Vanderbilt University

===Mascot===
Vanderbilt's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed the Commodores, in honor of the nickname given to Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made his fortune in shipping.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commodore Vanderbilt's Life|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1877/01/05/80358542.pdf |newspaper=New York Times |date=January 5, 1877}}</ref> The term ''[[commodore (rank)|commodore]]'' was used by the [[United States Navy|Navy]] during the mid-to-late 19th century. A commodore was the commanding officer of a task force of ships, and therefore higher in rank than a captain but lower in rank than an admiral. The rank is still used by the British Royal Navy and other Commonwealth countries, but the equivalent modern-day rank in the U.S. Navy is [[Rear admiral (United States)|rear admiral lower half]]. Since the term was used most during the 19th century, Vanderbilt's mascot, "Mr. C", is usually portrayed as a naval officer from the late 19th century, complete with [[sideburns|mutton chops]], [[cutlass]], and uniform.

In addition to Mr. C, Vanderbilt fans often use the cheer "Anchor down!" accompanied by the "VU" hand sign, created by extending the thumb along with the index and middle fingers (essentially identical to the [[Three-finger salute (Serbian)|Serbian three-finger salute]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2013/09/vu-football-traditions-101/|title=VU Football Traditions 101|access-date=August 3, 2015}}</ref>