Bear Down Wildcats

John “Button” Salmon
Arizona’s Bear Down Tradition: Myth or Authentic?

Who was that Wildcat student named John Salmon? To be accurate, his parents named him John Byrd Salmon. His friends called him Button. In time, thousands knew him as the spirit behind the battle cry of Arizona’s Bear Down. What follows is an objective, abbreviated look at his life, and what he came to represent.

John was born 22 October 1903 in Christoval, Texas. He died 18 October 1926 in the early morning. His body was placed in the (location deleted) cemetery on the twentieth of October. He died of “myelitis” or infection of the soft tissues which may have included the lungs, spinal cord and brain. Contributory cause: traumatic contusion of the spinal cord.

That’s a grim beginning for this story, but it’s necessary to understand the circumstances that faced John in his last hours.

The AFO, Arizona Football Online, a sports forum, stated this--(in December 1998): The University of Arizona's most memorable athletic tradition is the slogan Bear Down, given to the Wildcat athletics by John "Button" Salmon, student body president and varsity athlete, shortly before he died in 1926 following an auto accident. Button Salmon's last message to his teammates, spoken to J. F. "Pop" McKale, coach and athletic director, was, "Tell them... tell the team to bear down."

A memorial to Salmon was erected in 1986 and is the centerpiece of Bear Down Plaza outside the southwest corner of McKale Center. Students painted the slogan on the roof of University Gymnasium shortly after Salmon's death and it has since been known as Bear Down Gym. UA's fight song, "Fight Wild Cats Fight," known widely as “Bear Down Arizona”, was written by former UA marching band director Jack Lee in the late 1950’s on a plane trip after interviewing in Tucson for the UA job. He got the job and the song is a part of every major UA sports event.

(John Salmon was replaced by Robert Wilkerson as Student Body President according to personnel in the University of Arizona’s administration office.)

This sounds heroic indeed, but some errors may exist in this legend. First, McKale was not the athletic director when John died in 1926. He was the varsity coach only. He became the athletic director after the 1926 football season, and it probably was not by his choice. In the early 1960’s when students participated in freshman orientation, the freshmen assembled in the auditorium and were told this account of John Button Salmon, as best as I can remember:

John Salmon was the student body president and backup quarterback for the varsity football team. On a trip to a football game, an automobile accident injured him severely. Friends rushed him to a hospital, and on his death bed, he told Coach McKale, “Tell them, tell the team to bear down.” McKale gave a spirited pre-game talk to his team, and they won their game against ASU. It’s not known if McKale actually talked to John Salmon before he died, but the University has honored Salmon for what he represented.

One important difference in AFO’s rendition of the story is their dropping the words “death bed.” Being on a death bed imparts visions of impending death with little time remaining for good wishes to anyone while fighting for life. That is the time for last confessions. The University’s Sports Information Office responded to the questions presented above with this:

“No one, I think, actually believes that Pop McKale heard any such thing from John Salmon. But evidently there is some knowledge that McKale told the team about Salmon's courage, and his dedication to various pursuits, and offered some measure of salve for the team. After all, these were no doubt grieving young men. When coaches speak to their teams prior to games to this day, there frequently is emotion of all kinds. Having witnessed a bunch of those, I know in my mind that Pop McKale offered his players something to grasp for,-and the story has not changed much if at all. McKale, you might know, is the one who in collaboration with the New Mexico athletics director, created the "Kit Carson Rifle" story which accompanied the Springfield gun given to the winner of the UA-UNM football game each year. The rifle's exchange was retired last year when several campus groups complained of its insensitivity to Native Americans, -that Carson had used it to make war against them. There is little evidence the rifle was anything other than a carbine taken from the ROTC stores on campus. Happy holidays to you.” (That person’s name shall remain undisclosed here.)

The above revelation does support the notion that McKale deserved an Oscar for best actor or director. That rings keener to our sensibilities. McKale was a master at motivation who pushed his skill to the limit. But let’s return to hard facts. The legend contains many inconsistencies.

