Hope College was founded by settlers from the Netherlands in 1866. The college's athletic teams have been known as the Dutchmen since the beginning of the intercollegiate program in the early 1900's.
The nickname Flying Dutchmen was coined by a sports writer for the student newspaper in 1958 following a big victory in basketball.
In keeping with the times, the women's teams since the 1970's have been known as the Flying Dutch.
The football series between Hope and Kalamazoo has been known as the "Wooden Shoes Rivalry" since the 1930s. The traveling trophy is a pair of hand-carved wooden shoes.
History of School Colors
Hope's Dutch roots also led the selection of orange and blue as the school's colors. Beginning in the 16th century, the flag of The Netherlands had a field of orange, white and blue. Red, white and blue became the official colors of the national flag of the Netherlands in 1937.
