As Mount Vernon High School begins its 100-day countdown to Homecoming, a long-standing question about the school’s identity has finally been answered:
Why are the Yellow Jackets represented by the colors orange and black?
For generations, alumni and students have shared a variety of explanations. The most common responses were either that no one really knew the answer or that the school adopted orange and black after receiving band uniforms in those colors many years ago.
However, recent research into historic yearbooks and archived editions of the Jacket Journal has revealed the true story.
During the 1925-1926 school year, Mount Vernon High School established its first Student Council. Among the organization’s earliest projects was selecting an official school mascot. Students were invited to submit suggestions, and the student body voted on its favorite.
The winning entry came from Milford Wineland, a member of the Class of 1926 from Room 22.
His recommendation: The Yellow Jackets.
The discovery also solved another piece of MVHS history.
Contrary to popular belief, the school did not adopt orange and black after choosing the Yellow Jackets as its mascot. Historical records show that orange and black were already the school’s official colors before the mascot was selected.
In other words, the mascot changed, but the colors remained the same.
Because the vote occurred before the Class of 1926 graduated, the 1926-1927 football team became the first team to take the field as the Orange and Black Yellow Jackets, beginning a tradition that continues nearly a century later.
Today, as MVHS prepares for Homecoming and celebrates 100 years of Yellow Jacket pride, the newly uncovered article provides a fascinating glimpse into the origins of one of the school’s most recognizable traditions.
The original 1926 article will be featured as part of the countdown, offering students, alumni, and community members an opportunity to connect with the history that helped shape Mount Vernon High School.
As the countdown continues, more stories from MVHS’s past will be shared, highlighting the people, events, and traditions that have defined Yellow Jacket history for generations.
