CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Although a beard is not required to be the WVU Mountaineer, there’s no doubt that it has become an iconic part of the West Virginia University mascot. In the last 42 years, every male Mountaineer has had some kind of facial hair, but growing a beard was fairly uncommon near the beginning of the mascot’s history in 1927.
Out of the first 18 Mountaineers, between 1927 and 1963, only one Mountaineer was photographed with a beard—the 15th Mountaineer, Will McPherson, in 1960. The trend of a bearded Mountaineer didn’t really pick up steam until about the 1970s.
The earliest picture we get to see of an iconic, bushy Mountaineer beard is of Edward Pritchard, the Mountaineer from 1964-65. Between 1965 and 1981, only four of the 15 Mountaineers were clean-shaven, and it was around this time that the tradition of a bearded Mountaineer began to set in.
By using West Virginia University’s official gallery of all past Mountaineers we can see how they looked and what they wore, so 12 News asked four different salons and barber shops, as well as a judge for the WVU Beard Growing Contest, their opinions on which ones had the finest-looking facial hair.
Salons rated each beard using the same criteria used in the WVU Beard Growing Contest: beard length, beard thickness, and beard grooming, which are all rated on a scale of 1 to 10. The scores for each category are averaged and added together for a total score out of 30. Each beard and its score is shown below, ordered from lowest to highest.
Special thanks to Caps Tonsorium, Tuscan Sun Spa and Salon, Viva Salon, and The Salon at Hampton for rating these beards. Photos courtesy of WVU Photo.
Thomas E. Dulaney Jr., 1987
- Beard length: 2.6
- Beard thickness: 2.4
- Beard grooming: 2.2
Total score: 7.2
Derek Fincham, 2004-05
- Beard length: 2.4
- Beard thickness: 2.6
- Beard grooming: 2.8
Total score: 7.8
William McPherson, 1960
- Beard length: 3
- Beard thickness: 3
- Beard grooming: 4.2
Total score: 10.2
Scott W. Moore, 2000-01
- Beard length: 3
- Beard thickness: 3.2
- Beard grooming: 4.8
Total score: 11
Brandon S. Flower, 1998-99
- Beard length: 3.4
- Beard thickness: 3.6
- Beard grooming: 4.2
Total score: 11.2
Mark Lothes, 1972-73
- Beard length: 4.2
- Beard thickness: 4
- Beard grooming: 3.2
Total score: 11.4
John R. Stemple, 1994-95
- Beard length: 2.4
- Beard thickness: 2.6
- Beard grooming: 6.8
Total score: 11.8
Trey Hinrichs, 2002-03
- Beard length: 3.8
- Beard thickness: 4
- Beard grooming: 4
Total score: 11.8
Kenneth B. Fonville, 1966
- Beard length: 5.2
- Beard thickness: 4.6
- Beard grooming: 2.8
Total score: 12.6
Dan C. Pearson, 1988
- Beard length: 3
- Beard thickness: 3.6
- Beard grooming: 6.2
Total score: 12.8
Rock S. Wilson, 1991-93
- Beard length: 4
- Beard thickness: 4.8
- Beard grooming: 4.6
Total score: 13.4
Michael G. Russell, 1983
- Beard length: 4
- Beard thickness: 4.4
- Beard grooming: 5.6
Total score: 14
Matthew P. Zervos, 1986
- Beard length: 4.6
- Beard thickness: 5.4
- Beard grooming: 4.4
Total score: 14.4
Edward S. Pritchard, 1964-65
- Beard length: 5.4
- Beard thickness: 5.2
- Beard grooming: 4
Total score: 14.6
Cecil C. Graham, 1980
- Beard length: 4.6
- Beard thickness: 6.4
- Beard grooming: 4
Total score: 15
James P. Campbell, 1979
- Beard length: 4.8
- Beard thickness: 5.2
- Beard grooming: 5
Total score: 15
Tim S. Nilan, 1985
- Beard length: 5.2
- Beard thickness: 6
- Beard grooming: 3.8
Total score: 15
Michael Squires, 2008
- Beard length: 6.2
- Beard thickness: 5.2
- Beard grooming: 3.6
Total score: 15
Jerome E. Scherer, 1976
- Beard length: 3.8
- Beard thickness: 5.6
- Beard grooming: 6
Total score: 15.4
Andy R. Cogar, 1996-97
- Beard length: 3.2
- Beard thickness: 4.8
- Beard grooming: 7.6
Total score: 15.6
Bruce D. Heisler, 1977
- Beard length: 5.2
- Beard thickness: 5.8
- Beard grooming: 4.6
Total score: 15.6
Robert S. Lowe, 1971-72
- Beard length: 5
- Beard thickness: 6
- Beard grooming: 5.4
Total score: 16.4
Richard D. Poling, 1978
- Beard length: 5.6
- Beard thickness: 6.2
- Beard grooming: 4.8
Total score: 16.6
Robert E. Richardson, 1982
- Beard length: 5.8
- Beard thickness: 6.6
- Beard grooming: 4.8
Total score: 17.2
Edward R. Cokeley, 1981
- Beard length: 5
- Beard thickness: 6.2
- Beard grooming: 6.2
Total score: 17.4
Colson Glover, 2020
- Beard length: 7.4
- Beard thickness: 6.8
- Beard grooming: 3.4
Total score: 17.6
Benjamin F. White, 1989
- Beard length: 5
- Beard thickness: 7
- Beard grooming: 5.8
Total score: 17.8
Mark A. Boggs, 1984
- Beard length: 5.6
- Beard thickness: 7.2
- Beard grooming: 5
Total score: 17.8
Brady Campbell, 2006-07
- Beard length: 5
- Beard thickness: 6.4
- Beard grooming: 7
Total score: 18.4
Jonathan Kimble, 2012-13
- Beard length: 5.8
- Beard thickness: 6.6
- Beard grooming: 6.4
Total score: 18.8
Troy Clemons, 2016-17
- Beard length: 7.2
- Beard thickness: 7
- Beard grooming: 5
Total score: 19.2
Junior Russell Taylor, 1975
- Beard length: 7
- Beard thickness: 8
- Beard grooming: 4.4
Total score: 19.4
Timmy Eads, 2019
- Beard length: 7.2
- Beard thickness: 7.4
- Beard grooming: 5.2
Total score: 19.8
Michael Garcia, 2014-15
- Beard length: 8.2
- Beard thickness: 7.4
- Beard grooming: 4.6
Total score: 20.2
Trevor Kiess, 2018
- Beard length: 7.8
- Beard thickness: 7.2
- Beard grooming: 5.6
Total score: 20.6
Brock Burwell, 2010-11
- Beard length: 7
- Beard thickness: 7.8
- Beard grooming: 6.2
Total score: 21
Mikel Hager, 2023
- Beard length: 8.4
- Beard thickness: 8.6
- Beard grooming: 5.4
Total score: 22.4
