Ivy was very much a part of the university scene when the editor of the school newspaper, The Mississippian, proposed a contest in April 1936 to produce a new nickname for the Ole Miss athletic teams. Ivy, an African-American, was the basis for Colonel Reb's design, the University of Mississippi has not provided an explanation for why they chose to represent Colonel Reb as Caucasian and not African-American, like Mr. Ivy was the inspiration for Colonel Reb's design. Ivy’s enthusiastic cheering, and won the game decisively.” From that point on, “Blind Jim” became a campus fixture at the University for the next sixty years and was regarded as one of the most passionate fans of its sports teams, known to proudly tell others that he had "never seen Ole Miss lose."Ĭoncrete evidence has not been found, however, to support the conclusion that Mr. At that point, “Ivy began cheering the home team on in his famous loud booming voice. During a baseball game between Ole Miss and the University of Texas, a student told Ivy that Mississippi was losing badly. Ivy, blinded as a teenager while working with tar on the Tallahatchie Bridge, originally made his way to Oxford in 1896 and became a peanut vendor. University of Mississippi historian David Sansing has noted that "Blind Jim may have been the model for Colonel Rebel," citing the late Frank Everett, Jr., a Mississippi historian and prominent alumnus (B.A. Still others maintain that the printing company that published the Ole Miss annual was responsible for the design. Another theory postulates that the student group responsible for publishing The Rebel humor magazine designed the Colonel, as this group–known as the "Rebel Club"–was founded in 1937 shortly after the University adopted the "Rebels" nickname and featured on the magazine's masthead an illustration of the Colonel was identical to the one found in the 1937 annual. One theory proposes that Billy Hix, the art editor for the 1936-1937 Ole Miss yearbook in which the Colonel first appeared, created the image as an illustration for the university's new athletics sobriquet. Several theories exist as to who originally designed Colonel Reb, a cartoonish, older-aged white male in Confederate garb who many said represented a plantation owner and perpetuated racist symbolism of the Old South. The average age of the athletes is 49, and there's one man who is even older than Kaur - 101-year-old Nihal Gill of Richmond, British Columbia.James "Blind Jim" Ivy (1872-1955), possible inspiration for Colonel Reb The Americas Masters Games in Vancouver is the first summer regional games in North America, Crooks said. The World Masters Games take place every four years, with regional games in between. "She's inspiring everyone, young and old." Hey, I've got almost 50 more years to go, right?" Crooks said. "She encourages them, old ladies, that they should run, they should not eat wrong foods, and they should encourage their children also to take part in the Games."Ĭharmaine Crooks, a five-time Olympian who won a silver medal for Canada in the women's 4x400-meter relay in 1984, serves as an athlete ambassador for the Masters Games. Singh said his mother believes in promoting running to other older women. While practicing in her home of Chandigarh, she goes out every evening to run five or 10 short distances, said Singh. Kaur has now won more than 20 medals in Masters Games across the globe. 'You have no problem, no knee problem, no heart problem, you should start running,'" he recalled. Singh, 78, who also is competing in the Games, said he encouraged his mother to start running at age 93 because he knew she could become a star. Earlier, she won gold medals in the javelin and shot put. Asked how she felt, she breathed heavily and clutched a bottle of water, unable to speak. "Winning makes her happy."Īfter Kaur finished the sprint in one minute and 21 seconds, she stood smiling with her hands raised in the air. "When she wins, she goes back to India, and she's excited to tell others, 'I have won so many medals from this country,' " said her son Gurdev Singh, 78, translating for his mother. Kaur's energy and drive to compete have become an inspiration to participants in the unique international event for athletes over 30.