The Colorado School of Mines Senior Stetson is one of the School's oldest traditions. It represents the expression of pride in tradition and pride in profession. It always has been a handsome, lightweight, distinctive hat, considerably different from a common "cowboy" hat. The unique block and narrow brim identified the wearer as a student in, or as an alumnus from, "The World's Foremost School of Mineral Engineering." How did this unique symbol originate? Many alumni who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in the 1950s and the early 1960s remember the simple explanation of why the only group of students at Mines allowed to wear a Stetson were seniors. As the story goes, mining engineers during the gold and silver booms of the American West sported silver-belly Stetsons as a unique symbol of their proud profession. Only when a young man entered that profession could he adopt the Stetson as a "badge" of distinction identifying him as such. Newly graduated (inexperienced) mining engineers from Mines and other colleges were easily identified by their brand-new Stetsons, which were clean and showed no sign of wear. The dark stain around the brim was common among engineers who would "work up a sweat" walking in, climbing up and descending down the various underground and surface workings in the mines, surface placers and pits common throughout the United States. Somebody at CSM must have come to the realization that the clean-hat disadvantage in competing with more "senior" engineers at the camps could be solved by "bending the custom" to allow the senior class to purchase and wear their Stetsons at the start of their final year at Mines. That way, after 12 months of wear, each hat was "seasoned" for the start of a professional career. As part of the 1995 Centennial Celebration of the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association, it was decided to document the history of the Stetson tradition at Mines, especially in light of this colorful explanation. Neither alumni, nor the historic archives of the Arthur Lakes Library, could, however, verify the above story. Yet, during the research, it became obvious that a rich heritage associated with the wearing of the Senior Stetson does exist at CSM. In 1865, John Batterson Stetson, founder of the John B. Stetson Company, began making his famous hats in Philadelphia with a capital investment of only $100. He sold his first hats, which were copies of others popular at the time, for two dollars each. When he began shaping hats of his own design, with its unique silhouette, the hats were rejected by dealers who followed hat fashions introduced from Europe. Stetson then began making a hat of his own design from finer, softer felt, with the result that the hat weighed half as much as most felt hats of the day. The hat became an instant success. Stetson then began making another hat of his own design for those who were helping to open the vast Western empire. He called it "The Boss of the Plains," a name that Stetson felt, "had swagger and suggested command, a picturesque name for a picturesque hat for a picturesque way of life." He and his hat became famous. Nobody knows exactly when Mines students either began wearing Stetsons or when only Mines seniors were "allowed" to wear Stetsons. One silverbelly Stetson is on display in the offices of the CSM Alumni Association. It is dated 1900 and is signed by graduates of that class. The hat is in remarkably good condition. According to a publication called "Tailings," a compilation of anecdotes, cartoons and stories assembled by Blue Key several years ago, the story is as follows: The Stetson has been a part of the Mines campus longer than anyone can remember. It certainly was an established tradition at the turn of the century. According to an alumnus from the class of 1901, hard rock miners wore the Stetson underground before hard hats became available. The beaver Stetson repelled water well, kept the miner's head warm, and the brim prevented water from running down their necks. The low trapezoidal block allowed miners to walk erect under the timbers of the mine. The traditional block of the Mines Stetson continued from the introduction of the hard hat because of both pride and purpose. Supervisors out in the field needed something to help identify them from a distance: "You lookin' for the engineer? He's the one over there in the funny hat." Felt hats worn on campus were mentioned in the early 1900s: Every school and college has certain customs more or less peculiar to itself. The School of Mines is not lacking in this line. One of the first things a newcomer notices is the characteristic costume of the students. Mortarboards and academic robes are distinctly out of place. The correct things are corduroys, hob-nailed shoes, flannel shirts and felt hats (or no hats at all). A red necktie is deemed very effective by some. - Overview of Miners' Ways, Miners' Handbook, Vol. IV, 1904-05 From 1900 until the late 1920s, it seems that the tradition was firmly in place. According to the Mines student handbooks (1926-27, 1942-43), "the senior class have the privilege of wearing the Stetson hat, which is a symbol of the engineering profession." Indeed, engineers were often pictured in what appears to be Stetsons in various journals. The hat appears to be blocked in the style of the time, which resembles the four-dent, center-peaked style of a marine drill instructor's felt hat. The same style appears on the cover of The Colorado School of Mines Magazine in January 1929. In that cartoon illustration, a child representing the New Year is pictured operating a transit