At every major Fresno City College event there is a familiar face known as Sam the Ram. The mascot has been at FCC for as long as most faculty can remember, but Sam the Ram is only one part of a long and confusing mascot history.

The Era of Live Animal Rams

The current Sam the Ram is the first Sam to many, but he is actually Sam VIII. According to an article published by The Rampage in 1966, the first live animal ram mascot appeared at FCC in 1948. He was named Sam the Ram and appeared at different events, but sadly passed away on May 9, 1951.

A photo from The Rampage May 10, 1951 newspaper which shows a group of Fresno City College students watching as the American flag is dipped in honor of the original Sam The Ram mascot.

This inaugural Sam the Ram was beloved, and they held a burial for him on campus according to an Oct. 7, 1960 Rampage issue. It is still unknown where exactly this ram was buried, but he very well could be under anyone’s feet on the FCC campus.

Ram Replacement Recurrence

After the first Sam died, FCC continued to bring in different living rams to replace the original Sam.

According to the Oct. 7, 1960 Rampage issue, Sam the Ram II was around in 1951, Sam the Ram III from 1953-1954, Sam the Ram IV in 1956, Sam the Ram V in 1958 and finally Sam the Ram VI in 1959. They all served briefly before disappearing from the records.

FCC borrowed Sam the Ram VI from a farmer in Raisin City, according to the Oct. 7, 1960 Rampage issue, so it can be assumed that Sam VI made it safely back to the farm after a game. But where did all the other Sams go? 

Sams II-V vanished with no explanation. Were they returned to the farm quietly like Sam VI? Did they escape? Did they live lavishly in retirement? We may never know, all that is known is that these Rams were not reported on by the Rampage.

FCC had other variations of live animal rams as well. In between Sam III and Sam IV, the campus switched it up and got Samson who served as the mascot in 1955, according to the Oct. 7, 1960 Rampage issue. Little is known about Samson just like the other rams, and it is possible he met a similar fate as the Sam succession line.

But this was not the last of the live rams. FCC took a break from live animal mascots after 1960, but the push for the live ram returned. 

The final live ram was named “Ramrod,” an 8-month-old ram that would show up to events as the unofficial mascot. The student council had to debate and vote whether or not this ram should be the official mascot, according to the Oct. 6, 1966 Rampage issue.

A headline from the Oct. 6, 1966 Rampage newspaper reads “Live Ram Mascot Returns To FCC” with a photo of Ramrod, the final live ram mascot of Fresno City College.

Ramrod became the FCC official mascot and had his first appearance as part of the Homecoming parade hosted on campus, according to the Oct. 27, 1966 issue of the Rampage. Ramrod’s fate was never reported on, but it’s safe to assume that he passed along with the other rams.

This was the last time that a live animal mascot was a part of campus life, not without trying. In 1973, the Associated Student Body president set a meeting to discuss the potential purchase of a ram to become the FCC mascot. Fresno State was willing to sell FCC one and they even contacted a trainer, according to the Sept. 20, 1973 Rampage issue. This ram was never reported on again, so most likely they didn’t purchase one.

The First Unnamed Mascots

In 1949, the first ever human ram mascot got its start, and while FCC still used live animal rams at the time, a suit mascot was also created, according to the Oct. 28, 1965 Rampage issue. In the same issue, Marsha Pearl was revealed to be the student inside the Ram mascot.

A Rampage headline from Oct. 28, 1965 reads “Unidentified Mascot Revealed To Readers.” The story is a profile of Marsha Pearl, a student who portrayed the ram mascot.

Diana Beckhoff was another student who wore the ram costume to celebrate the pride and spirit on campus, according to the Sept. 28, 1967 Rampage issue. Debbie Hale also wore the Ram mascot outfit for two years according to the Dec. 14, 1972 Rampage issue.

(left) A Rampage photo from Sept. 28, 1967 includes Diana Beckhoff, a student who portrayed the ram mascot. (Right) A Rampage headline from Dec. 14, 1972 reads “Two-year career at end for Debbie Hale” and includes a photo of Hale, the live mascot at Fresno City College at the time.

Throughout the years, the ram mascot was continuously used and students would apply and conduct tryouts to wear the suit.

