A Short History: The Story of the Hank Tank!
By Quinn Martindale ’27, Staff Writer; Edited by Safiya Ahmed ’27, Staff Editor
Hank, the infamous face behind the Ridley College Tigers. “Where did this lovable character come from?” This thought has run through my mind since I first laid eyes on our school’s mascot on the front steps of Upper School. So, I decided to find out, with the help of our gracious librarian Mrs. Bright-Weber’s amazing sleuth skills. I will discuss Hank’s origins, and how he has evolved into the familiar face we see at our prep rallies, spirit nights and dances.
The first mascot for Ridley College was created in 1916 by Mr. W. H. Moore. This mascot was known as Yeldir, which is Ridley spelled backwards. Clearly, they loved a good pun back in the day. Yeldir continued to be the mascot until 1959 when, during a school event, the mascot costume was stolen, no doubt an act in overzealous school spirit. So, like a phoenix out of ashes, Hank the Tiger was born. Many variations of the Hank costume were developed which can be viewed in the new archives in the Iggy Learning Commons.
Once Hank the Tiger was in full swing, the school was setting its sights on the LBF school football championship. School spirit was at an all-time high with events like the Snake Dance and school games keeping the fervour of the time high. However, in 1963, student Alan Tyson '65 realized that Hank needed a means of transportation, hence, the Hank Tank was born. After coercing students to donate pocket change, he gathered a “Princely sum” of $100. After convincing his teacher Mrs. Clifford to drive him to a used car lot, he purchased the first version of the tank, a Nash Statesman. Once decorated in orange paint with black stripes, and given a new name, the Hank Tank, a new Ridley legend was born. It eventually became a tradition for the Hank Tank to be pulled out by students (because for some of its time, the engine didn’t work) onto all the fields at the school games, similar to the way it has been driven out to outdoor matches during the recent 2024 Fall sports season.
Over the years, several versions of the Hank costume and the Hank Tank came and went, but the real lesson is in the perseverance and ever-adapting Ridley College school spirit.
