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'Handsome Dan' is a bulldog that serves as the mascot of Yale University's athletic teams. In addition to a person wearing a costume, the position is filled by an actual bulldog, the honor (and the title "Handsome Dan") being transferred to another upon death or retirement. Showing animosity towards people wearing crimson, the color of Harvard uniforms, is a definite plus. Mascot Audition: Dog Day Afternoon
Handsome Dan is believed to be the first such live college mascot in America. History of the Yale Bulldog "Handsome Dan" Since the inception of the tradition in 1889, 16 dogs and 1 person have held the position.

Handsome Dan XVI, also known as "Mugsy"

Contents

Handsome Dan I

Handsome Dan II

Handsome Dan III

Handsome Dan IV

Handsome Dan V

Handsome Dan VI

Handsome Dan VII

Handsome Dan VIII

Handsome Dan IX

Handsome Dan X

Handsome Dan XI

Handsome Dan XII

Handsome Dan XIII

Handsome Dan XIV

Handsome Dan XV

Handsome Dan XVI

Alleged bulldog strangulation

References

External links

Handsome Dan I

1889-1898 (died).

Purchased from a local blacksmith by Andrew Graves for $5.00, Handsome Dan I: 1889-1898 the first Handsome Dan founded a tradition and a dynasty by being led across the field before football and baseball games; his stuffed body keeps watch in the lobby of Yale's Payne Whitney Gymnasium, where passers-by can see the truth of the contemporary Hartford Courant's assessment of the irony inherent in his name: "In personal appearance he seemed like a cross between an alligator and a horned frog...". According to "The Philadelphia Press," Dan "would bark ferociously and work himself into physical contortions of rage never before dreamed of by a dog" when given the command to "Speak to Harvard."

Handsome Dan II

1933-1937 (died of a broken leg).

After a 35 year interval, Handsome Dan II was purchased with pennies donated by the freshman class, and given to coach Ducky Pond. Handsome Dan II: 1933-1937 Handsome Dan II was kidnapped by Harvard students the day before the 1934 Harvard-Yale football game, and Yale students were alarmed at photographs of him happily seated at the foot of the statue of John Harvard in Harvard Yard, having a snack. He died of a leg fracture received from a jump.

Handsome Dan III

1937-1938 (retired due to emotional instability).

Handsome Dan III was a huge white dog who unfortunately exhibited morbid fear of crowds and had to be retired. Handsome Dan III: 1937-1938

Handsome Dan IV

1938-1940 (retired due to injury).

Handsome Dan IV had his spine fractured by a car early in his term of office, leaving his hind legs paralyzed. Handsome Dan IV: 1938 Until he eventually died in 1940, a bulldog named Bull served in his place, becoming Handsome Dan V.

Handsome Dan V

1940-1947 (died of old age).

"Bull", brought in his youth to watch football practices by his owner, high school student Bob Day who lived near the Yale Bowl, Handsome Dan V: 1940-1947 ascended to office when Handsome Dan IV died. A great success, he loved public appearances and the adulation of crowds, was a familiar figure around the locker rooms, and joined the team on a trip to Princeton University.

Handsome Dan VI

1947-1949 (died mysteriously at age 2).

Handsome Dan VI was eight-weeks-old when he took the role, but died at age two. Handsome Dan VI: 1947-1949 It was reported that he died of fear from fireworks at the Yale-Harvard game, or of shame from seeing the Yale team lose to both Princeton and Harvard in the same year.

Handsome Dan VII

1949-1952 (retired due to emotional instability).

Handsome Dan VII was donated to football coach Herman Hickman at age 3 but he proved to have a bad temper, which suited him better in his next position as a watchdog on a Florida estate. Handsome Dan VII: 1949-1952

Handsome Dan VIII

1952-1952 (retired due to emotional instability).

Up to this point, Handsome Dans had lived at the Yale Boathouse and were cared for in a somewhat haphazard fashion.
Handsome Dan VIII, however, was owned by assistant football manager Tom Shutt, Handsome Dan VIII: 1952 only ushering in a new era of family membership for the office-holder. Nevertheless, he had to retire after only two games due to intense discomfort with public appearances.

Handsome Dan IX

1953-1959 (died of acute kidney disease).

Notable for falling off the dock at the Yale Boathouse and nearly drowning Handsome Dan IX: 1953-1959 (confirming the hypothesis that bulldogs cannot swim, due to the peculiarities of their physiques); some contemporary news reports say that he had to be resuscitated after having had his head embedded in the mud. He also appeared on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine in November, 1956. "Danny" was born September 11, 1953 and owned by John E. Sanders, Assistant Professor of Geology, after an earlier custody by physical education instructor, Alfred E. Scholz and Varsity Crew Coach Jim Rothschmidt. He made his mascot debut at the age of six weeks and an autopsy at his death revealed that he succumbed to acute nephrotic syndrome.

