A name meant to stand beside green and white
The May 1940 issue of The Voice announced a “New School Emblem.” Its account says Greenbrier needed an emblem, the Student Council selected several choices and the student body chose Bob Cat. The hope was that it would become as familiar as the school colors, green and white.
The Village Green follows that account with the conclusion that Greenbrier High athletic teams became known as the Bobcats. The Greenbrier Athletic Hall of Fame independently dates the official mascot choice to May 1940 and attributes it to a student-body vote.
The vote came during a year of physical change
Work on a new school plant began January 15. The contemporary account estimated a $25,000–$30,000 building, with about $13,000 already available. The National Youth Administration supplied supervision, tools, a truck, the roof and roughly $11,000 in labor; eligible local men ages 18 to 25 could earn 17 cents an hour.
That construction story does not explain the mascot choice, but it does locate the vote in a school deliberately building for its future.
One win, nine losses—and the name endures
The first fall season after the vote finished 1–9 and 83–240. Greenbrier’s only win was 13–12 over Barren Plains after losing the earlier listed meeting 27–19. Six games ended with Greenbrier in single digits.
The contrast is the point of the year: a difficult football record and a permanent identity can be true at the same time. The score line belongs to 1940; Bobcat belongs to every season after it.