Endicott College’s Gully the Seagull Gets New Wheels; Antique Donation Aims to Boost Pride

The 1927 Buick Woody Wagon helped welcome new students and their parents to Endicott for Move-In Day. (Courtesy photograph.)

Endicott College Trustee James Demers. (Courtesy photograph.)

Endicott College’s well-known official mascot is Gully the seagull, but the campus has adopted a classic car to boost pride.

The auto, donated by Endicott Trustee James Demers, is a 1927 Buick Woody Wagon. The car will be used for special events. Just recently, it helped welcome new students and their parents to Endicott for Move-In Day.

“The car has a story to tell,” says Demers. “And, that relates to the Endicott mission.”

He explains he often thinks of the team of people who designed the Woody Wagon at a time when automobiles were just hitting the road. That team had a vision about making a first generation of automobiles, Demers says, just as Endicott has a vision for its future.

“Endicott is always planning for the future,” he adds. “It’s a unique college where—because you’ve got 90% or more of the students living on campus—it’s a community. This car is symbolic of the mission that Endicott pursues as an institution of higher education.”

Years ago, searching in the early days of eBay, Demers found just what he was looking for, the classic 1927 Buick Woody Wagon, which ended up being the last true wood-paneled station wagon produced by an American auto manufacturer.

This particular Woody Wagon has a sprawling—and presidential—history. While Demers knows little about the Woody Wagon’s past owners, he says former President Barack Obama has used it under Demer’s ownership.

Demers joined Endicott’s Board of Trustees in 2021 and serves as the president and CEO of Demers & Prasol of Concord, N.H.

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