Bear Hugs Alum’s Book Pays Tribute to the Legendary Clocktower Pumpkin In rhyming verse, Wendy Stevens Larson ’00 immortalizes the mysterious gourd that appeared on McGraw Tower in 1997 “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Joe Wilensky “Lean in, my friends, I’ve a story for you / It’s simple and fun, and most of all, true,” begins a new book by Wendy Stevens Larson ’00. “It’s a tale of mystery, mystique and intrigue / And it’s from the best school in the Ivy League.” Titled The Clock Tower Pumpkin: A Whimsical Tribute to the Most Epic College Prank of All Time, the slim hardcover uses rhyming verse and engaging illustrations to celebrate the famed gourd that topped McGraw Tower nearly three decades ago. That pumpkin mysteriously appeared on the East Hill landmark in October 1997—remaining there for 158 days, garnering national media attention, and prompting much speculation as to who put it there, and (more to the point) how. The following March, what was by then a shrunken, frozen husk was finally removed from the spire. Tests proved that it was indeed a pumpkin—some had theorized it was fake—and a piece was preserved for posterity, stashed in a jar among the specimens in Cornell’s brain collection. Although Larson was on campus at the time, she was only vaguely aware of the drama as it was unfolding. It wasn’t until she returned to the Hill for the first time, two decades after graduation, that she was reminded of the infamous gourd. “I was in the campus store and I saw these tiny little wooden clocktowers that have the pumpkin on them,” she recalls. “And I thought, ‘My gosh, I had completely forgotten about that.’” Larson immediately began reading up on coverage of the prank; NPR’s “The Two-Way” had even devoted a segment to it in October 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary. It wasn’t until she returned to the Hill for the first time, two decades after graduation, that she was reminded of the infamous gourd. Struck by the fact that no perpetrator had ever definitively come forward—despite yearslong rumors and a few supposed accounts of how it had been done—Larson was inspired to share the tale for a new generation of Cornellians. A trademark attorney who’s married with two kids, she found time to start writing the book on a legal pad while she was waiting for jury deliberations during a trial—and, per courthouse rules, unable to use her phone. A page spread from the book. “I was very excited,” she recalls of the creative process, “to find a word that rhymed with ‘Taughannock.’” Larson had previously self-published The Hutto Hippo. Also in rhyming verse, the 2019 book shares the legend of how her Texas city got its mascot: when a circus train stopped there in 1915, an escaped hippo wandered the streets. I was very excited to find a word that rhymed with ‘Taughannock.’ “I had become intrigued by the idea of rediscovering local lore in a way that’s personal to a group of people in a specific time and place—almost like an inside joke among friends,” she says. “The pumpkin on the clocktower seemed to be one of those.” The Cornell Store merch that prompted the project, and the author as a senior. The book—with illustrations by British artist Julia Gash, whose playful designs grace numerous items of Big Red merchandise—is available at the Cornell Store as well on Amazon and via other online retailers. As Larson points out, she aimed for it to be appreciated by Cornellians of all ages—which is why she employed some more sophisticated vocabulary. “The ag school kids worked on quick calculations / To bet on the length of the pumpkin’s duration,” Larson writes. “With the chilliest of winds and confounders at play / They projected the most likely rate of decay.” (Cornell Store photo by Joe Wilensky / Cornell University; all other images provided.) Published October 8, 2025 Comments Claire Forest, Class of 2010 28 Oct, 2025 Clocktower Pumpkin 1997 maybe courtesy Cornell Outdoor Education climber’s fearless son Galen Forest Volckhausen (now renowned kayaker) Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni On a Festive Weekend, Homecoming Was Back—and Better than Ever Students Hotelie Aims to Bring Brown Butter to a Dairy Case Near You Students For Guiding Eyes Volunteers, it’s a Labor of (Puppy) Love