Hail to Old OSU

First page of the score of *Hail to Old OAC,* from which the current Oregon State University fight song is extracted.

"Hail to Old OSU" is the fight song of Oregon State University. It is extracted from a song written by Harold A. Wilkins in 1914 and is played mainly at sporting events like football and basketball games. The lyrics have been slightly altered since being written "to conform to a changing culture",^[1] changing to conform to new initials (O.A.C. became O.S.C., and later, O.S.U.), and the use of a more gender-neutral version.

The music and lyrics were copyrighted in 1914 and are now public domain.

History[edit]

The original song[edit]

The OSU fight song is the chorus of a song penned by Harold A. Wilkins, "Hail to Old OAC: A Rooter's Song." Wilkins was himself a member of the Oregon Agricultural College's graduating class of 1907.^[2]

The original song contains two verses and a chorus. The original lyrics are as follows:

(1)

Here we come with a toast and a song for the college up on the hill,

We love its shady slopes and trees, its members cheer and thrill;

But fondest thought when the years have run

Will be our teams and the vict'ries won,

Each man a loyal son,

Hail to old OAC

(chorus)

OAC, our hats are off to you,

Beavers, Beavers, fighers thru and thru,

We'll cheer for ev'ry man,

We'll root for ev'ry stand

That's made for old OAC

[men—] Rah, Rah, Rah!

Watch our team go tearing down the field,

Men of iron, their strength will never yield.

Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!

Hail to old OAC—

(2)

We'll root hard for the baseball star who can knock out a long home run,

And cheer the man who kicks the goal that means the game is won;

But mem'ries best in our Hall of Fame,

Are for the man who's always game,

Win, lose, fights just the same,

All for old OAC ^[2]

Today's fight song[edit]

Oregon State's Fight Song is a modified version of the chorus from "Hail to Old OAC," followed by a chant ("O-S-U Fight B-E-A-V-E-R-S") backed by drums, and a repeat of the second half of the chorus. No verse is sung.

The Oregon State University Alumni Association, at the time owners of all rights to the song, modified the words of the Fight Song in the 1980s to be gender neutral.^[3]

The most commonly accepted lyrics today are:

OSU, our hats are off to you

Beavers, Beavers, fighters through and through

We'll root for every man,

We'll cheer for every stand

That's made for old OSU.

Watch our team go tearing down the field

Men of iron, their strength will never yield.

Hail, hail, hail, hail

Hail to old OSU.^[4]

References[edit]

^ Edmonston Jr., George. "Primal Traditions". OSU Alumni Association. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
^ ^a ^b The OAC Song Book [cover title: OAC Songs]: Compiled and Published by the Oregon Agricultural College Alumni Association. Corvallis, OR: Oregon Agricultural College Alumni Association, 1924; pp. 23–26.
^ Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives. MC - Hail to Old OSU.
^ "Lyrics to the Oregon and Oregon State fight songs". Albany Democratic-Herald. Retrieved 2018-02-03.

External links[edit]

MP3 of "Hail to Old OSU", as performed by Oregon State University Marching Band

[1] Edmonston Jr., George. "Primal Traditions". OSU Alumni Association. Retrieved 2016-05-11.

[OACSongs-2] The OAC Song Book [cover title: OAC Songs]: Compiled and Published by the Oregon Agricultural College Alumni Association. Corvallis, OR: Oregon Agricultural College Alumni Association, 1924; pp. 23–26.

[3] Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives. MC - Hail to Old OSU.

[4] "Lyrics to the Oregon and Oregon State fight songs". Albany Democratic-Herald. Retrieved 2018-02-03.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Oregon State University
Located in: Corvallis, Oregon
Schools	College of Agricultural Sciences College of Business College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences College of Education College of Engineering College of Forestry College of Liberal Arts College of Pharmacy College of Public Health and Human Sciences College of Science College of Veterinary Medicine Graduate School Honors College
Athletics	Oregon State Beavers Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Wrestling Football Men's soccer Softball Women's gymnastics Benny Beaver Oregon rivalry
Buildings and facilities	Austin Hall Cascades Campus Community Hall Dixon Recreation Center Dryden Hall Gill Coliseum Goss Stadium at Coleman Field Hatfield Marine Science Center Linus Pauling Institute Merryfield Hall Memorial Union Oregon State University Press OSU Softball Complex Owen Hall Peavy Arboretum Peavy Hall Pharmacy Building Radiation Center Reser Stadium The LaSells Stewart Center The Valley Library Waldo Hall
Culture	Alumni Athletes Faculty and staff "Hail to Old OSU" KBVR (FM) The Daily Barometer History KBVR TV
Sculpture	Joy Selig Martin Kukučín Ode to a Tree The Family The Quest
Other	Biscuit Fire publication controversy Moon tree
Founded: 1868 Students: 33,193 Endowment: 819.6 million

v t e Oregon State Beavers football
Venues	Bell Field (1909–1952) Reser Stadium (1953–present) Multnomah Stadium (alternate)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Oregon Platypus Trophy Northwest Championship
Culture & lore	History Benny Beaver "Hail to Old OSU" Marching band Pyramid Play "The Toilet Bowl" 1985 Washington game
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900–1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

v t e Oregon State Beavers men's basketball
Venues	Men's Gymnasium (1915–1949) Gill Coliseum (1949–present)
Rivalries	Oregon (series)
Culture & lore	Benny Beaver "Hail to Old OSU"
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e Oregon State Beavers women's basketball
Venues	Gill Coliseum (1976–present)
Rivalries	Oregon (series)
Culture & lore	Benny Beaver "Hail to Old OSU"
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics