Seymore D. Fair

Seymore D. Fair (a.k.a. Seymour D. Fair, and sometimes called Seymore de Faire or Seymour d'Fair) is a cartoon animal and costumed character who was the official mascot of the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. An anthropomorphic white pelican, Seymore typically wears a blue tuxedo jacket, large top hat, spats, and white gloves. His name is derived from the New Orleans "Yat" phrase "See more of the fair". Seymore was the "world's 1st-ever" character mascot in the history of World Expositions. Seymore promoted the New Orleans World's Fair globally, including in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and London. During the 1984 Republican National Convention, he interacted on stage with George H. W. Bush, Vice-President of the United States and numerous Chiefs of State. In Washington, D.C., he hung out with Billy Joel at the White House entertaining wives of Russian diplomats. Seymore appeared on Saturday Night Live, shown guarding an entrance to the White House with Secret Service agents. Name For the first 10 months of his existence, Seymore was simply referred to as Mr. Pelican. Later, fair management worked with a local convenience store chain to create a naming contest, which resulted in over 18,000 name submissions. Judges included local celebrities such as Angus Lind and Bob Marshall of the States Item. Other submitted names included Crazy-Laid-Back Fred, Puddin Pus, and Valdimir.