburn fans began to cheer for the eagle, and this encouraged the Tigers to keep going until they took the lead and won the game, according to Shipma.
“As the final touchdown was scored, the eagle circled one last time and landed on the field, where it was reunited with its owner,” Shipma said. “In honor of that game, we say 'War Eagle' as a greeting, as a goodbye, et cetera.”
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