| There are many odd traditions in college football | | | | 1925 joint alumni meeting in Chicago and |
| and the sort of things that make casual fans | | | | essentially stated that an "old oaken bucket" |
| scratch their heads in bewilderment are in many | | | | (oaken simply means made of oak wood) would |
| instances the exact same things that make | | | | be best because it was believed to be "the most |
| extremely zealous fanatical fans love their | | | | typical Hoosier form of trophy." In this specific |
| favorite past time even more. One of the more | | | | instance the word Hoosier was not referring |
| odd traditions in college football is that the annual | | | | specifically to the Indiana University Hoosiers but |
| in state rivalry football game between Indiana | | | | rather to all Indiana citizens who are collectively |
| University (located in Bloomington, IN) and Purdue | | | | known as Hoosiers. This would of course include |
| University (located in West Lafayette, IN) has for | | | | the Purdue students and alumni who also fell |
| decades been played for a rather unique trophy | | | | under the umbrella of Hoosiers. In fact the state |
| titled the Old Oaken Bucket. | | | | nickname of Indiana is the Hoosier State. |
| To understand the rationale behind the unique title | | | | The origin and inspiration for the phrase old oaken |
| of this head to head match up the historical origin | | | | bucket actually predates the 1925 joint alumni |
| of the term must first be understood. The | | | | meetings between Purdue and Indiana by about |
| traveling trophy known as the Old Oaken Bucket | | | | one hundred years. Dr. Jones and Mr. Gray chose |
| actually dates back to the 1920s and is one of | | | | the term old oaken bucket in part because it is |
| the oldest football trophies in existence. The | | | | the title of a now famous poem that poet |
| concept for the trophy that is now battled for by | | | | Samuel Woodworth wrote in 1817. Although |
| two Big Ten Conference rivals was first thought | | | | Woodworth was an American from the eastern |
| of in a 1925 alumni meeting in Chicago. Both | | | | seaboard (Massachusetts) and not Indiana the |
| Hoosiers and Boilermakers alumni gathered to | | | | eloquent words that he penned about the |
| discuss the options of how to best | | | | endearing memories he had for where he grew |
| commemorate the spirited rivalry between the | | | | up were sentiments many Indiana natives could |
| two schools which are only located less than 115 | | | | relate to. |
| miles apart. | | | | Amusingly, the first game in this epic series ended |
| The odd specific phrase oaken bucket is jointly | | | | in a 0-0 tie in 1925. Since then Purdue leads the |
| credited to both Dr. Clarence Jones (an Indiana | | | | Old Oaken Bucket series with a record of 56-23-3 |
| alum) and Russel Gray (a Purdue alum). The | | | | against the Indiana University (IU) Hoosiers. |
| language in the resolution passed at a subsequent | | | | |
