What Happened to Larry?

While browsing the Northstar Café menu, students may have scrolled through the breakfast menu and questioned what exactly an “Egg O’Larry” is. Who is Larry, and why is there a breakfast sandwich named after him? Unknown to many students today, “Larry” was a once ubiquitous term that described different facets of St. Lawrence University culture. Today, it is considered archaic, with the university style guidelines favoring the term “Laurentian.”  

The term “Larry” has a history dating back over a century. According to Hill News archives, the first documented reference to “Larry” was found in a Rochester, New York paper on Oct. 15, 1917, where it referred to the St. Lawrence football team as the “Larry’s.” In the 1920s, “Larry” became the go-to term for referencing St. Lawrence’s football team. Over subsequent decades, “Larry” expanded its reach beyond athletics. According to University Spokesperson Kim Asch, “Larry was a nickname for the athletic teams that informally transferred to alumni.”   

Throughout THN history, Larry kept popping up. During WW1, The Hill News editorial board sent out “Letters to Larries” to the Laurentians in service. Editorial board members started new columns such as “Larry on the Road,” “Larrywatch,” “Larry Lore” and “Larry Limelight.” Larry became a catch-all definition for SLU students and culture.  

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In her early 2000s blog “The Larry Pages,” Sarah Tolcser ’03 defines Larry as an “All-purpose nickname for a person who goes to SLU. Also functions as an adjective.” Tolcser amusingly identified things that were inherently “Larry,” such as Labatt Blue, the SLU belt, outdoor parties and pizza from Sergi’s. Conversely, she listed high heels, leather jackets and dating as un-“Larry”-like.   

For a brief period, “Larry” had a female counterpart: “Muffy.” A now-defunct St. Lawrence magazine called The Stump, which ran from 2000 to 2007, devised a “Larry Test” and a “Muffy Test” to gauge how closely SLU students conformed to the gendered stereotypes. The “Larry Test” awarded points for layered collars, studying on the upper level of ODY, wearing Carhartt clothing that wasn’t utilized for actual labor, and driving a Jeep Cherokee. For the “Muffy Test,” points were awarded for carrying Vera Bradley purses, using knock-off Kate Spade bags, and sporting designer Nalgenes, with bonus points for green and pink items.  

St. Lawrence’s student directory book was even named “The Larry,” and students affectionately referred to the entire campus as “Larry Land.” Nonetheless, the term “Larry” wasn’t without its controversies, as it rapidly cultivated its own stereotype.  

As highlighted by Justin T. Scott ’92 in a 1991 issue of THN, “Larry” failed to accurately represent the student body. “The quintessential Larry, students say, wears L.L.Bean everything, summers on Nantucket, and plans to work on Wall Street after graduation,” said an old “Insider’s Guide to Colleges” by Yale Daily News. It continued, “This reputation for preppiness is well deserved. Although other types exist, ‘Larryland’ is composed mainly of white, upper-middle class students from the Northeast.”   

According to Asch, the transition from “Larries” to “Saints” officially occurred sometime around the 1980s, likely due to the non-gender-neutral nature of “Larries.” Asch noted that the change could be attributed to the St. Lawrence fight song, “When the Saints Come Marching In.” The Saints continue to represent St. Lawrence Athletics.   

The switch away from Larry also necessitated a new term for St. Lawrence alumni. “With Larry being phased out and retired, referring to alums as Saints would not work,” said Asch. “That change meant that Laurentian was put to use more widely,” she continued.   

A humor issue of THN from May 1984, “The Daily Sweater,” commented on naming the pub “North Star Pub” instead of the rejected “Larry’s Place.” It questioned what would happen if “North Star” replaced “Larry” in other realms. While satirical, it seems that the present is not too far off from that prediction. The piece humorously forecasted that “Typical Larry” would be supplanted by “Typical North Star Male.”  

Although St. Lawrence University has bid farewell to the “Larry” moniker, remnants of the old “Larryworld” still linger, such as the enduring “Egg O’Larry.” For some inexplicable reason, “Egg O’Laurentian” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.