Stanford University officially eliminated its historical "Indians" team name and mascot in 1972 following a formal petition and successful lobbying efforts by Native American students and staff members who argued that the imagery was culturally insensitive and demeaning. University President Richard Lyman accepted the recommendation, bringing an end to the 42-year tenure of the mascot that had been officially adopted in 1930. This decision initiated nearly a decade of internal debate regarding a permanent replacement before the administration declared that varsity teams would exclusively represent the cardinal color.