THEN & NOW: 10 TECH TRADITIONS

A photographic look at how Tech’s storied traditions have survived generations of
Yellow Jacket students and still thrive on campus today.

Spring 2017 | by Melissa Fralick

Yellow Jackets have always been brilliant, determined and mischievous—traits that have led to the development of quirky, yet beloved, traditions that are passed down from generation to generation of students and alumni. Even as Tech’s student body grows and changes over time, these cherished traditions remain fundamentally the same, with some natural evolution, of course. We’ve collected photos of some of these time-honored activities to remember how they were celebrated decades ago, and to see how they continue to live on proudly today.

THE FRESHMAN CAKE RACE

The first cake race was held in 1911, but didn’t earn its name until 1913, when the wives of faculty members, mothers of students and Tech sweethearts baked cakes to give to the winners. The cake race was officially incorporated into Homecoming festivities in and became mandatory for freshmen in 1935. After women started attending Tech in 1953, they were exempt from the cake race, but ran a 100-yard dash instead. And beginning in 1954, the winner of the race earned a kiss from the Homecoming queen in addition to a cake. Today, the race is co-ed. All freshmen are encouraged to run and receive a cupcake at the end of the race. The victors still win cakes, and a kiss from Mr. or Ms. Georgia Tech.

THE MINI 500

The Mini 500 tricycle race has taken place on the Friday before the Homecoming game every year since 1969. The race involves teams of students riding child-size tricycles as fast as they can around Peters Parking Deck. This amusing event has become one of Georgia Tech’s most unique Homecoming traditions (even inspiring a Georgia Tech TV commercial). Each team is composed of seven members: four drivers and three on the pit crew. According to the rules, each team must rotate the front tire of their tricycle three times throughout the course of the race: 15 laps around the parking deck for men and 10 for women. Engineering skills are often put to the test to reinforce tricycles for a successful finish.

THE RAMBLIN' WRECK PARADE

The Ramblin’ Wreck Parade began in 1932 as a substitute for a short-lived road race to Athens, which was deemed too dangerous by faculty. Today, the parade features cars in three categories: classic cars, themed cars and contraptions—man-powered vehicles built by students and judged for their creativity and effective operation. The parade has been held before every Homecoming football game, with the exception of 1942 and 1943, when there were gas shortages during WWII.

THE PI MILE RACE

The first 3-mile George C. Griffin Race was held in 1973, named in honor of Tech’s long-time dean of students and track and cross country coach.  It’s one of the longest continually run races in Atlanta, founded before road-running became popular in the U.S. and just three years after the Peachtree Road Race. In 1976, the race was extended from three miles to 3.14 or “pi” miles, but eventually moved to a traditional 5K distance to attract competitors from around the world. Runners can compete in several categories, including men, women and teams. There’s even a popular “ghost” category where you can register as George P. Burdell to receive a race T-shirt without having to run. Today, the race is sponsored by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association and part of it is run along the Tyler Brown Pi Mile Trail, a campus running course named after the former Student Government Association president who had long championed for a well-lit and safe running trail. Brown was killed in action in Iraq in 2004.

TO HELL WITH GEORGIA! (AKA 'THE GOOD WORD')

One of the first things Georgia Tech students are indoctrinated to is the Institute’s long-standing and bitter rivalry, also known as “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” with the University of Georgia. There’s been bad blood since the late 19th century, when the first football game between the two schools led to violence and allegations of cheating. Things got so heated following the 1919 football game that all athletic events between the two schools were suspended for five years. Though relations have become more civil over the years, the annual November football game is still hotly anticipated. The days leading up to the game are known as “Hate Week.” The Technique publishes parody articles about UGA and a full page “To Hell with Georgia” poster, and the color red is all but forbidden on campus. All Yellow Jackets know when asked “What’s The Good Word?” to reply with “To Hell with Georgia!”

DROWNPROOFING

A unique legacy of Georgia Tech is the method of water survival known as “drownproofing.” In 1938, Georgia Tech’s swimming and diving coach Freddy Lanoue created drownproofing as a way to survive in the water with one’s hands and feet bound. The method was adopted by other schools and the military during WWII, and was even featured in Life magazine in the 1950s.  Drownproofing became mandatory for all students at Tech, and was required for graduation between 1940 and 1986. James Herbert “Herb” McAuley, EE 47, took over as swimming and diving coach after Lanoue, and continued to teach the infamous drownproofing class until it was discontinued. McAuley devoted four decades to Tech swimmers and divers, and his legacy lives on at Georgia Tech’s aquatic center, which was named in his honor in 2015. 

A PENNY FOR SIDEWAYS

In 1945, a little white terrier with black patches found her way to the campus of Georgia Tech. She was dubbed “Sideways” because she had an odd gate, believed to be the result of falling from or being hit by a car. Sideways soon became a campus mascot of sorts, making friends with students and earning invitations into dorms, classrooms and other campus facilities. She even marched with the drill team and led the football team onto the field. Sideways died mysteriously just two years later in 1947, and the student body raised money to buy a marble monument with a picture of their friend. Today, the monument, inscribed with the words “Ever faithful and true companion of the student body at Ga. Tech,” is still on the northwest side of Tech Tower. It is said that placing a penny at her grave will bring good luck.

HOMECOMING CELEBRATION

The Institute’s first Homecoming was held on June 7, 1920. It was sponsored by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association as a celebration of the group’s reorganization after several inactive years. Activities included a barbecue on Grant Field and a baseball game between students and alumni. Today, Homecoming and Reunion Weekend brings alumni from all over the world back to Tech to reconnect with old friends. It’s a festive time to be on campus, and students work diligently to create brightly painted banners and large tissue paper decorations to adorn buildings for the annual celebration.

RAT CAPS

Since 1915, the undersized yellow hats known as RAT Caps have been a definitive part of the Georgia Tech freshman experience. All first year students receive a RAT Cap—short for Recruit at Tech—and are instructed to fill it out with their name, major, hometown, graduation date and the word “RAT” in all capital letters. The back panel is reserved for the phrase “To HELL with Georgia,” and the remaining real estate is reserved for recording the Yellow Jackets’ football scores. Freshman were originally required to wear their RAT caps at all times, lest they  be subjected to all manner of hazing from upperclassmen. Though these “RAT Rules” are no longer enforced, the caps remain an important keepsake for Tech students.

THE RAMBLIN' WRECK

Tigers, bears and other ferocious beasts are a dime a dozen when it comes to college mascots. But an antique car? Now that’s the kind of mascot you could only find at Georgia Tech. Though the Institute’s athletic teams are known as the Yellow Jackets, the life-size insect named Buzz didn’t step onto the scene until 1981. For more than 100 years, the students at Georgia Tech have been referred to as Ramblin’ Wrecks. So it’s only fitting that a refurbished car would serve as a symbol for the clever, enterprising student body. In 1960, Dean Jim Dull saw a beautiful Ford Model A coupe parked in front of Towers Dormitory and knew it would be the perfect car to serve as a mascot for Georgia Tech. He located the owner, an Atlanta pilot named Ted Johnson, who had painstakingly restored the car with his son. He didn’t want to sell the car, but Dull persisted and Johnson eventually donated the classic car as a gift to the Institute. Today, the automobile is cared for and driven by the students in the Ramblin’ Reck Club and leads the football team onto the field before every home game.