Nowadays, the lion that appears on each student’s athletic uniform, school merchandise, and across our campus is unmistakably the symbol of the Kent School, but few know the history of that lion.
Surprisingly, the lion has not always been Kent School’s official mascot. In fact, students originally cheered for the “Fighting Episcopalian,” and the school’s athletic identity rested on its iconic blue and gray before its adoption.
That changed in 1990, when the school decided to select an official mascot and held a vote, which was won by the lion. “I remember it was a really big deal when the athletic director arrived in 1990 and realized we didn’t have a mascot… and that it was so easily agreed upon that the lion would be it,” recalled Mrs. Armstrong, the Kent School archivist.
Although the lion became Kent School’s official mascot, the history dates back to 1926, when Father Still created the school emblem, which features a lion.
Over the past decades, the Kent lion has become no longer just a mascot for students. “The lion went from a symbol to the actual sports spirit of Kent School for the students,” said Mrs. Armstrong.
Though the lion began as a school emblem, it has a special place on today’s uniforms and among students’ hearts: it is a shared symbol that unites the school. It is in every cheer and every contest, from teachers to students, from the head of school to anyone who contributes to Kent. It’s a tradition that connects generations of Kent students.