Pistol Pete takes time out from his many duties to strike a pose. In 2007, New Mexico State University started to offer a $1,250 scholarship to those who played the part of Pete. Previously, the role of the mascot was carried out as a volunteer service.

Darren Phillips

At a 2007 volleyball game, DJ Downs (right), who is one of two people to currently play Pistol Pete, got to meet the man who originally donned the costume, Brad Harlan. Downs says it was great to meet the original Pete, swap stories and compare what it was like to play the mascot in 1973 and now. Downs, who plans to graduate in May 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, and a minor in marketing, says he enjoys mingling with crowds at events, from the young children to alumni, and gauging their different reactions to him and his costume. “It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “It’s a big honor.”

Melanie Brooks

The large head used as part of the Pistol Pete costume starting in the late 1980s was made of fiberglass and weighed 25 pounds. Franz Conway, who first wore the costume in 1988, said the costume was quite hot and he could easily lose between five and 15 pounds of water each time he wore it, depending on the event.

Darren Phillips

Who could have guessed missing tryouts for the cheerleading squad would lead to the opportunity to play the school mascot and give birth to a tradition that continues to this day?

Brad Harlan ’76, who taught himself to do front handsprings out in the middle of the desert in preparation for the tryouts, says Barbara “Ma” Hubbard, the director of student events, took pity on him, and offered him a spot on the squad as the school mascot.

With money scraped together by Hubbard, Harlan went on a mission to put together a costume. A trip to a local western clothing store resulted in a crimson shirt and jeans, white chaps and a white vest. The fake mustache proved a more challenging task.

“I made it myself, but it was too big to stay on with tape, so I wired it to my teeth!” says Harlan, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and now works in the field of television and visual marketing.

Using a donated pistol and off-white hat, and making a crimson felt cutout of an “A” for the vest, Pistol Pete made his first public appearance in 1973 at New Mexico State University’s home football game against Utah State.

NMSU lost the game to Utah State, 40-12, but the living mascot was cemented as a permanent fixture at university and community events.

“I loved it,” Harlan says of playing Pete. “For the first time, our university had a living, breathing mascot, not just a picture on a sweatshirt.”

The pistol-toting cowboy is not a fictitious character but the immortal representation of Francis “Frank” Boardman Eaton. Born in Hartford, Conn., in 1860, Eaton is well known for avenging his father’s death, whose murder he witnessed at the age of 8. Eaton, who earned his nickname for his quick draw, fulfilled that vow in 1881 in Albuquerque. Eaton went on to become a cavalry scout and lawman.

In 1923, Eaton agreed to have his image used as a college emblem and NMSU adopted Eaton’s image as Pistol Pete for its mascot in the 1960s.

Now, Pete takes Aggie spirit to all athletic events, and has also made appearances at community functions, birthday parties and even weddings. His costume has evolved from simple cowboy attire to a larger-than-life head-to-toe costume, then back to a look reminiscent of the original Pete. Through it all, Pistol Pete has brought a sense of pride and enthusiasm to the university and community.

Franz Conway ’90, who was the first Pistol Pete to don the costume that included a large fiberglass head, says when he first started to play the part of Pete in August 1988, he found children were taken aback by the huge head he wore and his seven-foot, six-inch costumed frame, which towered over them. Conway, who graduated with a degree in industrial engineering and now works as the Army ROTC professor of military science at New Mexico Military Institute, was already six-feet, seven inches tall without the costume.

“But, after about two months of going into the stands and giving high fives and interacting with the kids, they started to come to me and say, ‘Hey Pete, how are you doing? Show me your pistol, but don’t shoot me!’” Conway says. “They started to accept the costume and the character. It was great to be around them.”

The costumes may have changed, as well as the students who have played the part, but one thing has remained constant through the years – Pete brings character and heart to any event he attends. And, Pete’s fans are sure to return that love and support during the men’s basketball season this year.

At a Western Athletic Conference tournament game last year against Utah State, Pete got into a scuffle with Utah’s Big Blue mascot, resulting in a one-game suspension for both mascots. Pete may not be able to rally at the first men’s home conference game, but the visiting team may see a sea of Pistol Pete faces looking back at them from the stands - loyal fans showing that a little Pete is in every Aggie. Details on the plans for the game will be available in the fall.