this was necessary to ensure he did not suffer due to his illness.
TOM III, the most recent tiger, died on September 18, 2020. Following TOM's passing it was announced that there would be a TOM IV, but it would be housed and remain at the Memphis Zoo.
The university currently has fifty tiger statues located on campus and another fifty located around the Memphis area. The Alumni Association placed the life-sized tigers around the city in honor of the university's centennial in January 2012.
=== Nickname ===
When the University of Memphis first fielded a football team in the fall of 1912, no one had selected a nickname for the squad. Early references to the football team tabbed them only as the Blue and Gray Warriors.
After the final game of the 1914 season, there was a student parade. During this event, several university students shouted, "We fight like Tigers!" The nickname was born. As time passed, the nickname "Tigers" was increasingly used, particularly in campus publications, but did not catch on with …