Did John Salmon play in a game that year or not? Was McKale the Athletic Director or not? Did Button send his team the “Bear Down” message before the Phoenix College game or the Arizona State game, or the New Mexico State game? Did McKale create other sports stories to motivate his teams? Reviewing the Tucson Citizen newspaper published in 1926 reveals interesting insights. Some articles are reproduced in part below. But first, look at the games and scores of the varsity team in 1926 provided by e-mail from (sender’s name undisclosed here.):

Here is the information you requested on dates/sites/scores of the University of Arizona's 1926 football games:
Oct. 2; vs. Freshmen, practice game Tucson
Oct. 9; 54-0 vs. Phoenix Junior College Tucson
Oct. 16; 35-0 vs. Arizona State TucsonOct. 23; 7-0 vs. New Mexico State Las Cruces

Oct. 30; 16-6 vs. Whittier, California Tucson, Homecoming
Nov. 6; 21-0 vs. New Mexico Tucson
Nov. 13; 7-9 vs. Occidental, California Los Angeles
Nov. 25; 3-3 vs. Colorado State Tucson, Thanksgiving game

“Clearly, "Button" Salmon was in an automobile accident on Sunday, Oct. 3 while returning from a trip to Phoenix. He died on Oct. 18. Thus he did not play in any of the games of the 1926 season. It was his deathbed message to the head coach, J. F. "Pop" McKale, telling the team to "Bear Down," and relayed to the team prior to their next game at New Mexico State that became immortalized as one of the UA's greatest traditions. If you need any further assistance...” (Name undisclosed here.)

As we will learn from newspaper accounts, John did in fact play in one game in 1926. Also, Salmon died well before the New Mexico State game. He actually died two days after the Arizona State game. It was before the Arizona State game that the famous words, Bear Down, were repeated, or created, by McKale.

Is the ledged of John Byrd Salmon merely a ledged? He was in every way a young man preparing for life. Marriage was on his mind as evidenced by this application and license found by the Arizona State Genealogical Society:

“The marriage license was found in Arizona Marriages, Pima County, Marriage Books 5-10, Feb. 1912 through Dec 1926 abstracted by Floyd R. Negley (an ASGS member) in 1997. The entry, on page 286, reads: SALMON, John B. 21 to (Name deleted here.) age 21, 27 Oct 1923; # 9151; license canceled by Salmon. Floyd says in his introduction that his extraction included all information found in the Marriage License book, the 9151 is the number of the entry. Since the marriage was not performed, there would be no certificate...” (John planned, but did not, become married.)

Button? Why Button as a nick name? A genealogist in Tucson explained that in the 1920’s a common phrase used by mothers and others was “cute as a button.” That nickname, Button, may have stuck to John as he grew older. Photographs of Button do show he was boyishly cute, short, and probably weighed no more than 155 pounds.

People weren’t as concerned about certain nicknames then as they are now. As an example, the freshman football team in 1926 had the nickname “Wild Kittens” and took no offense to it whatsoever. Those are fighting words today to Arizona fans. Now, let’s view a few articles from newspapers, typed as found.

The Tucson Citizen, 17 October 1926, story by Don, Wildcat Football:
The rumor that McKale will not be actively at the head of Wildcat football next year is not a surprise to many grid fans. At the same time it is rumored that SYL Paulus will not be back for the 1927 season. The dope has it that Paulus will go into the farming business in Indiana seriously, and that pigskins or leather apples will be taboo with him. McKale, they say, will devote his time to baseball and minor sports, along with his duties as Director of Athletics.

26 October 1926. Rumor is that McKale not to Lead Wildcats. Coach does not Deny that He will Drop Grid Reigns. Rumor, persistent for the past few days on the university campus as well as in town, have it that J. F. McKale, veteran University of Arizona football coach, will not be at the head of gridiron when the 1927 football season started, but will devote his entire time to his position as director of athletics.
This rumor gained headway this morning when Coach McKale refused to deny that he would not lead Wildcat football next season and declared that he would make no statement this time. President Cloy H. Marvin, when talked to over the phone last evening stated he had heard nothing of the matter as yet.
Belief held by those who put some credit in the rumor was that Coach McKale, after the present season, would devote his time entirely to coaching football and to the promotion of intramural and interclass athletics. Just who would take McKale’s place at the helm of the Wildcat football world is unknown. (Mixed in with this rumored news of McKale’s departure, the most famous of all Arizona students, Button, had been severely injured and had died. The motivation for McKale to have a successful football season was high.)

