Beginning in 1928 the "Mountaineer" was an honor bestowed upon a West Virginia University senior who had made the greatest contribution to the university and was considered a model student. This individual would dress in traditional Appalachian clothing and become a fixture cheering for the Mountaineers on home football Saturdays. In the late 1930's the mountaineer began to wear a buckskin costume similar to the outfit worn today by West Virginia University's student mascot.