Goldy Gopher, the renowned mascot of the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, has a long history that reflects the ...

Goldy Gopher was born a chipmunk. That’s because when George Grooms originally drafted the design in the 1940s that would become the University’s mascot, he lived in Iowa, where there were no gophers.

The museum has created a mock criminal lineup comparing five stuffed rodents alongside a stuffed Goldy Gopher. After looking at the five suspects, Compton said it is not unusual to conclude the rodent ...