Alumni & Foundation

Everyone knows Bucky, our buck-toothed, tail-wagging, dam-building mascot. But did you know he’s not the first beloved beaver to ever roam campus?

Bill-der Beaver made his spectacular debut in 1950 through the efforts of a Bemidji State Teachers College student. Bernice (Coffin) Walter created the comic strip character and detailed the exploits of Bemidji’s beaver friend, from his violin lessons to his graduation and more. “He did everything a student might be expected to do, and a little more,” the Northern Student newspaper once described.

Mr. der Beaver’s antics circulated around campus through Walter’s illustrations, but Bill’s biggest contribution to BSTC came in the form of his recruitment pitch.

The Bemidji State Teachers College Bulletin, a publication produced four times a year back then, heralded a special story in August 1950: “The Tale of Bill-Der Beaver.”