FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) – A new addition to the Fresno State campus was unveiled on Wednesday. A bronze statue of the retired mascot Victor E. Bulldog the Third is now on campus.
Sculptor and local artist Jean Carter says she began to work on the piece in 2022.
“It’s amazing to me. I’m just so grateful., so grateful,” Carter said. She added that visits with the real “Victor E” helped her make the statue, designed to be a permanent show of bulldog loyalty and pride.
Foundryman and Fresno State Alumnus Lester Harries, who earned his art degree from Fresno State, was also a part of the statue plan coming together.
The Fresno State Alumni Association says this unveiling honors the 100-year history of live mascots and their contributions to uplifting campus culture. Additionally, the unveiling was a part of their 2023 homecoming week festivities.
“It’s going to give our students a permanent marker for our mascot tradition, a 100-year tradition of mascots on campus,” said Peter Robertson with the Fresno State Alumni Association.
“It represents an openness about who we are, but more than anything it represents loyalty to the Valley and what we do for the Valley each and every day,” said Fresno State President Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval.
College officials say that the bronze Victor E. Bulldog III statue was funded by private donations.
You can find the Victor E. Bulldog the third statue located on Fresno State’s campus located near the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union.
