This longstanding Longwood tradition began in 1925, when the sophomore, junior, and senior classes at [then] State Teachers College voted that all freshmen students would be required to wear "rat cap" beanies each school day, and all day Saturday. The tradition evolved over the years, where no longer required to wear the caps all year, the freshmen were made to participate in Rat Week during which the freshmen were forced to follow restrictive rules regarding dress and activities and had to follow all instructions given by upperclassmen.

The tradition continued throughout the 1960s. However, the popularity of "ratting" began to decline among both students and faculty, until the early 1970s, when it was discontinued.