By Camille DeVaul and the Paso Robles Area Historical Society
Paso Robles High School (PRHS), the first high school in San Luis Obispo County, carries with it a proud tradition dating back more than a century. At the heart of that tradition stands its fierce and beloved mascot, the Bearcat.
The school’s history began in 1892, when the original campus was built at 17th and Vine Streets, graduating its first class in 1896. The stately three-story brick structure was damaged by the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, prompting the construction of a new high school at 24th and Spring streets in 1924.
In 1981, the current campus on Niblick Road opened, though football games remain at War Memorial Stadium on the Flamson Middle School site, continuing a deep connection to past generations of Bearcats.
The origin of the Bearcat mascot is nearly as storied as Paso Robles High School itself. According to a letter to the editor by Daniel E. Lewis — preserved in the Paso Robles Area Historical Society archives — Lewis, a member of the 1922–23 varsity football team, recalled that his classmate Sam Smart coined the “Bearcat” name in 1924 and sketched its first mascot: a round-faced, cartoon-style wildcat typical of 1920s art. That same year, “Bearcats” became the official nickname for all PRHS students.
Over the decades, the Bearcat evolved. According to a Country News-Press article written by Michael Phillips (print year unavailable), the original Smart design endured for more than 40 years before a more ferocious, pointed-eared version emerged in the 1960s. Artist Jack Abbott is credited with creating one of these designs, a contribution so important to him that “Creator of the Bearcat logo” is engraved on his headstone.
Other alumni, including Sherry Spann and Steve Kalar, also left their marks on the mascot’s image. Spann’s 1970s design still appears on school materials, while Kalar’s “meaner” Bearcat became a familiar sight in athletic facilities and yearbooks. Multiple artists, including Lyman Clevenger and Mike Yost, have contributed to the Bearcat’s look, but the spirit behind the image has never changed.
As the International Wildlife Encyclopedia notes, a real bearcat — native to Southeast Asia — is affectionate yet capable of fierce defense, a fitting metaphor for Paso Robles High School’s athletic and academic pride.
For alumni and the community, that pride is on full display at “Bearcat Alley” in the Carnegie Library at Paso Robles City Park. The exhibit features yearbooks, photos, trophies, uniforms, and even Norma Moye’s cheerleading outfit, telling the story of generations who wore Crimson and White.
From a 1920s football nickname to a symbol that unites thousands, the Bearcat stands as a testament to PRHS’s enduring spirit — and will remain its emblem for generations to come.
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