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As you may already know, our first benefactor and namesake Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt donated $1,000,000 to found our school in 1873. According to legend, Cornelius Vanderbilt bestowed the title upon himself, presumably due to his vast sea bound shipping empire and because it just sounds cool. To honor his generosity, we named our sports teams and mascot, The Commodores, a title that year after year begs the question: “What is a Commodore?”
Here are some answers:
A Commodore can be any student, faculty, staff member, athlete, musician, fan, neighbor, scholar, or friend of Vanderbilt University. There are Commodores around the world, doing many amazing things. Click here 
to find out how you can become a Vanderbilt Commodore .
Despite their wizardry with the Internet, mp3s, blogs, podcasts, instant messaging, and social networks, most applicants to Vanderbilt are sorely unaware of a time when disks were floppy, and the cool kids had monitors with a staggering 16 colors. Commodore International’s most impressive contribution was the Commodore 64, a game system that enabled players to enjoy Donkey Kong with unprecedented speed and visuals.
Commodores don’t just play sports; some play music, very funky music. Motown Records signed The Commodores in the late 1960s after their successful stint opening for the Jackson Five. The band, originally formed in Alabama, featured soulful vocals and songs by Lionel Richie, including “Just to Be Close to You,” “Easy,” and perennial dance floor favorite, “Brick House.”