1 October 1926: Wildcat Football by Don. The first whistle is the Frosh-Varsity football game to be played at the University tomorrow afternoon will be sounded at 3:30 o’clock. Coach McKale said yesterday all of the other games of the season, however, are scheduled for 3:00 o'clock the afternoon of their respective dates.

In addition to giving the new men and old non-varsity men a chance to compete with the Varsity, the game tomorrow will give the coaches a good idea of what their men can do. They already know the power and speed of the old men, but will concentrate their gaze and attention on those new-comers. Gowian, Redfree, Depark, Brown, and Sorensen are the new men practicing with the varsity, and tomorrow they must prove that they are worthy of the Varsity suits they have donned.

Gowlan has been barking signals for the past week, and will give Button Salmon and Barto Davis, last year’s quarterbacks, plenty of competition for the position--providing he shows his stuff tomorrow. ...

2 October 1926: Four McKale Men Will Remain Out of Game Due to Injuries. The surface of the 1926 gridiron season will get it’s first local scratching this afternoon when the University of Arizona Varsity team will tangle with the Freshmen in the annual campus classic.

The Varsity, under Coaches J. F. McKale and Fred Enke, has been putting in some hard practicing of late, and are confident they can whip the babes. With a Varsity man out for every position, they have not had such a terrible time selecting their team.

Coach W. L. Davis, who has been assisted in his tutoring of the Frosh by Limey Gibbings and Dr. C. J. Huffaker, has had his hands full deciding who to play against the Varsity. He has had 50 ambitious pig-skinners on the field every afternoon, some of them with good high school reputations behind them, and weighty ambitious before them.

The Varsity style this afternoon will be cramped somewhat because of the fact that four lettermen will be on the bench because of minor injuries. …Gowland, quarterback, will be the only new face in the Varsity backfield. ...

3 October 1926: Wildcats Open Hard Drive on Freshmen for 16 to 0 Victory. Frosh Threaten Varsity Goal Line Only Once During Game as Opponents Start Flashy Aerial Attack to Win. By Ken Hamlin, Sports Editor, Tucson Citizen. The Arizona Varsity romped over, under and around the Arizona Freshmen yesterday afternoon and trotted off the field with a 16 to 0 victory as the opening shot of the 1926 football season. The game was filled with substitutions, incomplete forward passes and fumbles.

The game was ragged. That is to be expected with so many substitutions. Coach McKale was endeavoring to find out what he had and what they could do under fire.

Several of the best Varsity men never even saw the field yesterday afternoon. They warmed the bench during the entire fracas. McKale knew what they could do and he kept them out. Therefore the 16 to 0. As a whole the game showed up some bright spots on the freshmen team. It showed up lots of weak points on the Varsity. …

Salmon at Quarter. Frosh kicked to the 50 yard line. Salmon went in at quarter. Carison intercepted a varsity pass and carried it back to the fifty yard line. The frosh lost the ball and Diebold took it ten yards through the line.

Salmon fumbled and Headerman recovered for the frosh, carrying the ball to the 20 yard line when Carlton passed 20 yards to Baker. The freshmen passed the ball when on the fifteen yard line and lost it.

Thirty Yard Pass. The fourth quarter consisted of a series of punt exchanges with Salmon gaining on each exchange. As the whistle blew ending the game Salmon passed thirty yards to McArdie who tore twenty more for a touchdown. Varsity failed at it’s try for a goal...

4 October 1926. BUTTON SALMON HURT IN CRASH. John Salmon, president of the student body of the University and quarterback on the Varsity football team, was seriously injured last night in an automobile wreck near Florence. He was taken to a Florence hospital and treated for an injured spine and contusions about the back.

Ted Diebold of Phoenix and a University girl were in the auto when it overturned while going at a rapid rate of speed, but they escaped injury. The car was only slightly damaged. The three were returning from Phoenix where they had been visiting at the home of Diebold over the weekend.

The accident happened north of Florence on a long grade on the Tucson-Phoenix highway. According to Diebold, the car ran off the road and overturned. Drs. Huffman and Perkins treated Salmon for his injuries. They had a preliminary examination indicated that his injuries were serious. (Another newspaper reported he was paralyzed.)

