University of Wyoming
Donald V. Bogdan (1945-2014) was the University of Wyoming’s first Pistol Pete mascot. Born in Oakland, California, Bogdan studied at San Jose State University, where he was on the Spartan cheer squad with his roommate, George Henderson—later known as “Krazy George,” a professional cheerleader credited with creating “the Wave,” a popular stadium cheer in the 1980s and 1990s. Bogdan went on to earn a master’s degree in industrial arts education from the University of Wyoming. While attending UW, he became the first student to personify the Pistol Pete mascot in 1970, transforming it from a logo into a live-action figure that energized school spirit. For this initiative, he received the Admiral Emory S. Land Award, which recognized non-athletes who promoted athletics at the university. Bogdan also served on student committees and was elected to the ASUW Student Senate for the 1971–1972 term. After graduating in 1972, he returned to California to teach and later co-founded Krazy’s Restaurant and Bar in Santa Cruz in 1980 with George Henderson. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 69.
This collection contains biographical information about Donald Bogdan, a signed poster of Bogdan as Pistol Pete in 1971, and information about him from the book
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Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This material was received from Deborah Carter in April 2024.
The collection was processed by Brittany Heye in March 2025.
There are no known other archival collections created by Donald Bogdan at the date of processing.