On October 7, 2023, the 100th Year Edition of the BLUE ACE BULLETIN was published commemorating 100 years of Wichita High School East. Thanks to Jake Jacobs, we have a copy of that paper and will present the articles from that publication to you. This is the fifth in the series. The original title is the title of this article.
Students attending Wichita High School were known as the bulldogs through 1928. Upon the opening of North High School in 1929, Wichita High School became Wichita High School East and the student body voted for a new nickname, the Blue Aces. The new symbol became the airplane, which was modernized as years went by.
The 1977-78 Spirit Cabinet began the search for a new mascot to represent the Blue Aces. The student body, faculty and even alumni were polled for ideas, and they selected Blue Max, a caricature of a fearless World War I fighter pilot.
Trotter Brothers, a local company that created puppets and life-like characters for amusement parks, helped design and create a costume, and Blue Max made his debut at the 1979 Fall Homecoming. Sometimes, Blue Max wore a biplane, hung by suspenders.
By the end of the 1984-85 school year. East High’s Blue Max costume was nearly worn out, and only the cartoon image was used in the following years. After a 1985-86 Messenger staff writer began researching for a story, the Blue Max head was located. Another staff member made a costume and wore the Blue Max head to several games.
