Hammond Technical Vocational High School - Chart Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

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Mr. Ted Flack, the 1966 Industrial Coordinator, and Mr. R.M. Wilson, 1966 coach and health and safety instructor, talk with Mr. Hal Snyder (center), the “father” of the Tech Tiger and former track and assistant football coach, who had come for a visit. The following is reprinted from a 1966 issue of the Tech Times: COACH HAL SYNDER WAS ‘FATHER’ OF TECH TIGER by Jim Wojciehowski Did you ever wonder how Tech was given the name Tiger? Well, to find out, let’s go back to the year 1 925 when Tech was still on Russell Street. Mr. Hal Snyder, track and assistant football coach at the time, was writing sports stories for the Hammond Times. But Mr. Snyder had a problem; every time he wanted to say something about what Tech did, he had to use a pronoun such as they, them, or those boys. So, being the good coach that he was, Coach Snyder set out to find an appropriate nickname for Tech. This did not prove easy. Then one day in 1926, while looking through a sports magazine, he saw a tiger which was gold with brown stripes, and since Tech’s colors have always been Brown and Gold, Mr. Snyder thought this would be an appropriate symbol and nickname for Tech. To see what the students’ reactions would be, he asked his class and they enthusiastically gave their approval. Then he got the approval of Mr. Fred Bar- rows, the principal at the time, and of the superinten- dent of schools, Mr. Lee L. Caldwell. It was done! Tech finally had a nickname and the new Tech Tigers were proud of it! That Special Spirit A Tech Tradition For 63 Years — Has Been Called Tiger Spirit! Tech’s Story, One Might Say, Has Been The Tale Of The Tiger! Indeed, In 1982 — It Was The Tiger’s Last Tale.