Episode 82: 100 Years of Pistol Pete

2023 marks the Year of the Cowboy. This year celebrates the 100th anniversary of Frank Eaton, aka Pistol Pete, riding in OSU’s Armistice Day parade, a moment often cited as the beginning of the idea to make Pistol Pete the official OSU mascot. Since then, Pistol Pete has evolved with different traditions, different paper mâché heads, and different students portraying the mascot. Despite these changes over the last 100 years though, Pistol Pete has continued to be a symbol of honor and of OSU.

Today, we’re exploring memories of Pistol Pete from our various collections, from persoal experiences with Frank Eaton to what Pete means to people today. We’ll also talk with Caden Schaufele, one of the two students who wear the suit for the 2023-2024 school year.