Origins

Eric Bell takes a spin across campus. Bell spent a lot of time keeping the Wandering Weevil Wheels running during his time at UAM.

The Wandering Weevil Wheels allow the campus community to use the bicycles anytime they want to go anywhere they want as long as the bikes return to campus. Campus-bound students could ride to the bank or grocery store and back. Others might want to take a ride for some exercise, or maybe just a cool breeze.

Now for a little background on the name “Wandering Weevil Wheels.”

The Boll Weevil terrorized Southern farmers for a long time, even prompting songs from artists like Leadbelly. According to the Drew County Historical Journal, former UAM president Frank Horsfall gave the name to the school’s athletic teams during a pep rally before a homecoming game against Magnolia A&M, now Southern Arkansas University.

“The only gosh-darned thing that ever really licked the South was the boll weevil. Boll weevils! That’s what you are – Boll Weevils!”

To be honest, the historical journal helped supply the name for the bicycle program. Donald Holley’s article on “Stewart Ferguson, the Wandering Weevils and Why They Played Football for Fun” details one of the more colorful episodes in the history of UAM football. During his short tenure at UAM in the Depression, Coach Ferguson took the Weevils from coast-to-coast just prior to World War II. Though they only won three games in three years, the Wandering Weevils gained national notoriety by trading laughs for touchdowns.

The cartoon feature “Strange as It Seems” depicted “Football for Fun at Arkansas A&M,” which noted the players made their own training rules and originated many of their own plays and formations.

Ferguson wanted the players to have fun but also get an education by visiting historical sites and sitting in on classes at universities they visited to play football. The team earned a profit for it travels, making A&M an exception among small colleges that usually lost money.

It’s hoped the Wandering Weevil Wheels will continue the tradition of travel, albeit around campus and Southeast Arkansas.