Let’s journey back to 1926. Automobiles were not designed for safety. They had no seat belts, padded dashes, or air bags. Cars traveled on poorly designed, two-way roads. There were no Paramedics, and people in general did not know about protecting an injured victim’s neck after severe accidents. They had no cell phones to call for help. After most accidents it was several hours before the injured victim arrived at a hospital. Diebold took Button to the nearest hospital the fastest way he could. He flagged down a car and put Button inside. Salmon’s death certificate indicated he was operated upon 4 October 1926 by Dr. Victor Gore of Tucson. Salmon was in critical condition when he arrived in Tucson and never recovered. He remained under medication until he passed away.

5 October 1926. Wildcat Football by Don. Practice yesterday afternoon was set back by the absence of Coach McKale, who was in Florence with Button Salmon, quarterback, suffering form injuries received in an automobile accident Sunday night.

Salmon’s loss will be a hard one for the varsity, for this year should have been a good one for him. The struggle for the quarterback position will be between Gowian and Davis, and it is to be hoped that neither of them will be on the injured list.

The practice for the remainder of this week will be pointed toward whipping the Wildcats into shape to out claw the Bears from Phoenix Junior college next Saturday. ... …It was hard for the men to show much spirit in their workout last night because of the critical condition of Button Salmon, whose mirthful laugh and genial disposition filled a place of their own in the football and baseball practices.

(From that, it is clear they knew Salmon was lost for the year or worse. McKale did visit him. Was it there in Florence that Salmon used the saying, “Bear Down”? Bear Down was a common term up through the forty’s and fifties. “Hang in there” replaced it in the sixty’s. Later, “hang tough” was the phrase. I don’t think John said much to anyone if the other stories are true. McKale was said to have told his team about the Bear Down statement before the very important game with ASU. That game was twelve days away. In five days they would play Phoenix Junior College, a game they were assured of winning. That game was little more than playing a high school team. The newspaper certainly did not report that Salmon said anything. Of course, his hospital bed in Florence was not his “death-bed” for he died in Tucson, not Florence. What would his last words be? “Tell Mom... Tell her I love her.” or, “Tell Dad... tell him thanks for everything.” or, “Tell my girl... tell her I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” None of the above according to McKale. He said “Tell the team... tell them to bear down.”

8 October 1926. Wildcats will Send Fast, Husky Eleven on Field Tomorrow. Wealth of Backfield Men Supplemented by Heavy Line Makes Arizona Eleven Big Favorites to Win Opening Game. With three weeks of practice under their belts, and full of confidence, the Arizona Wildcats will sally forth in search of prey tomorrow afternoon, with the general objective being the chide of the Phoenix Junior College Bears. The game will start at 3 o’clock, on the University gridiron.
The game with the Bears will be a good tester for the strength of the Wildcats, for the Phoenix men have as their sole desire the whipping of the Wildcats--which gives them a strength that partially makes up for what they lack in weight and speed. Coach J. F. McKale, head mentor, of the local pig skinners, has expressed his confidence that his men will bat the visitors, and he is right.
Bill Smith, tackle, and Louie Jackson, guard, who have filled important niches in the Varsity line for several years past, will be missed in tomorrow's fracas. However, several willing scrapers have been put in their berths, and will do their best to make things unpleasant for the Bears. From the backfield, the greatest loss will be that of Button Salmon, diminutive and flashy quarterback, who is out because of injuries received in an automobile wreck. ... (No mention of the saying, “Bear Down.” Numerous other stories appeared daily about upcoming games. No mention of the Bear Down war-cry was made.)

10 October 1926. Wildcats Claw Bears Eight Times to Roll Up Score of 54 to 0. Arizona Backs Run to Victory Behind Perfect Interference, Phoenix Line Crumples Under Fierce Attack. By Ken Hamlin, Sports Editor, Tucson Citizen of the Phoenix Bears. Yesterday afternoon on the Wildcat gridiron and ushered in the 1926 football season in Tucson with a 54 to 0 victory. But it was an empty victory which meant little to the McKale men. Before the game was three minutes old it took on the aspect of a track meet. Anyone who could hold the ball under his arm and run, tallied a touchdown.

