Centennial Perspectives

Across the Bowling Green State University campus students are subjected to six masked students proclaiming school spirit through signs in black and red stating "SIC SIC SEZ…" This strange group of students is SIC SIC, a secret spirit organization on the Bowling Green State University campus.

SIC SIC was created October 5, 1946 at 12:45 AM. Seated in the dark room of BGSU's President Prout's office these six young men, Richard Oliver Harig, Erwin Potts, Gilbert Fox, Earl Mott, Max Hofmeisier and James Limbacher, anxiously waited to hear why they had been called to the President's office at such a late hour. Each one had received a secret letter earlier that day which told him to meet in the President's office at 12:45 AM and to destroy the letter as soon as he had read and memorized it. This letter bewildered the boys and piqued their curiosity. President Frank J. Prout, Dick Harig, a senior Sigma Alpha Epsilon member, and Reverend James Stoner, the campus minister, had met earlier in the year to discuss the need for more school spirit and had decided that a secret spirit organization was exactly what the school needed. President Prout went through the yearbook and hand picked the six men who would become the original "secret six." They had decided the new spirit organization would consist of two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors.

Unfortunately, President Prout was unable to attend the secret meeting that night, as he was in the hospital due to health ailments, but Harig and Stoner came in his stead. All six young men agreed to join the group and felt honored to have been chosen for the position. The group knew that they must have a unique and original name in order for their organization to stand out, and so SIC SIC was created. The meaning of the name remains a secret, with only members and its alumni knowing what it stands for. The group also developed a constitution which laid out the standards of the organization and the rules governing its members. For instance, if the identity of a member is discovered before the proper time for unmasking, then that member must resign from the group and a new member will be put in his place. 

SIC SIC's unveiling occurred that same day at 3:00 AM. The Student Address System atop the Practical Arts Building (now Hayes Hall), announced the creation of SIC SIC and asked the students to attend the football game which would occur later that day.  The Secret Six gave the spirit organization a jump start by placing signs across campus proclaiming, "SIC SIC SEZ..." in black paint and in red paint, "BEAT," "MAUL," "DESTROY," the enemy, to encourage the athletes to defeat their opponents. In the spring the seniors of the group, Richard Oliver Harig and Erwin Potts were revealed to the student body at the Annual Honors Day Ceremony. In secret, SIC SIC tapped two members of the sophomore class to become new members of the secret six.

Today SIC SIC is still active on the University campus, posting their signs everywhere.  Its members are seen attending athletic events throughout the year, wearing their masks and overalls, cheering on the teams, and boosting the spirit of the student body. SIC SIC has survived throughout the decades and has continued to advocate school spirit across the BGSU campus with their attendance at athletic programs and constant barrage of "SIC SIC SEZ" signs.

Special Dates:

• 1946 - SIC SIC is created, Saturday October 5, 1946, 12:45AM
• 1951 - SIC SIC alumni hold their first meeting, November 3, 1951
• 1953 - SIC SIC members begin to wear overalls and masks to disguise themselves
• 1963 - President Jerome holds the first Homecoming SIC SIC Alumni Breakfast
• 1973 - First female member is inducted into SIC SIC, Sara Sue (Stanley) Pagano
• 1974 - SIC SIC Alumni present $15,000 to University to be used for a "SIC SIC Room" in the Mileti Alumni Center and to begin a SIC SIC scholarship
• 1986 - SIC SIC celebrates its 40th Anniversary
• 2009 - SIC SIC members still active and promoting immense school spirit across the BGSU campus

The following are the names of all graduated SIC SIC members and honorary SIC SIC members from 1946-2009:

Honorary Members

By Annie Adams

For further reading in University Archives

• News articles in BG News
• SIC SIC Records

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