Testudo
School Mascot
emailum@umd.edu 301-405-1000McKeldin Library, 7649 S Library Ln, College Park, MD 20742
The bronze likeness of a diamondback turtle overlooking the mall in front of McKeldin Library has a well-burnished nose for a reason—rubbing it for good luck is our campus’s most well-known tradition.
Department Information
- Example Department 1
- Example Department 2
History
The statue was dedicated in 1933, but it was only decades later that this custom began. In the early 1990s, Maryland students augmented the custom to begin making offerings to Testudo at finals time—food, drinks, heartfelt poems and even pieces of furniture in hopes of a good grade. In addition to the primary Testudo statue at the heart of campus, five other bronze replicas can be found around campus at the Stamp Student Union, Xfinity Center, the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center and two at Maryland Stadium.