The Buffalo is 'in the house'; new addition graces Steve Lacy Fieldhouse

Missie Mills

Assistant Editor

Standing over 7 feet tall, 9 feet long and over 4 feet wide, "Jerry" the stuffed buffalo is a new addition to the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse and Milligan tradition this semester. Jerry was installed on Dec. 31.

Athletic Director Ray Smith said “our big hairy friend" was involved in the movies Dances With Wolves and Quigley Down Under. The buffalo, worth $15,000, was donated to the college by Shelor Chevrolet Corp. of Virginia.

Missy Rotenberry, an employee for Chevrolet, was commissioned to find a home for the buffalo. It was first offered to Marshall University who turned it down because they already own a buffalo.

"I happened to remember that (Milligan's mascot) was the Buffaloes," said Tom Gentry, a former Elizabethton resident and Rotenberry’s father.

After gauging Smith's interest in the buffalo, Rotenberry sent pictures and details to Smith.

"She wanted to be sure that if the buffalo was donated, we would take care of it by not keeping it outside and making sure he wouldn't be manhandled," Smith said.

According to Smith, securing and transporting the buffalo was difficult; even finding a truck large enough to transport the animal was a challenge.

Once the buffalo reached Steve Lacy Fieldhouse, it was squeezed through the six foot-ten-inch doors. Milligan had to rent a lift to place the heavy buffalo above the entrance, where it now resides "in sight but out of touch," Smith said.

The buffalo took more than 400 hours of taxidermy work. Later, the taxidermist traded the buffalo as a down payment on a Chevrolet vehicle, which is how Shelor Chevrolet acquired it, Smith said.

"We're glad it's usable and (the school) can enjoy it," Gentry said. "Milligan's got their buffalo."