From its very conception, the identity of Xavier High School as a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School in the heart of Connecticut has been synonymous with the school’s mascot: the soaring, black and white falcon. From flying acrossKohs Gymnasium floor, to the naming the school newspaper (a “kestrel” being a type of falcon), the falcon has infiltrated every aspect of the Xavier High School culture, and has become a symbol of the educational, spiritual, and physical excellence which this Catholic institution strives to cultivate within every student.
However, the history of the falcon and its significance in the Xavier community seems to have been hidden away in time, leading many current students to be completely unaware of its beginnings. Though many rumors have reached my ears throughout my four years on Randolph Road, I have never found a definitive conclusion regarding the origin on the mascot. However, having broken through the dust which covers them, I have attempted to unlock the secrets behind this longstanding symbol of Xaverian education which I present to you now.
The history of Xavier’s school colors seems to be quite simple on the surface, but proved to be more complex than I had initially believed. In short, the black and white school colors were chosen by Xavier’s first teacher and coach, Arthur M. Kohs. Mr. Kohs always appreciated the classy, elegant colors of Providence College, one of the most popular colleges for prospective Xavier grads. Providence being an institution of the Franciscan Friars, Kohs believed that the school’s model of well-rounded religious education would be a great model for the new-born Xavier in Middletown. Although this story highlights the incredible, everlasting impact that Artie Kohs had on our Xavier community, I personally believe that there is more to the colorway than meets the eye. Br. Robert Sullivan, the school’s founding principal, was colorblind. Because of this, he was unable to appreciate the beauty of the classic UNC blue, or the prestige of the University of Notre Dame’s navy and gold. Instead, he may have hoped to curse generations of Xavier students with a remarkably unremarkable colorway to which he was accustomed in his visual impairment. Though the whole truth may never be known, the timeless color combination has no frills, and gives off a very unemotional, sharp tone. The colors perfectly symbolize the Xaverian man, in line with the school’s strict Catholic mission of strong personal development, as well as the sharply dressed, intelligent, and businesslike students who roam its halls. They are simple, but they certainly capture the high standards of manhood that are reflected in the overarching Catholic school culture.
Like the school colors, the mascot was the creation of Mr. Artie Kohs, the school’s first athletic director and basketball coach, who is remembered in honor as one of the “founding fathers” of Xavier High School. The falcon struck Mr. Kohs’ interest due to its being the mascot of the US Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado. The Academy selected the falcon as its mascot for its expertise in air-to-air combat (similar to a fighter pilot), breathtaking flying speed, graceful flight, courage in defense of its nest, and keen eyesight. I suppose that it would not make much sense for the US Air Force Academy to choose a turtle as its mascot, but why is such a bird significant to Xavier? In searching for the answer to this question, I hoped to find a loophole in knowledge that could lead me to some conclusion whose backing tested the grounds of reality. However, upon speaking to Brother Ryan, I discovered that just like the black and white colorway, Artie Kohs had been very deliberate in his selection of the mascot. In terms of his inspiration for the choice, I could not find any better way to express Mr. Kohs’ rationale than the explanation graciously provided to me by Xavier’s very own Br. Ryan:
“Our mission statement states that Xavier fosters the spiritual, academic, and physical growth of its students and challenges them to use their God-given talents in service to others. Four years at Xavier should promote a student to be a fighter pilot, to meet all academic challenges successfully and not be defeated by them; graceful flight and courage with athletic competitions, be they on a field, a track, a court, a rink, or a pool; to have the keen eyesight to recognize others in need and to offer whatever assistance they can; and to have the regal bearing of a gentleman, a scholar, and a person of spiritual values, to win the combat between right and wrong. James Russell Lowell concludes his ‘A Falcon’s Poem’ with these lines: ‘Let fraud and wrong and baseness shiver, For still between them and the sky, The falcon Truth hangs poised forever and marks them with his vengeful eye.’ If to Lowell the falcon is the symbol of Truth, may all Xavier men let the falcon be their guide.”
In my search for the answers as to why the black and white falcon has become a hallmark of the mission of the Xaverian Brothers, I was admittedly disappointed by the lack of mystery surrounding its origin. However, I was equally taken aback by the incredible impact which Artie Kohs had on the formation of Xavier’s distinct school culture, an impact which will continue to reach subsequent generations of Xavier students for years to come. Xavier is an institution which was founded on the backs of several men and women who devoted their lives to its Catholic mission, so that future students could experience the fine spiritual, intellectual, and physical benefits of a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School education. Artie Kohs was one of these individuals, and our school would not be the same without the life of service he devoted to its foundation and growth. May he rest in peace, as his powerful impact lives on eternally within the halls of Xavier High School.