The dictionary definition – adj. informal, “spinning or
whirling” – isn’t helping us here very much.
Would you believe, though, that it’s actually short for “whirlwind”?
Indeed, the team started out as the Purple Whirlwind, holding on to that
nickname from 1920 to 1951. The evolution to Whirlies came from a number of
possible sources:
- A simple nickname
- A shortened form used in newspaper titles
- A form used by journalists for elegant variation
An additional impetus was the team’s changing their colors from purple, which was hard to source, to navy blue.
The school itself was originally called Greensboro High School,
and dates all the way back to 1899. The name
was changed in 1962 to honor original school superintendent George A. Grimsley.
It also helped to distinguish it from what are now 4 high schools within the
city limits.
It’s a large school, with over 1,900 students. Wikipedia
lists 40 famous alumni, but I’ve heard of only one. Unfortunately, he’s a
genuine nut case.
On the athletic side, the school has won more NC state
championships than any other. Their first, for football, goes all the way back
to 1907.
Their latest was in 2020-21
The actual, physical, on-field mascot is named Whirligig.
I probably don’t need to say much about Greensboro. With a population of 300,000, it’s the 3rd largest city in NC.
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