Dragons are known worldwide in a multitude of cultures, possibly stemming from mankind's general unease with snakes and reptiles, and many early tales are told of a deity or hero who did battle with a serpent or dragon: God and Leviathan, Thor and the Midgard Serpent, Marduk and Tiamat are just a few examples.
An article about Pyro appears in the October 25, 2012 (Volume 88, Number 3) edition of The Bat, Paris Junior College's student newspaper, and it provides some background:
Pyro, the PJC dragon mascot, has a mythical history; most of the lore and legends that surround Pyro either cannot be attributed or have no specific source.
One thing is for certain, however; Pyro the dragon has had quite a journey through the halls of PJC’s past.
Paul Bailey, former public information officer and coordinator of the 75th Anniversary publication has contributed the following information to “The Bat.”
According to a story told by Ruth Vernon, a student in 1925 and witness to the decisions made, a faculty meeting to decide the colors and school mascot was held in 1925.
During the meeting, it was suggested that PJC, like Paris High School, should be the Wildcats.
The idea, however, was met with much resistance; people wanted to see a mascot that was “fiercer” than the Wildcats.
PJC football coach H.L. “Hub” Hollis then suggested that PJC should adopt the dragon as its mascot, because it was much larger and fiercer than a Wildcat.
Everyone at the meeting came to agreement, and Pyro the dragon was born.
The story behind Pyro’s name was unable to be found, though the word Pyro typically means fire, or something that involves fire.
As for the colors of the mascot and the college itself, it was suggested that the college adopt the maroon and white colors that were made popular at the time by Texas A&M University.
According to the story told by Vernon, Charlotte Hendrichson, a professor at the time, spoke up.
“No, we will have no Aggie colors on this campus!”
Hendrichson, a graduate of Baylor, was quite adamant that PJC avoid the maroon and white colors of TAMU. Instead, she suggested an eye-catching green and gold, the colors of her alma mater, Baylor University.
This suggestion was met with no resistance, and with Vernon as a witness, the decision was made.
Most if not all students at PJC recognize those symbols of PJC tradition today.
Various images of Pyro appeared in drawings through the years in both issues of “The Bat” and the now defunct “Galleon”, the campus yearbook that ceased publication in 1970.
Many campus offices sport collections of stuffed dragons, and the bookstore maintains a constant supply of “Dragon pride” items.
The late Daon Wall, who was the president of the Board of Regents at the time in 2001, created the Pyro statue that stands guard at the PJC entrance, according to a 2001 edition of “The Bat.”
The miniature stood at six inches tall, and was the perfect model for the statue; President Walters agreed to use the miniature as the design, and the job was ready to begin.
“This project has been very enjoyable even though it took 21 and a half months to complete,” Wall said at the time.
“This either proves this was a difficult project or that I work too slowly. There was no way to hurry. Each piece presented a challenge of its own, requiring design, cutting, shaping, clamping, if possible, and then riveting.”
Wall’s philosophy helped him tackle the daunting project.
“You can do anything you can imagine,” he said. “If you have faith to do it, and persistence to carry it out, it can be done.”
The statue was put in place October 16, 2001. Wall also built the big red hat that sits on top of the Paris Eiffel Tower.
The very same dragon Wall sculpted decades ago is the first thing most students remember about this campus.
The statue stands as a statement to the long standing traditions of PJC, as well as the people that stood behind those traditions nearly a hundred years ago.
It just goes to show that everything on campus and even the campus itself has a story; Pyro is no different.
A dragon of few words, Pyro need not speak; his history speaks for him, and the many people who brought him into fruition.
The next time you pass by the big old copper statue of the friendly dragon, remember the many people who went before to help bring the symbol of PJC’s dragon into the light of day.
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Pyro is easily spotted from Clarksville Street, and looks more lovable than fierce. Constructed of copper plates and rivets, he stands somewhere between ten and fifteen feet high, atop a concrete base with "Pyro" on the front and "PJC Dragons" on each side. On the reverse of the base, there is a dedication plate that is badly faded, but it appears to say:
Designed and constructed by Daon Wall,
a PJC student from 1955 to 1958,
and a member of the PJC Board of Regents
from 1971 to 2001
Dedicated October 19, 2001