Iggy the Lion (Loyola Marymount)

From Hoopedia

Although its origin is somewhat clouded, the Lion mascot, known as Iggy the Lion after St. Ignatius of Loyola, S.J., has been synonymous with Loyola Marymount University for more than 70 years. According to the October 5, 1923 edition of the school newspaper, the Los Angeles Loyolan, the Lion mascot was suggested by an enthusiastic fan after 1919 when St. Vincent's College became Loyola College. Noting the Loyola football player's fierce competitiveness, that unknown fan described the Loyola players as Lions. The name did not generate too much popularity and the Loyola athletic nickname remained "Loyolans" until 1923.

During the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s Loyola University shared its mascot with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). The MGM Lion was brought to campus on the days of athletic events and university ceremonies to serve as the official school mascot (Leo the Lion was the first in the 1930s). Today, student rumors hold that the lion would stay overnight in Xavier Hall and others hold that the lion's permanent home was on the campus' bluff between Xavier Hall and Sacred Heart Chapel. Louis B. Mayer had been a major contributor to the university when the school first moved to the Del Rey Hills and began building its first buildings.