Purdue Pete ‘Boiler Up’ bobblehead unveiled

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The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a Purdue University “Boiler Up” bobblehead featuring Purdue Pete.

This limited edition bobblehead, which will be individually numbered up to 2,026, are $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, are now available for pre-order at this link.

Coined in 1997 by Arnette Tiller – wife of former football coach Joe Tiller – the rallying cry “Boiler Up” was created to inject energy into games at Ross-Ade Stadium. Coach Tiller wanted a high-energy motto like “Cowboy Up” which he used at Wyoming. Arnette Tiller suggested “Boiler Up” for Purdue and the phrase quickly took off with fans, teams, and campus culture.

“Boiler Up” evolved from the broader history of the Purdue Boilermakers nickname, which originated in 1891 after a dominant football win over Wabash College. After the convincing 44-0 victory, a local newspaper reporter referred to the dominant team as the “burly boiler makers from Purdue” because the school focused on mechanical trades and engineering. Purdue Pete started as an advertising logo for the University Bookstore in 1940. He was given a physical identity in 1956. He was designed to honor the tough Boilermaker industrial and engineering tradesmen who built massive steam engines.

“We’re excited to unveil this ‘Boiler Up’ bobblehead as part of our College Slogan collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “As one of the most iconic and recognized college slogans, ‘Boiler Up’ gets Purdue fans fired up every time. This bobblehead is a must-have for Boilermaker fans everywhere!”

Click here to learn more about the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.