For 26 years, fans of Pittsburg State football never got tired of listening to Pete Hamilton and his various signature cries during Gorilla home football games.
Hamilton, who joined the Pittsburg State University faculty in 1972 and served for more than a quarter century as the public address "Voice of the Gorillas,” died early Thursday morning, Aug. 6. He was 65.
Hamilton’s career with the microphone started on Nov. 8, 1980, when the Gorillas faced Emporia State in their regular season finale. He was the public address announcer for the Gorillas before retiring after Pitt State’s regular season finale against the Hornets on Nov. 10, 2007.
“Through the years, we had lots of conversations and Pete was a close good friend of mine and of the athletic department,” said PSU head football coach and athletic director Chuck Broyles. “I grew up listening to Dr. [H. Francis] Short and Pete Hamilton.”
Pitt State fans who heard Hamilton over his 26 years were introduced to familiar cries such as "Welcome [opponent], heh, heh, heh, Welcome to the Jungle!", "Here Come the Gorillas!", and "First Down, Pitt State!"
“Those things really stand out and he had a great voice,” Broyles said. “Talking to other coaches, they would ask who he was and they always hated that but Pete really enjoyed it.”
