Handsome Dan

Handsome Dan is the mascot of Yale University's athletic teams, a bulldog. In addition to a person wearing a costume, the position is filled by an actual bulldog, the honor being transferred to another upon death or retirement. At first glance the job would seem to be largely ceremonial in nature, mainly consisting of being kept on leash on the sidelines at Yale football games and dodging out of bounds players; however, as can be seen below, not every dog can successfully rise to the awesome level of responsibility. Showing animosity towards people wearing crimson, the color of Harvard uniforms, is a definite plus.

Since the inception of the tradition in 1889, 16 dogs have held the position:

Handsome Dan I

1889-1898 (died). Purchased from a local blacksmith by Andrew Graves for $5.00, 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...".

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. Kidnapped by Harvard students in 1934 the day before the Harvard-Yale football game, he became an apparent victim of Stockholm syndrome; photographs show him happily seated at the foot of the statue of John Harvard in Harvard Yard, having a snack.

Handsome Dan III

1937-1938 (retired due to emotional instability). A miserable failure, who exhibited morbid fear of crowds and had to be shamefacedly retired.

Handsome Dan IV

1938-1940 (retired due to injury). Had his spine fractured by a car early in his term of office; served in absentia until he eventually died in 1940.

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, 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.

Handsome Dan VI

1947-1949 (died mysteriously at age 2). Variously reported to have 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). Donated to football coach Herman Hickman at age 3 but proved to have a bad temper, which suited him better in his next position as a watchdog on a Florida estate.

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, 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 (confirming the hypothesis that bulldogs cannot swim, due to the pecularities of their physiques); some contemporary news reports say that he had to be resuscitated after having had his head imbedded in the mud. He also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in November, 1956.

Handsome Dan X

1959-1969 (retired due to old age). "Woodie" aka "Boodnick", owned by John 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 dog show, he was instrumental in leading Yale's football team to its 9 and 0 season in 1960. 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.

Handsome Dan XIII

1984-1995; 1996-1996 (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 unfortunate effects of inbreeding so often seen with such a rarified 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.

Handsome Dan XVI

Handsome Dan XVI was chosen on 26 April 2005. Magnificent Mugsy Rangoon, an English Bulldog from Hamden, CT, 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. Mugsy is owned by Bob Sansone, a local middle school teacher.

External links

• A page of bulldog mascot logos, including Yale's
• Yale's mascot homepage
• Handsome Dan's profile on thefacebook