In James Fenimore Cooper’s historical novel “The Last of the Mohicans,” Hawkeye is the American frontiersman and hero who, with his sidekicks — the last of the Mohican Indians, rescues the Munro sisters — the dark-haired and serious Cora and the blond and playful Alice, from the villainous Magua and the Huron Indians Magua has duped. In the book, Hawkeye’s real name is Natty Bumppo. Natty’s claim to fame is his accuracy with the long rifle, which earns him the honorific La longue carabine with the French and their Indian allies and the more straight-forward nickname “Hawkeye” because of the deadly accuracy of his well-placed shots. La longue carabine is a true hero, and a hero needs a better name than “Bumppo.” So Natty becomes “Hawkeye,” a more suited appellation for a champion of literature with a sharp eye and an uncanny accuracy with a shot.

Years later, the term “Hawkeye” was used to describe the frontiersman farmers settling in the state of Iowa. The Ioway Indians were there when the first rugged farmers with their long rifles arrived, and my story is that the Ioway Indians observed how accurate the settlers were with their shots. Well, those Ioway Indians sat around their campfire near the Iowa River and talked about the new arrivals and what good shots the newcomers were. One Indian, whose was a reader – even then Iowans were known for their literary focus — remembered James Fenimore’s book and said “Hawkeye.” That was enough. All the Indians nodded in agreement and the new name stuck. Iowans have been Hawkeyes ever since.

I was born in Iowa City, Iowa on the Iowa River while my Dad was studying for his engineering degree at the University of Iowa. My Dad had been born on the old farm next to the Iowa River years before, and my son would be born near the Iowa River in Iowa, City, Iowa, years later while I was studying for my degrees at the University of Iowa.

The emblem of the University of Iowa is a sharp-beaked, big-eyed, yellow profile of a hawk’s head on a black background. It is the Hawkeye. The athletic teams of the University of Iowa are known as the Hawkeyes. Our mascot is Herky the Hawk, and our nickname is the Hawks. Ours is a proud tradition of academics and athletics that dates back to the days of the frontier and those first sharp-eyed farmers who settled the Iowa River valley and were spotted by those well-read Ioway Indians. Many things have changed, but the Hawkeyes have not, nor has their sharp-shooting.

Last night in New York City, the Iowa Hawkeye Men’s Basketball Team shot their way to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship game against the Baylor Bears from Waco, Texas. The Hawkeye team got off to a slow start this year, but have re-found their aim and have been hitting the target ever since — winning 11 of their last 14 games. Go, Hawkeyes!

My wife’s Texas relatives are farmers who live near the Brazos River which flows beside Baylor University, where years ago the Waco Indians encamped. My story is that those Native Americans were there as silent shadows slipping between the trees as they observed the hard-working and industrious farmers clearing the land, wrestling with boulders and pulling stumps. Later at night around their campfire near the Brazos River, the Indians talked about the new arrivals and how strong and determined they were, standing so straight and tall. One Indian said “Bears.” The others nodded, and the name stuck. When Baylor was founded, the determined and tall Baylor Bears soon followed to lead their teams to victory.

For generations now, children of my wife’s Texas family have attended Baylor University. They can attest to the quality of the school and its academic and athletic programs, and many can growl and claw like bears when their team is in the midst of a fight.

Who will prevail in the NIT Championship Game? Will it be the sharp-eyed, sharp-shooting Hawkeyes? Could it be those strongly determined and standing-tall Bears?

Whatever happens, it will be in the family.

In a way, I can’t wait.

Can you?

Grandpa Jim