Volume 26 · Number 1 · Fall 2008
Lost Traditions
The Tank Rush
One of the first student traditions, the Tank Rush dates to at least 1916. Freshmen and sophomores would line up on opposite sides of the irrigation tank and at the sound of the starting gun would race to throw each other in. The victor was the class with the last member still standing in dry clothes. Swimsuits, as you can see from this 1921 photo, were not Tank Rush wear. Rather, jeans and boots were. A California Aggie article promoting the fall 1932 Tank Rush said it could take “as long as 50 minutes before either side was completely wiped out.” Other photos of the event show sand bags rimming the tank, perhaps to cushion the blow for falling heads and bodies that might not clear the edge. The pool was an irrigation tank that was located near where Mrak Hall is today. The Tank Rush was part of the Frosh-Soph Brawl, which continued at least into the 1960s with a changing array of contests — from relay races and jousts to tug-of-war.