The Wildcats outplayed the collegians for the opening play in every department of the game and clearly showed that the Phoenix College men were decidedly out of their class. The McKalemen pounded the Bear line from end to end relentlessly, and it was seldom that they failed to make their yardage. ... (No mention of the Bear Down slogan.)

16 October 1926. Coach McKale Sends Fast, Heavy Eleven on Gridiron Today. Diebold and Davis May be Out of Game Because of Injuries; Star Linemen Return to Wildcat Squad Today. Coach J. F. McKale sends his 1926 football machine against the Tempe Normal eleven this afternoon at 3 o’clock in the second game of the year on the local gridiron. It will be more of a test for the Wildcats than they had last week, reports indicate.
The Wildcats will be in better shape today however to cope with a severer test than they were given last week. During the past few days McKale has worked his men plenty and they are in better condition than they were when they took the field against the Phoenix Bears.
McKale has been drilling his men hard this past week on the serial game and while the freshmen have made the varsity passing business look sick at times they will have plenty of the ozone stuff to hand out to Tempe Bulldogs today. ... (No mention of Bear Down.)

17 October 1926. Bulldog Line Torn to Shreds by Capt. Crouch and Staufft. Teachers Fight Stubbornly During First Half but are Powerless Against Heavy Wildcats Line and Battering Backs. By Ken Hamlin, Sports Editor, Tucson Citizen. The Arizona Varsity, after receiving stubborn opposition in the first half of the game with the Tempe Teachers yesterday afternoon, ran riot in the second half and rolled up a score of 35 to 0 against the northern Bulldogs.
The Wildcat eleven showed power in their victory and at no time were they threatened by the warriors from the valley. A week’s training was very evident in the Arizona team which took the field yesterday as compared with the squad of a week ago. The terrific and continuous hammering of the Wildcats at the forward wall of the Bulldogs slowly wore down their resistance until, in the fourth quarter, when the Varsity chalked up two touchdowns, the Tempe squad was only a shadow of the team which took the field. ... (No mention of Bear Down.)

18 October 1926. BUTTON SALMON LEADER OF U.A. STUDENTS, DIES. Demise Caused by Injury in Car Crash; Rites Wednesday. John Byrd Salmon, well known University of Arizona athlete and president of the student body organization, passed away this morning at 6:19 o'clock in the Southern Methodist Hospital. Death was caused by an injury to the spinal column received two weeks ago when the car in which Salmon was returning from Phoenix turned turtle at the bottom of a grade just north of Florence.
Following the accident, Salmon was given treatment in Florence and on the following day was brought to this city in an ambulance. An operation was performed at once by Drs. Victor Gore and E. J. Gottheiff, to relieve the pressure on the spinal column as in the accident several vertebra were dislocated, shattering the spinal column.
Paralysis Results. Salmon was paralyzed by the injury but had regained the use of his arms, although he was totally paralyzed below the second rib. His condition had been regarded as grave since the time of the accident, but slight hopes were held for his recovery due to his splendid vitality and remarkable spirits.
Yesterday afternoon, however, he suffered a collapse, caused by temporary paralysis of the circulatory system. He rallied fairly well, according to his physicians, and spend a comfortable night. His condition was thought to be encouraging until a few moments before death came this morning as he was rational and apparently resting easily.
Shock to Students. The students and faculty members of the campus colony were shocked this morning when it became known that Salmon had passed away.
During his university career, following his entrance as a Freshman in the fall of 1921, Salmon had taken an active part in the athletic activities, held the quarterback position on the varsity squad last year for which position he had been a substitute for two years.
He was in uniform this season and was expected to have the greatest year of this career on the gridiron. He played in but one game against the Freshman in the annual Fresh-Varsity encounter.
Versatile Athlete. On the diamond, Salmon was equally as brilliant and flashy as he was on the gridiron. For two reasons, he was catcher on the varsity nine and was regarded as one of the best players, being equally versatile behind the bat and as a hitter.
Last spring in the student body elections, Salmon was accorded the highest honor that his fellow students could bestow upon him--that of president of the student body. He took the oath of office at the end of the semester, and then launched himself into the arduous tasks of the office when the university opened for the present semester.
Dr. Marvin’s Tribute. In speaking of the passing of the student leader, Dr. Cloyd H. Marvin, president of the university, said, “The death of John Byrd Salmon student body president, brings sorrow to the university. His going is a great loss to us. Fine, clean, upstanding, and fearless, he represented that which marks Arizona men. The tradition of life which he leaves with, will help us all in the tasks that we have to perform. I shall always remember him as one who fought for that which he felt was right in the light of the background which was at his command.”
Dr. F. C. Paschal, registrar, said: “It is a serious loss when one of those students are called from us who are able to exert a helpful and guiding influence upon the younger comrades. The university is going to miss John, and his friends will miss him more.”
Native of Texas Salmon was born on November 25, 1903, in Texas the son of (Name undisclosed here.) Salmon. When John was still an infant, the family moved to Bisbee where they have since resided. Entering the grade school of that city, and later the high school, Salmon made many friends and was well known for his athletic accomplishments, and he starred on the football, basketball, and baseball teams of Bisbee high school.
Surviving the deceased are his father and mother who have been in the city since the accident two weeks ago; (Their names undisclosed here.). Funeral Wednesday. It was announced this noon that the funeral services for Salmon will be held Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock at the University auditorium, after which the body will be interred in a local cemetery.
The ceremony at the desire of the family will be brief and will consist of the simple burial rites of the Episcopal Church, of which the deceased held faith. Rev. Eason Cross of Bisbee, will conduct the services, and will be assisted by Rev. E. E. Tuthill of the Grace Episcopal church of this city.
Salmon was a member of the campus chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity; and has been honored with membership in the Chain Gang Junior Honor Society; the Bobcats; Senior Honor Society, and the “A Club.”
A memorial service in charge of Salmon’s fellow students, will be held tomorrow on the campus in order that the students may pay their respects to the memory of their departed executive, known and loved by all as Button.

