KEEPERS OF THE GOAT
IT TAKES A UNITED ALUMNI EFFORT TO KEEP TEAM BILL RUNNING
By Spencer Jones
He isn’t a midshipman.
He’s never slept in Bancroft Hall.
He’s never studied in Nimitz Library or participated in morning PEP. Chances are he has not had a meal in King Hall. He certainly has never climbed the Herndon Monument.
Yet, this beloved Naval Academy icon has been a constant presence at the Academy for more than
100 years.
This legend only stands about two and a half feet tall, has white curly hair and wears a blue and gold blanket on his back sporting the N* on each side. He’s been called old, gnarly and some say he can, “take the bacon from the worn-out Army mule” on occasion.
Bill the Goat is the undisputed beloved icon the Naval Academy community recognizes on sight and whose legacy can be traced back to 1893. It takes a team of talented, committed and passionate midshipmen to ensure
Bill has everything needed to inspire the Midshipmen to glory.
Team Bill
For several decades, Eighth Company has been tasked with maintaining, supporting and even protecting Bill the Goat. Members of the company are interviewed and selected to earn their spot on Team Bill.
“On game day, we’ll give him a bath, clean him, make sure he’s brushed and ready to go, wrap his horns, put on his blanket and then walk him around and let everyone see him,” said Midshipman Ethan Proctor ’24.
Bill, an Angora goat, is also fed his favorite snacks—banana chips, peanuts and animal crackers. However, even an over 100-year-old legend sometimes gets a little impatient when he is hungry.
“He likes his snacks, and you can tell,” said now Ensign Jake Smith ’23, USN. “He’ll look you right in the eyes whenever he is hungry. It’s kind of intimidating sometimes.”
Along with prepping Bill for game day, Team Bill members field questions about Bill XXXVII and coordinate photo opportunities with Navy fans.
Being a member of Team Bill is a learning process. From understanding the daily routine to facts about Bill, members of the team say they are constantly absorbing new things about the furry mascot.
“You will see we have two leashes on him, and you may ask, why?” said Proctor. “Last year, we dropped a leash for a second and Bill took off and the only thing I could do to stop him was sit down and have him drag me. After that, I said ‘Yeah okay, this thing can pull.’”
With their abundant goat knowledge and elevated level of responsibility, there are many rewarding aspects of the role that come along with the hard work.
“We get to meet a lot of different officers, important figures of different organizations and, obviously, all the kids who have a blast petting and feeding the goat,” said Midshipman Dante Carrasco ’24. “Everybody gets super excited when they see him.”
With GOAT status, some competitors want to topple Bill’s throne and as a result, unsuccessful kidnapping attempts have been made on Bill on several occasions by ill-intentioned West Point cadets. Bill now resides at a top-secret location undisclosed to those outside of Naval Academy leadership and, of course, Eighth Company midshipmen.
Eighth Company and the Class of 1965 share a bond through their common interest in representing Bill and ensuring his welfare. The Class of 1965 invites Eighth Company to their class tailgates before Navy football games to share stories and interact with Bill. Through additional support, the Class of 1965 has also funded the remodeling of Team Bill’s trailer to transport Bill to games.
The tradition, responsibility and fun have been passed down through the years and all 37 Bills.
“I’ve met alumni who were in Eighth Company, and it really means a lot to them,” Proctor said. “We’ll talk about the new goat, what number we’re on and they’ll say, ‘Oh I was on with Bill XXX or Bill XXVIII’ and its cool to see that it has been around for a while.”
Maintaining the Legacy
Bill XXXVII is just one in a long line of cloven-hooved heroes in the Academy’s history. As a result, there are several
locations in Annapolis where alumni, midshipmen and visitors can gain appreciation for who Bill is and what he represents. Among these are two bronze statues of a charging Bill sporting the N* blanket, with stars representing each time Bill was present when Navy defeated Army in football.