in only a Stetson. By the mid-50s that tradition was explained by Dean Emeritus Jesse R. Morgan in his book, A World School - Colorado School of Mines: According to Morgan, wearing of the Stetson was a three-year ambition of every student, and not accomplished until senior status had been officially declared by the registrar's office. This tradition (was) one of the oldest on the Mines campus," Morgan wrote. "Briefly, its history began when the early engineers, while working in the field, were accustomed to wear Stetsons which designated them as engineers. Then in 1921 the Mines Band adopted the Stetson but later changed to the miner's hat. Then the Stetson began to be worn on the campus without any special significance whatever. The student body, in order to acquire a uniformed look, chose the Stetson as a symbol, indicating eligibility for graduation." The tradition continued into the late 1970s. Recalling the Stetson tradition, William V Burger, emeritus dean of students, wrote a brief statement for the 1976 Student Handbook. "Over the years there have been a number of traditions at Mines," Burger wrote. "Some were short lived but others remain as meaningful and significant as ever. Traditions can and do help to give every Mines student a sense of belonging to a very special educational institution. One tradition has been unique at Mines is the Senior Stetson hat. It is a mark of distinction and one which nearly every Mines student hopes to merit by the time he or she is a senior." Customer representatives of the present day Hat Brands Incorporated, which bought out the John B. Stetson hat company, could not confirm the story. As a matter of fact, little historic information is available from the company. It is commonly accepted that the only senior hat was made by Stetson. After trying on a Stetson, most seniors refused to wear anything less comfortable. (The author felt that wearing a box in which a Stetson came was more comfortable than wearing a non-Stetson hat.) Pride in the hat was evident during the 1960s when the new seniors made the journey to Cottrell's, "The Man's Store," at 16th and Welton in Denver. This could be considered a pilgrimage in search of the prestige resulting from their own self-crowning. Each hat was advertised, "Permanently hand-creased and blocked by Cottrell's expert hatters. A complete size range was 6-1/2 to 8 in regular, long and wide ovals." Although hats were available from other stores, Cottrell's seemed to attract the largest percentage of students with their ad of "Senior Hats" by John B. Stetson. "The Senior" Open Road was the most popular with its narrow brim that differentiated the wearer in his profession with that of being a "cowboy" and wearing a "cowboy" hat. Cottrell's loyal following was evident through excellent customer service developed over many years. The store maintained an open invitation to all seniors to have their Stetsons cleaned at no charge. Cottrell's further enhanced customer relations by inviting all Stetson wearing seniors to have "The Senior, Colorado School of Mines" stamped in the lining of their hats, also at no charge. It was no surprise that many graduates returned year after year purchase new Stetsons. The hats most common at the time often were wide-brimmed and often had expensive feathers around the brim. The Mines tradition was unfazed by the craze, which soon passed into history. A concerned Alumni Association sought to maintain the tradition by giving senior class officers their own Stetsons. The custom began to fade away when special requests came to the Alumni Association for colored Stetsons and non-traditional styles. The purchases passed into history. A few seniors in the class of 1991 were seen to be wearing Open Road Stetsons either purchased or presented as graduation gifts. One Senior Stetson was left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in tribute to Ron Layton '66, the only CSM graduate known to have died in the Vietnam conflict. The Stetson was autographed by all those present at the 25th reunion of the Class of 1966 in 1991, and on the underside of the Stetson brim was later written , "To Ron Layton. The Colorado School of Mines will never forget your sacrifice. You're a helluva engineer - The Class of 1966. May 10, 1991." More than a year later, on the evening of October 8, 1992, the Stetson was left below Panel 27W of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. By leaving the Stetson, the Class of 1966 ensured that their classmate would never be forgotten for his effort. The Stetson is believed to have been placed among more than 80,000 medals, POW/MIA bracelets, boots, dog tags, photographs, toys, never-to-be-opened letters, and other artifacts and mementos that have been permanently archived by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The tradition continues today at Mines, albeit in a somewhat reduced and different style. The Class of 1995 was encouraged in one edition of the Oredigger, "Don't forget to get your Senior Stetsons. You can order one in the student activities office. Both the Clinton and Tanya Fe are available. The Clinton, typically the guy's hat, comes in black and silverbelly and is $55. The Tanya Fe is available for $50. Ask at Steve's Corner or a Miller Stockman outlet for the styles and sizes." Few Stetsons are seen on the Mines campus during the academic year. Like some of the other traditions, the Senior Stetson may have diminished in popularity. Yet, the memories of alumni who are associated with their own Stetsons will last forever. by Dan Witkowsky '66 Mines Magazine Volume 85, Number 5 September/October 1998