Mascot

So many schools have aggressive animals as their mascots.  There are plenty of exceptions, like the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs and University of Maryland Terrapins.

And WPI has Gompei the Goat.

photo op with Gompei

Gompei and snow

keychains with goats

standard ties, bow ties, and scarves with goats

Why a goat?  Why Gompei?

The short version (from the WPI website)

Gompei the Goat...it all dates back to the class mascot of 1893: a goat! A japanese student, Gompei Kuwada, was selected as the original goat keeper—simply because his initials fit the title. The traditions continue today with the Goat's Head Rivalry and other events.

The long (and less pleasant version, from here)

Who is Gompei?
In 1891, the sophomore class gifted a black goat to WPI. A Japanese student, Gompei Kuwada, was elected to take care of the goat because his initials, G. K., also stood for Goat Keeper. Overtime, the animal became very difficult to maintain, and the goat was eventually beheaded and its head was mounted. The actual Goat's Head, also known as Gompei's Head, was eventually replaced with a bronze replica for preservation.
Starting with the Class of 1928, a competition between the freshman and sophomore classes was organized. The classes could earn points through events, such as sports and the tech carnival, and the Goat's Head was present to the class with the most points. Once a year, the winning class was obliged to show the head publicly to allow the other class to steal it back. Some of the notable "showings" include hanging the head from a helicopter during a football game and dropping the head from a bridge into a moving convertible. The competition was canceled for some time because of its violent nature; however, it has resumed recently with a new set of rules.