Walter S. Wetzel Sr.

Walter “Blackie” Wetzel (1915-2003) He is best known for creating the Native American mascot that was used by the Washington Commanders football team.

Creation of the Washington Football Team Logo After years of building relationships in Washington, D.C., Blackie worked in 1971 to convince the National Football League’s Washington Redskins team to replace their bland "R" letter with a composite image to honor Native Americans.

Blackie's family had mixed feelings about the Washington team changing the mascot. Some family members are attempting to get the rights to the image, as they consider it to be Blackie's intellectual property.