Webster’s Mascot: From Sketch to Student Tradition

By now, most everyone at Webster has spied a huge yellow furry animal either walking around campus, at a sporting event or on the university’s social media pages – a creature with the paws of a cheetah, horns of a buffalo and the face of a St. Bernard.

This mystical creature, called the “Gorlok,” came out of a 1984 drawing contest run in the Webster Journal. Eventually adopted as the school mascot, the Gorlok “embodies the highest standards of speed, agility and stamina in an atmosphere of fairness and good conduct,” according to the university’s history pages.

The origin of the Gorlok name comes from a combination of Gore and Lockwood avenues, a highly visible intersection in downtown Webster Groves.

“The mascot has remained our mascot because it incorporates the community and is the only Gorlok in the entire world,” said Al Sampson, head softball coach at Webster University. “The mascot leaves an impression because of how unique it is.”

The Gorlok has become a presence at athletic events at home and away, but its first ever appearance was for a men’s basketball game in 1988. Since then, the Gorlok has been a fixture at games, contributing to the overall competitive spirit found in student athletes, as well as the spectators cheering for them.

“The athletic Gorlok symbolizes a mean and determined mascot,” Sampson said. “When you look at the original mascot, it gives more of a happy and school spirit.”

The Gorlok has attracted attention beyond campus. In 1999, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Gorlok in the top 10 “weirdest” mascots in the country.

“Before attending Webster I had no idea what a Gorlok was. I thought it was a very interesting creature. I thought it was some type of dog,” said senior Olivia Hartupee, adding, “I believe the Gorlok emphasizes the creativity of the Webster students.”

As to who may be walking around inside that Gorlok costume, one never knows. There is no one person designated as the Gorlok. Instead, students and staff are enlisted to do it.

“Departments rely on a rotating roster of staff and student volunteers,” said Patrick Giblin, the university’s senior director of Public Relations, noting that the campus maintains at least two mascot costumes “managed independently by different departments for distinct university events” and adds volunteers for this school year are still being confirmed.

Who would have known that a newspaper drawing contest more than 40 years ago could impact a school’s identity and its ability to establish connections among current and former students generations later? Beyond its status as the school mascot, the Gorlok has served as a way for the university’s extended family to connect – and in some cases, reconnect – with their Webster roots.