Hey Reb!, Bronze mascot statue at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States
Hey Reb! was a bronze sculpture of the UNLV mascot, depicting an 1800s Western pathfinder in a wide-brimmed hat and a UNLV jersey bearing the number 57, marking the university's 1957 founding. It stood outside the Tam Alumni Center from 2007 until its removal on June 16, 2020.
The statue was installed in 2007 at the Tam Alumni Center as the university's mascot representation. It was removed in 2020 during nationwide protests and permanently retired in 2021.
Hey Reb! wore a UNLV jersey bearing the number 57, a reference to the university's founding in 1957. The costumed mascot appeared live at all UNLV athletic events, and in 2004 he was named one of 12 All-American Mascots, finishing second in the online voting of the Capital One Mascot Challenge. He also appeared in two national ESPN SportsCenter commercials.
The bronze figure stood outdoors in front of the Tam Alumni Center on the UNLV campus in Paradise, Nevada, where it had been placed in 2007. It was removed on June 16, 2020, and returned to the donors, so visitors can no longer see it there.
The university attempted to distance the figure from Confederate symbolism by depicting a settler rather than a soldier. Yet this artistic choice could not prevent growing concerns about its representation.
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