Commentary;
(That tribute to Salmon is important because it proved that John was indeed a true hero for his own sake, and not for anything that was attributed to what he allegedly said. It also shows that John had trouble breathing and was paralyzed. His injuries were extremely severe. He was moved the day following his accident from Florence to Tucson and underwent a serious operation on that very day, the same day McKale was said to be visiting him at the Florence hospital. If visitors were allowed at all, it is doubtful McKale talked to him considering the emergency move to Tucson in an ambulance. It is also true, from other newspaper articles, that his parents escorted the ambulance to Tucson together with Button’s fraternity brothers. The glowing tribute to Salmon was lacking in one respect, considering the importance that it came to be, no one mentioned the slogan Bear Down. Of course, Salmon may have told his players a hundred times to bear down as they huddled before each play, just like quarterbacks tell their men to hold their blocks or “get mean” as they huddle in today’s games.)

19 October 1926. Wildcat football by Don. The University has suffered a great loss by the untimely passing of Button Salmon. On the football squad, Button was a valuable member, and one that is hard to replace.
He was at the bottom of every play and he tackled his Trojan and tackled him hard. He starred as no other man on the field starred that day and the thousands of Los Angeles fans, not knowing his named dubbed him the “Red-headed Wildcat.”
In addition to his stellar defensive work, Button gained his share of the yards and made the longest run made by either team when he carried the pigskin 25 yards around the Trojan end. Salmon was well known in the southwest and was the unanimous choice of the scribes and coaches for the quarterback berth on the mythical All Southwestern honor team.
In baseball, Button’s place will stand as one that takes a mighty good man to fill. A catcher of more than the average collegian ability, Button played the game with his heart and soul--a fighting heart that was never licked and a soul that appreciated and practiced the finer elements of play and good sportsmanship.
It is hard to realize the passing of the biggest little Wildcat that ever wore the colors of the University of Arizona. Man-made words fall short of uttering the tribute that is due Button, but as the years go by, the fans who knew him and admired his admirable feats and sterling character, on and off the playing field, will always think of him as that type of athlete the world needs--clean, unassuming, thorough and a true sportsman. Their thought and reverence to his memory then, shall be everlasting sincere tribute to Button Salmon.

Commentary:
(Don, like no other, spoke the truth, John Byrd Salmon did not and does not need anyone to attribute words to him to mark his place in history as a truly amazing individual and athlete. He is a hero in his own right and we should remember him for that, not for two words his coach may have manufactured after-the-fact in an effort to motivate his team, or even to elevate his esteem by that association.)