Handsome Dan X

1959-1969 (retired due to old age).

"Woodie" ''aka'' "Boodnick", also owned by John E. Sanders, marked a return to the high standards seen in Handsome Dan V. An impressive 74 pounds, a beloved family pet as well as winner of the best bulldog title at the Cape Cod Kennel Club conformation dog show, he was instrumental in leading Yale's football team to its 9 and 0 season in 1960. He spent several years commuting to New Haven, CT, from Dobbs Ferry, NY, prior to his retirement. His registered AKC kennel name was "Bayside Woodnought." He was sired by Ch. Bonny Boy of Fearnought out of Woodside's Christie Lou, and was a grandson of the famed Kippax Fearnought, the celebrated English import, who went Best in Show in 1954 at Westminster. He died in 1971 of natural causes.

Handsome Dan XI

1969-1974 (retired due to arthritis).

"Oliver", owned by Yale dean Horace Taft, loved football but had a tendency to doze in the sun during games. He was frequently sighted on Martha's Vineyard during the tourist season.

Handsome Dan XII

1975-1984.

"Bingo", owned by professor Rollin Osterweis, was described by her owner as "pugnacious and stubborn, but lovable". Bingo also had the distinction of being the only female Handsome Dan. Bingo was stolen by four Princeton Undergrads dressed as Yale Cheerleaders. They took "Bingo" to a friend's apartment in New York City on the run from authorities. The mastermind behind the canine-caper was Mark Hallam (1979). The group of students took Bingo back to her owner and held a press conference for her return.

Handsome Dan XIII

1984-1995; 1996(retired due to old age, twice).

"Maurice", owned by Chris Getman, was perhaps the most noteworthy of the Handsome Dans. He served in office longer than any other Handsome Dan; he was the only holder of the office to come out of retirement to serve again, due to the untimely death of his successor; and he appeared in Sports Illustrated, in 1989. His patience with the tedium of posing for professional photographers also served him well as he posed for game programs, brochures, and the 1991 Yale Christmas card, wearing a wreath and Santa Claus hat. He also appeared at swim meets, wearing a bathing suit. His love of Yale was evident in many ways: he would sing along with the Yale fight song (at least the "bow wow wow" part); he would "play dead" when asked whether he would rather die or join Harvard; and he lost his normally docile nature around mascots of opposing teams, launching assaults on the Princeton tiger mascot and the Brown University bear mascot. (There was also an unfortunate incident involving a policeman on horseback which resulted in his being ejected from the Harvard-Yale game, and Halloweens were somewhat touchy.) He died in 1997, just before turning 14.

Handsome Dan XIV

1995-1996 (died of heart attack).

"Whizzer" ''aka'' "Hetherbull", also owned by Chris Getman, was donated by Yale alumnus and bulldog breeder Bob Hetherington and boasted a pedigree fully worthy of Yale, being a descendant of 52 time best-in-show winner Hetherbull Arrogant Frigott; unfortunately, he also showed the undesirable effects of inbreeding so often seen with such a rarefied family tree, possessing a temperament so hyperexcitable that he died in office from a heart attack, and was succeeded by his predecessor and housemate.

Handsome Dan XV

1996-2005 (died).

"Louis", also donated by Bob Hetherington and owned by Chris Getman, was named after three people named Louis, including football coach Carm Louis Cozza. He died in office in January, 2005 of a possible heart attack.

Handsome Dan XVI

Handsome Dan XVI was chosen on 26 April 2005. Magnificent Mugsy Rangoon, a Bulldog from Hamden, Connecticut, was picked by a five person panel for his gregarious personality, large size (69 pounds), good health, and his ability to deal with the raucous Yale Precision Marching Band.
At the auditions, Mugsy gained great favor by focusing on a crimson blanket (representing Harvard) versus the stuffed-toy tiger (representing Princeton University). "We beat Princeton three of four years," Jeff Mroz, Yale's quarterback. "We want to beat Harvard."
Mugsy is owned by Bob Sansone, a North Haven middle school teacher.^[1]
At his first Harvard-Yale Game in 2005, Handsome Dan XVI was briefly stolen by a pair of Harvard undergraduates. The two lured him into the Harvard student section of the Yale Bowl as he chewed a toy depicting a Harvard football player. Yale University Police recovered him, unharmed but without his Yale sweater, a few minutes later.

Alleged bulldog strangulation

Apocryphal tales [1] assert that before the 1908 Yale-Harvard Game, Harvard coach Percy Haughton strangled a bulldog to death in the locker room to motivate his players.^[2] Whether this is true or not, Harvard did win 4-0.

References

1. It's Mugsy! Bulldogs Pick New Handsome Dan
2. Back in the Day: The Forward Pass

External links

★ A page of bulldog mascot logos, including Yale's (currently inoperate)

★ Yale's mascot homepage