Medford/Somerville, Mass. – The story of Jumbo -- Tufts' mascot -- is the stuff of legends, at least that's how former athletic director Rocky Carzo tells it. The April edition of Yankee Magazine features a profile of Jumbo's life, describing his journey from celebrity (as one of PT Barnum's most popular attractions) to his current home -- a peanut butter jar atop the athletic director's desk.

   "For nearly a century, Jumbo was the emblem of Tufts sports teams," Yankee Magazine's Jon Vara writes. "Then, 25 years ago this month, a fire swept through Tufts' Barnum Museum, destorying most of its contents, including Jumbo. A maintenance department employee, George Wilson, waded into the wreckage to collect a portion of Jumbo's ashes. They now reside in a peanut jar in the athletic director's office."

   For Rocky Carzo, Jumbo's spirit remains very much alive in those ashes. "I used to let the coaches borrow the jar. But it made me nervous. I decided to keep the ashes locked up in a safe," Carzo said. "I don't know what we'd do if something happened to them."

Online: http://www.tufts.edu/communications/printable/041700MagazineCoversJumboStory