For a school in the Midwest, a kangaroo is a unique mascot. What's the story behind Akron being the Zips, and the history of its female mascot Zippy?

Zips athletics: What is a Zip, and why is Akron's mascot a kangaroo? | Just Asking The 2025 March Madness berth marks his ...

You get the hint. Why then is the University of Akron known as the Zips, and why would the school have the kangaroo Zippy as a mascot? The story hops around more than a pouched marsupial in Australia.