On Feb. 4, Wartburg College Men’s Basketball game against the Dubuque Spartans, Sir Victor joined the cheer team for a special performance. Through the shaking poms, Victor displayed his show-stopping charisma as he got on the ground to do a perfect 1980s-style worm.
On campus, Sir Victor is somewhat akin to a celebrity. He greets students at the beginning of their college journeys during convocation, takes pictures at football games and offers farewells on graduation.
For years, he has been a central pillar of Wartburg College and the greater Waverly community. However, it has taken many decades to arrive at the Sir Victor known today.
In 1953, Wartburg’s graduating class gifted the institution a complete set of knight’s armor handcrafted in Stuttgart, Germany, south of Waverly’s sister city, Eisenach.
For decades, the armor was donned by the standing student body president in the annual Homecoming Parade. The knight was found leading the procession on top of a prancing steed until 2010.
Throughout the rest of the year, the armor stood on display at the Knights Gym, now the W, as an enduring, rally symbol for student body. However, he lacked a name.
The origins of Sir Victor’s name have conflicting accounts. In a 1956 issue of the Wartburg Trumpet, a contest gave students the opportunity to bestow a name. The winner was to be announced during Homecoming week at the Kastle Kapers performance.
Unfortunately, there were no updates until a photo appeared later in the Fortress, Wartburg’s now-retired yearbook, with a caption recognizing the knight as Sir Victor.
According to Wartburg’s website, the name is attributed to Duane Schroeder, 1958 alum and previous sports information director.
This information is corroborated by Schroeder’s son in his book “-30-: Remembering Duane Schroeder” published in 2021. It is said the name Victor was derived from the word “victory.”
The personification with the new name brought a heightened sense of camaraderie to the campus, escalating the longstanding rivalry against Luther College. In 1958, Sir Victor was stolen twice by Luther during the school year, prompting the graduating class to donate a glass case to attempt to secure the armor.
At the turn of the decade, Wartburg hired two students to present Sir Victor as a mascot at events, intending to boost school spirit.
The Alumni office partnered with Tower Agency to develop a new suit of armor out of plastic as the original armor was too heavy and impractical to wear for extended periods of time.
Today, we see the emergence of our current Sir Victor: a charming knight comprised of a mesh helmet, chest plate, sword and boots.
“I had an older woman come up to me this year, and [say] ‘My husband passed last year, and Sir Victor was his favorite thing. It’s his birthday today and I came to see you,” the student says. “It truly meant so much to me to have an impact on her and remind people of their loved ones.”
As Wartburg College continues to evolve, Sir Victor serves as a timeless symbol uniting both past and present generations of students. His history represents the growth of Wartburg and the resilience of its students.
If you are interested in continuing the legacy of Sir Victor, audition applications can be found under the Alumni Events & Programs section of Wartburg’s website. Please contact [email protected] for further questions.
