In Lehigh’s early days, freshmen were forbidden by sophomores to carry canes on campus. If a freshman chose to defy this custom, sophomores would seize the cane and cut it into pieces to distribute as trophies.

In 1886, the freshman class broke the rule frequently, resulting in many scrimmages with sophomores. The freshmen upped the ante that year by gathering in the freight yard of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, placing a cane in the hands of their strongest men and encircling them with the rest of the class. Nevertheless, the sophomores were victorious. This was Lehigh’s first organized cane rush, a raucous and memorable—but ultimately short-lived—tradition.

In 1887, the university administration recommended that a single supervised rush be held on the athletic field. However, student injuries remained common.

Lehigh’s final cane rush took place on September 26, 1891. Weeks later, the university abolished the event.