The Office of Public
Relations
Media Kit
Fox Day
 Fox Day is a
long-standing and much-loved tradition at Rollins. One day each spring, the
President cancels all classes, providing students,
faculty, and staff with a
surprise day off. A statue of the Rollins fox appears on
the Mills lawn early in the morning, and the Chapel
bell rings to alert students, many of whom immediately head
for the beach. The three-foot-high, 300-pound statue,
with its knowing air, the hint of a smirk playing at its
lips, contemplates the campus all day, watching
students, faculty, and staff enjoy their brief respite.
The tradition of
Fox Day, like so much Rollins lore, is rich and
fascinating. In January 1934, Hamilton Holt, who served
as Rollins’ president from 1925 to 1949, acquired
statues of a fox and a cat from Senator Murray Sams.
These statues were permanently placed on the walkway of
Rec Hall—a
structure the pool has since replaced.
Inspired by the
two statues, Holt founded a "Cat Society" for women and
a "Fox Society" for men. According to the Rollins
Archives, these societies were exclusive groups made up
of four women and four men each. Members were elected by
an annual vote of the student body. The women elected
the foxes and the men elected the cats.
The privileged
members of the two societies were the only people permitted to touch the
statues. But occasionally, the fox and cat were taken
and hidden as practical jokes. Unfortunately, in 1949,
the cat statue was smashed beyond repair. To this day,
the crime remains unsolved.
On May 17, 1956,
President Hugh McKean (1951-1969) started Fox Day. The
grief-stricken, lonely fox was placed on the horseshoe,
and the day’s classes were canceled. After a brief
assembly, activities began at 5:30 a.m. with a treasure
hunt and ended with a square dance and an evening
picnic.
The students
enjoyed the tradition so well that in 1958 when
President McKean discarded it, they resurrected Fox Day
themselves. This initiated an agreement between the
students and Dr. McKean, who granted them freedom for
the day on the condition that they return in the evening
for a picnic and a choir performance in the Knowles
Chapel. When President Jack Critchfield (1969-1978) came
to Rollins, he discontinued the tradition due to the
turbulence of the period.
The savvy fox
found his way back to campus in 1979, during Thaddeus
Seymour's administration (1978-1990). Seymour said,
"When I was president of Wabash College in Indiana, we
had a similar day called 'Elmore Day.' It was very
natural to me, and I believe any sensible college should
have a day like this." So the popular Fox Day was
reinstated and continues today.
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Office of Public Relations
1000 Holt Avenue−2729,
Winter Park, FL 32789-4499
407.646.2202 (phone) ● 407.691.1188 (fax)
last updated on
November 19, 2004
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