http://nicschultz.com/the-mad-hatter-logos/


“So why the hang-up on sailor’s caps?” Another excellent question. It turns out that many universities had a tradition of forcing their freshmen to wear distinctive headgear during their first year on campus. These “freshmen beanies” were common during this era, and some versions of this cap looked quite similar to the ones adorned by Arthur Evan’s creations.


These caps, also known as “pots,” were featured prominently in the movie Animal House and would have been instantly recognizable to the college sport fan of their era. The tradition of the pots held that freshman, under the supervision of upperclassmen, would wear them all year or risk being “punished.” Most schools held a ritual at the end of the year where the surviving members of the class would burn their caps en masse.