National Bobblehead Hall of Fame celebrates National Bobblehead Day with release of Pete and Penny bobbleheads

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled two officially licensed Youngstown State University Penguins Bobbleheads in conjunction with National Bobblehead Day on January 7.

The special edition bobbleheads were produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. The Museum celebrated National Bobblehead Day with dozens of new bobblehead releases including YSU’s mascots, Pete and Penny the Penguins. Each bobblehead is individually numbered to only 2,023, making them a limited piece.

YSU is the only NCAA Division I program in the country with a Penguin for a mascot and the nickname Penguins for their athletic teams. The Penguins nickname came to be on a cold evening on January 30th, 1933, when the men’s basketball team was playing at West Liberty State. A spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word. The nickname was mentioned to members of the team at the gym, and they thought it was perfect. The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year without a formal poll. The nickname was formally introduced in the campus newspaper on December 15th, 1933.

"We’re excited to be releasing this Pete and Penny the Penguins Bobblehead in conjunction with National Bobblehead Day,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Bobbleheads are the ultimate way to show off your school pride, and we think this is the perfect pair of bobbleheads for Youngstown State alumni, students, faculty, staff, and fans to show off their school spirit.”

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.

The bobbleheads are now available for purchase on the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Musuem’s online store here.