20 October 1926. BUTTON SALMON SLEEPING … (Cemetery location undisclosed here.) … The remains of John Byrd Salmon, University athlete and president of the student body organization, were laid to rest in the (Location deleted from this story) cemetery this afternoon, following the final rites held in the University auditorium. Salmon passed away Monday morning succumbing to fatal injures received in an automobile accident two weeks before his death.
Laying in state in the University auditorium from 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon until this afternoon, the body of the departed student executive was viewed by hundreds of students, faculty members and townspeople who know Salmon as a clean cut upstanding example of young manhood.
A guard of honor comprised of students elected from the Sigma Nu fraternity, the Bobcats and Chain Gang honor societies, and the “A Club” in which the deceased held membership, guarded the remains at all times.
The casket raised at the foot of the rostrum of the assembly hall, from which Salmon in his university career had addressed his fellow students as a star athlete, their student body executive and as a student whose interests and thought were for the betterment of his alma mater.
Floral offerings of beauty, from student organizations and friends of the family, were banked on all sides of the casket. One of the most beautiful of the many was that sent by Salmon’s brothers in the Sigma Nu fraternity. It was a large floral replica of the badge of that organization, placed atop the casket.
The burial rites were those of the Episcopal Church, of which Salmon was a member. Rev. Eason Cross rector of the Episcopal, church of Bisbee, read the simple rites of the faith: assisted by E. E. Tuthill, rector of the Grace Episcopal, church of this city. Music during the service was rendered by the choir of the local church.
Following the services at the auditorium the cortege proceeded to the (Cemetery location undisclosed here.) cemetery, where the remains were interred with the reading of the committal rites of the church.
The pallbearers, all of whom were close associates of the departed student were … . Since the passing of Salmon, the entire campus has been in deep sorrow. A memorial service as a tribute to the memory of the departed student body president, was held yesterday afternoon in the auditorium by the student body. ...

22 October 1926. Twenty-four Players Make Trip With Coach McKale. The University of Arizona football eleven left late last night for Las Cruses, New Mexico, where tomorrow they will clash with the Aggies in the first real test of the season for the Wildcats. ... (No mention of Bear Down.)

Touchdown in third Quarter. Las Cruces, N.M.. Oct. 23., New Mexico A and M gridders went down to defeat yesterday before the onslaught of the University of Arizona by a score of 7 to 6. A capacity crowd attended the game, as it was Alumni day at the New Mexico School. ... (Thousands of cheering fans greeted the Wildcat at the train station upon their return. No mention of Bear Down.)

29 October 1926. Close Game is Predicted for Cat-Poet Fray. Invaders Have Strong Triple-Threat Man in Denny. Their claws sharpened in a dangerous degree, and with hearts thirsting for victory, the University of Arizona Wildcats will take the gridiron tomorrow against the Whittier College Poets, at 3 o’clock, on the University field. The game will be the feature of the Homecoming Day program on the campus. ... (No mention of Bear Down.)

30 October 1926. Hundreds of Alumni Gather Here to see Homecoming Battle. Varsity Machine Is Intact But Diebold to Enter Game With Injured Hip--Is First Meeting of Two Teams in Six Years. Optimism prevailed in the University of Arizona football camp this morning, as Coach J. F. McKale and the whistle that will send them into action against the Whittier College squad this afternoon. Hundreds of Alumni... (No mention of Bear Down)

31 October 1926. Wildcats Dump Whittier Poets 16 to 6. Runs and Passes Thrill Huge Homecoming Crowd. Wildcats Score Late in Fourth Quarter with 55 Yard Pass; Gilliland in Flashy Play. Milt Morse fooled Wittier with Fake and Passed ...

31 October 1926. Wildcat Football by Don. McKale Starts Preparation to Battle Lobos. ... The New Punter. Just what Arizona was going to do for a punter against Whittier was something that everyone was worrying about. What happened? McKale crashed through the much used Gilliland and the speed demon showed he could out-punt anything that the Poets had to offer. The stands howled with glee. It was indeed a treat after watching some of the kicking already done this year by the Wildcats. ... (No mention of ”Bear Down” after this victory.)

