Pyramid of King Tut the Dog
Carbondale, Illinois
Died 1954
For many years the sport teams of Southern Illinois University were named the Maroons. In 1951 the student body abandoned that awkward name in favor of the Salukis, an ancient breed of Egyptian hunting dog (Southern Illinois is known, geographically, as "Little Egypt").
Saluki Mascot: King Tut
Two years later the school got itself a real Saluki as a mascot. He was named King Tut, and he became the star of SIU's Homecoming and sports contests. And then he was run over by a car.
King Tut was buried in 1954 at the corner of the university football stadium. The fraternity that had cared for him during his brief college career marked his grave, seven years later, with a cement pyramid.
In 2010 the old stadium complex was knocked down. In its place rose a new, multi-million-dollar SIU Arena and Saluki Stadium. A bronze, life-size Saluki stands on the concourse, and two giant cement Salukis flank the entrance to the arena. But even though King Tut had been dead for over 50 years, he was not forgotten; his pyramid was reverently power-washed and moved to a place of honor at the entrance to the new stadium, where the SIU faithful can now touch it for luck.