John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Stanford University is witnessing the revival of a historic tradition as senior student Sydney Kaminski delves into the history of Big Game corsages. Kaminski's research, which began this quarter, has revealed connections to Asian immigrant histories in the U.S. and intriguing facts about locally grown flowers.
“There are a lot of Stanford traditions that have been lost to time,” Kaminski remarked.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, wearing formal attire was common at public events in America, including football games. At Stanford and Berkeley, students added corsages as an accessory for the annual Big Game. According to Kaminski, “They started wearing corsages to Big Game. Stanford students wore red and white corsages and Berkeley students wore yellow and blue.”
These floral accessories became a fashion statement among students who purchased them from local florists on their way to the game. Historical records from Stanford highlight an instance from November 1911 when a “loyal Stanfordite” criticized Berkeley’s conspicuous yellow chrysanthemum corsages compared to Stanford’s smaller red roses and carnations.
The introduction of chrysanthemums into university life had other implications as well. Chrysanthemums were native to East Asia and brought to California by Japanese and Chinese immigrants in the 1800s. These flowers gained popularity in the Bay Area flower market dominated by Chinese, Japanese, and Italian growers.
Kaminski noted Jim Mok, a Chinese immigrant who worked on Stanford farm in the late 1800s. Mok hybridized a cardinal-colored chrysanthemum that became favored by students attending Big Game events.
“To know that they’ve always had a place here – that their histories are Stanford history – is important to acknowledge,” said Kaminski regarding Asian immigrants' contributions.
Kaminski plans to revive this tradition through a corsage-making workshop scheduled for Friday at O’Donohue Family Educational Farm, ahead of Saturday's 127th Big Game between Stanford and Berkeley at California Memorial Stadium.
The event is supported by several cultural associations including the Chinatown History and Culture Association and will provide attendees with insights into both historical tradition and cultural influence on campus life.
“There’s so much history imbued in this campus," stated Kaminski. "I hope this event will help people learn about the history of this Big Game tradition."
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