The first statue, donated by the Class of 1915, is across from the visitor’s center inside Gate 1 on the Yard. There are four Bills buried behind the statue at Gate 1 in honor of their service to the Academy and to the morale of midshipmen. One, Bill XXXIII, had eight stars on his blanket (representing eight wins over Army), the most of any Bill in Academy history.
As part of Another Link in the Chain (ALITC), each class at the Academy’s 50-year class bond, the Class of 1965 has taken over maintaining the statue and has even refurbished the bronze. This class continues to maintain the statue as part of their responsibility as “Keepers of the Goat.” The title represents the Class of ’65s dedication to their ALITC counterparts as well as Bill himself. The class is determined the legacy will continue.
The second statue now overlooks Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (NMCMS) and was inspired by the statue at Gate 1, but the original statue needed work before the new statue could be built.
The process to refurbish the Gate 1 statue and build the NMCMS statue took time, effort, philanthropy and teamwork among the members of Class of 1965. This began with a brass conservator assessing the needs for both statues. After designs were finalized and the bronze melted, plans were instituted to make sure both statues maintained the same level of quality. This includes regular cleaning, bronze maintenance recommended by the conservator and generating funding for the continued maintenance.
“When I found out that 1915 had donated the statue, it just clicked that we needed to get involved with this,” said Captain James “Jim” Minderlein ’65, USN (Ret.). “It’s a great connection with the Naval Academy and the 50-year relationship with ’15 was a no brainer to me.”
The second statue overlooking NMCMS was completed 50 years to the day of the Class of 1965’s commissioning ceremony. Encapsulated underneath this statue is a collection of items from the Class of 2015 and the Class of 1965 ranging from belt buckles and medals to ensign bars, and many more talismans representing both classes. Several of these items were melted down and included in the bronze pour of the statue and what could not be melted down for the structure is now under its base.
The Class of 1965 also created a desk model of the statue for alumni and Yard leadership honoring Bill’s legacy. The desk model lives in the Superintendent’s house, the Commandant’s office and in the homes of members of the Class of 1965. The Athletic and Scholarship Programs (A&SP) and Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) also administer the desk models to supporters of the physical mission of the Academy.
In 2025, as a result of their connection through ALITC, the Class of 1965 will inaugurate the Class of 2015 as Keepers of the Goat.
“We are very goat-conscious,” said Minderlein “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Since the Dawn of “Bill”
For the U.S. Navy, goats have been a supporter of sailors dating back to the early 19th century. Goats were versatile shipmates on board Naval vessels.
They provided nourishment as well as companionship, helped maintain cleanliness by eating scraps from sailors and they can swim.
For the Naval Academy, there are competing stories as to how the goat became the official representative for all things Navy. Some say a goat was picked up by midshipmen on his way to the first Army-Navy game in 1890. He was seen as a good luck charm after Navy won 24-0.
Others claim the official induction of the goat as a mascot was much more unusual.
During one of the early Army-Navy matchups, a midshipman reportedly wrapped himself in goat skin and ran along Navy’s sideline in an attempt to muster a Navy win over Army. After Navy won the game, the symbolic goat was again seen as good luck and enthusiasm for the four-legged mammal to become the Academy’s mascot grew.
After the goat was selected as the Academy’s mascot, midshipmen decided it needed a name that would carry on for generations. After the 1900 Army-Navy game (another win for Navy), the goat was named “Bill” after the name of a pet goat kept by Commander Colby M. Chester, Class of 1864, Commandant of Midshipmen from 1891-1894. Chester was also the first president of the Naval Academy Athletic Association.
Even though he may not say much, Bill represents many of the ideals that the Academy instills in its midshipmen—such as it’s okay to be a little gnarly sometimes. In this case, Bill’s legacy has withstood the test of time.
The dedication plaque below Bill’s statue at NMCMS reads, “Dedicated to all United States Naval Academy Alumni who have served and continue to serve Our Country in times of peace and at war—Class of 1965.”