- BEGINNING OF COSMO -

On October 15, 1953, Cosmo the Cougar made his first appearance in front of BYU fans, flying into LaVell Edwards Stadium on a parachute. Dwayne Stevenson, the pep chairman of BYU, bought the costume for $73 and persuaded his roommate Daniel T. Gallego to wear it and become the first Cosmo. The name Cosmo derives from the word "cosmopolitan" and was chosen because BYU had recently been selected as a Cosmopolitan school. Cosmo became immediately popular, and since Gallego, many people have worn the suit to become Cosmo.