Archives West Finding Aid

The collection consists of two different plaster molds, created in 1994, one for each of two “crouching cougar” statues, and two 18 inch tall patinaed bronze statues created from those molds in 1996. Additionally, the collection includes a 34 page bound “Crouching Cougars” monograph, written by Robert and Ruth Gibb, detailing the histories of the original cougars, the new ones created in the 1990s, and the molds and models in this collection. Also included are a dedication ceremony brochure from the Sept. 21, 1996 dedication of the Beasley Coliseum cougars, and a 2018 brochure from Robert Gibb's memorial service.

The original “crouching cougar” statues were created by sculptor Avard T. Fairbanks for Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo in about 1940. When a cast of a different “leaping cougar” statue was given to Mr. Gibb by Avard’s son Eugene, in about 1990, Gibb's interest in the crouching cougar statues was piqued. While the leaping cougar molds, slightly modified, were used to create a statue for WSU’s Lewis Alumni Centre (placed in May 1994), and then similar statues in downtown Pullman and on WSU’s non-Pullman campuses, Gibb had new molds created from the Salt Lake City crouching cougars in 1994. Bronze cougars were created from those, mounted on pedestals, and installed outside WSUs Beasley Coliseum in 1995