6 November 1926. Wildcats Declared to Be In Best Form This Season. With both teams determined to gain a victory at any cost, the University of Arizona Wildcats and the University of New Mexico Lobos will claw out their annual differences this afternoon on the university field at 3 o’clock. The Wildcats have emerged so far this season without a defeat, and with only one touchdown scored against them. ...

7 November 1926. Arizona Comes Back in Second Half and Smothers Opponents. Lobos Never Threatened Wildcat Goal Line. Gilliland Tears Off 40 Yard Run While Diebold Races 55 for a Touchdown. By Ken Hamlin. After being held scoreless in the first half by a stubborn Lobo, coach J. F. McKale’s Arizona Wildcats came back in the third and fourth periods of the annual meeting between those two animals yesterday afternoon and plastered a 21 to 0 defeat on the New Mexico Varsity. It was in the third frame that the Wildcats really got wind and tore the Lobo limb from limb. In that quarter the Wildcat snapped viciously at his enemies forward wall, ran him all around the field, and then ruthlessly killed him in the fourth quarter when Diebold took the oval and raced 55 yards through the entire Lobo pack for the third touchdown. ...

(The newspaper during this time period covered golf, horse racing, junior varsity sports, and even horse shoe competition, but they never mentioned Bear Down.)

11 November 1926. Squad in Good Condition for Coast Battle. Tigers Slight Edge Due to Game Against U.S.C. The undefeated football team of the University of Arizona, headed by Coach J. F. McKale and Captain Eustace “Red” Crouch, entrains for Los Angeles this evening for their game Saturday with the tough Occidental College squad. ...

13 November 1926 Oxy Tigers Doped on Coast to Score Win Over McKale’s Men. Injuries Keep Dunk Brown and Milt Morse From Coast Game; Oxy’s Line Has Only One Pound Advantage Over Arizona. ...

Sunday 14 November 1926. Bitterly Contested Game Copped By Oxy with 9 to 7 Score. Solly Martin Spells Ruin for Arizona’s Eleven with Long Runs; Center of Wildcat Line Smeared by Tigers. By Richard Chambers. Los Angeles Coliseum, Nov. 13--Playing their first defensive game of the season against Occidental College here this afternoon, the undefeated University of Arizona Wildcats lost by a score of 9 to 7, when a touchdown in the final quarter, aided by a safety scored in the second quarter, gave the laurels of the bitterly fought contest to the Oxy Tigers.
In the fourth quarter, with the ball in the Tiger’s possession, the Wildcats held them for four downs on the one yard line, but on the fourth down the referee held that both teams were off sides and gave the Tigers the additional down, from which they edged the pigskin over the line for the winning score. ...

19 November 1926. The Dope by Ken. Hot Shots From Here and There. Coach McKale will send his varsity against itself tomorrow afternoon in a secret scrimmage. He is giving them plenty of stuff these days and when the Wildcats trot onto the field next Thursday against the Aggies they are going to have plenty of red hot football in their heads. To win though, they’ve got to put it into effect. If they can’t do what Mac has taught them then they'll lose. ...

(This research concludes here with these propositions. Coach McKale said nothing about Bear Down tradition, however. After the only loss of the year, such wholesome words would have surely been in order if they had been truly spoken by our hero, John Byrd Salmon.)

The words to the Bear Down fight song, Fight Wild Cats Fight, were not written until a quarter of a century after Button died by a man not even connected to the University at that time. So, no music or words were sung at events to represent the Bear Down tradition before 1950. The question is, why was the slogan “Bear Down” not widely known prior to 1950? Was it an innocent fable intended to entertain a limited audience? Bear Down was painted on top of the gym, but who could see it? When was it painted? There are many unanswered questions. Perhaps we will not be privileged to know the whole truth about the legend of John Byrd Salmon.

A big Thank you to the various members of the University of Arizona for providing information is this topic. My thanks to the Arizona State Genealogical Society for providing background history and microfilmed newspaper stories. Also, my appreciation to the Tucson Citizen for permission to use their excellent newspaper articles. Some names of individuals and place names were deleted here for privacy considerations .

Newspaper Source: Tucson Citizen
P. O. Box 26767
Tucson, AZ 85726-6767

Prepared 24 December 1998.
By ZiaWildcat; Class of 1967.

Bear Down