Ram Mascot with Flair

One of the most iconic people to step inside the Ram mascot suit was George Howsepian. When he entered the ram suit he became a performer who “feels like a hero” and “loses himself” to become the ram, according to the Nov. 4, 1976 Rampage issue.

Howsepian told the Rampage at the time, “‘It’s like a Jekyll-Hyde relationship,’ says George, stroking his full-length beard. ‘I am George until I put on the head, and then I am the Ram. No one knows who the Ram is…not even me.’”

A Rampage headline from Nov. 4, 1976 reads “Howsepian fills mascot role.” It includes a photo of George Howsepian, the ram mascot at the time.

Howsepian was joined in the spring of 1977 by Tara Thor as an ewe, the female version of the ram mascot, according to the May 5, 1977 Rampage issue. No photographs were published and FCC never had a live ewe.

Rocky’s Rocky History

The Rampage was quiet about the mascot until the most scandalous mascot to ever grace the campus appeared.

Rocky the Ram appeared in the Oct. 31, 1988 Rampage issue and was seen hugging a child while attending a Disabled Day event. This was the first time Rocky was ever mentioned, but he seemed to be well established on campus by this point.

A photo from the Oct. 31, 1988 Rampage newspaper shows the Rocky the Ram mascot.

The Rampage updated their nameplate to include a drawn picture of Rocky on Feb. 14, 1992 and kept him there the entire spring and fall semester, until Rocky had met his demise.

On the humor page of the Dec. 9, 1992 issue of The Rampage, a satirical article was published with the headline, “Rocky the Ram Found in Lurid Sex Pit.” The story included reference to a time when Rocky was caught, “attempting to sneak away from an orgy he was attending.”

Rocky was quoted and said that, “It’s not what it looks like,” and that, “We were doing homework.” But once these stories break they can do irreparable damage. The article stated that among the herd, 24 sheep could be Rocky’s offspring.

A Rampage headline from the humor page of the Dec. 9, 1992 paper reads “Rocky the Ram found in lurid sex pit.” It is a satirical article.

The campus was “clamoring for a new mascot,” according to the Dec. 9, 1992 Rampage issue.

They sadly didn’t have to look for long. While the campus was debating between a squid or sloth to replace Rocky, tragedy struck.  

“Rocky the Ram Run Over by Nut,” was the next headline. According to the satirical article, after a crazed driver ran him over and escaped, Rocky got hit and became unconscious only to die just 12 minutes later. 

“I did not see him coming at all…I had my horns pointed the other way,” were Rocky’s last words according to the Dec. 9, 1992 Rampage issue.

A Rampage headline from the humor page of the Dec. 9, 1992 paper reads “Rocky the Ram run over by nut.” It is a satirical article. Coincedentally, this was the last time Rocky the Ram was featured in The Rampage archives.

The Official Sam the Ram Mascot 

After Rocky’s passing, the Rampage didn’t cover any mascot related topics for awhile, but they did update their nameplate in 1993. The next mention of a mascot was for the beloved Sam the Ram that is known today.

Sam the Ram teamed up with the FCC football team to meet with chemotherapy patients at Valley Children’s Hospital according to the Nov. 4, 1999 Rampage issue.

In the spring of 2005, Sam the Ram purchased a student ID card which solidified his status as a FCC forever student associate, which is how he has gotten to where he is today.

A photo of Sam the Ram’s ID is featured on the Feb. 2, 2005 Rampage newspaper.

Sam the Ram still partakes in many school events like football games and vendor fairs. He even helped to distribute print editions of The Rampage this semester. 

Conclusion

Between multiple live animal Sam the Rams, Ramrod the Ram, Samson the forgotten ram, Rocky the Ram and the human mascot Sam the Ram, there are still many questions left unanswered.

What is Rocky’s connection to Sam? Are they related? Were they friends? Is Rocky the Ram Sam’s alter ego that he doesn’t want anyone to know about? Where did all the live rams go? Why does nobody care about Samson and Ramrod?

The lack of documentation following his growth and development have led to gaps in Sam’s history. But given the current Sam the Ram status on campus, it is unlikely he will be forgotten the way all the other rams have.