WABASH MAGAZINE | FALL/WINTER 2003

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Excerpts from Wally-l postings by Wabash alumni

“George was at his best in the car when we let him "drive." The dog would sit in the driver's seat like royalty while his human passenger would drive the car from the side. This never failed to get the attention of passersby who all seemed to know George by name.

From David Gillespie ’62

I am a Delt from the 1958-1962 era, which was the heyday of George Dog. George actually belonged to the next door neighbors to the "old Delt house" at 506 W. Wabash. George would not stay at home, attracted I guess to the many young men next door who gave him unending attention. So the neighbors (whose name I cannot now remember)gave him to us.

George had several litter mates around town. One belonged to the County Sheriff. If you will recall, that dog was always hanging out of the back window of the Sheriff's patrol car. Another sibling belonged to the barber who ran the shop in the downtown hotel (I can't remember the name of the hotel now). That dog seemed always to be asleep in one of the barber chairs to the point where they finally took that chair "our of service" and devoted it to the dog.

George was a "piece of work," which was, of course, no reflection on the behavior of his many masters. Like most boxers, he passed wind regularly. He loved to go to Professor Karl-Heinz Planitz's German classes because Dr. Planitz seemed to like him and spoke to him often saying, "Gaorg, hast du gas?" George would yawn and assume a new sleeping position much to the envy of we weaker German students who, sadly, would also rather have been sleeping. George attended other classes but often of his own accord wandering in and out of classrooms at will. This occurred mainly in Center and South Halls. I don't recall ever seeing George in any Division 1 buildings and wonder if there was a message in that behavior. Maybe some Division 1 types saw him there but since I avoided those places like the plague, I did not see him there. To my knowledge, no one ever objected to George's presence, only his farts. Can those be separated?

George had other attributes and idiosyncrasies. He was in his glory on dance weekends because the ladies loved him and "made over him' to excess. But George was missing certain male accouterments and never seemed to respond to this female attention like we students longed to respond. I think this frustration led George to frequently drink too much on dance weekends, an affliction which sometimes also presented itself in the behavior of his "masters." Usually though, these "masters" were the ones who did not have dates for the weekend. I can tell you from personal experience that one should not sneak up on George on the morning after a big dance night when he was "sleeping it off" behind a chair in the house library and yell. Especially if one wanted to remain free of bite marks.

George loved to sit in a chair on the front porch of the house and watch the world go by as did several of his "masters." Some of those "masters" spent too much time watching the world go by and began watching their grades and their future go by. George, of course, had no such worries. He only needed to know when his next meal was ready.

George would often take off for downtown on his own. I followed him one day and he went to the post office, the courthouse and the barber shop. I swear I think he was visiting his siblings. When I pulled up in my car (a '49 Chevy on which I could change the water pump in 30 minutes flat) he would hop in without hesitation. He was at his best in the car when we let him "drive." George would sit in the driver's seat like royalty while his human passenger would drive the car from the side. This never failed to get the attention of passersby who all seemed to know George by name.

On one occasion during winter "someone" coaxed George into the communal dorm and under the warming electric blanket of Brother Bob Charles who was not fond of George. George apparently liked the warm bed as there was no problem in getting him in the bed, under the covers and asleep (with snoring of course). Later we all heard the footsteps of Brother Charles coming down the stairs to the dorm and his waiting warm bed. I confess it was difficult not to giggle under the heavy atmosphere of anticipation. The next thing heard was George growling rather viciously and Brother Charles taking God's name in vain as he voiced his displeasure at George's presence in his bed and his anger at those who would pull such a despicable trick on him. As I remember, George finally removed himself from the warm cocoon, but not without further displays of his displeasure at the interruption, and wandered back upstairs to sleep in more hospitable environs. Brother Charles, meanwhile, was continuing to rail at unknown perpetrators while trying to "clean" his bed of George's presence.

Obviously I have fond memories of George and our time together in Crawfordsville as I am sure many of my fraternity brothers do also. George added a richness to my college experience. Fortunately, someon had the presence of mind to have George sit for a photographic portrait before his departure from this earth. To the best of my knowledge, that portrait still resides at the Crawfordsville home of fraternity brother Professor Austin Brooks, class of 1961. I saw Aus at the 40th reunion of the class of 1962 in May of this year. Sadly, I neglected to ask about the portrait of George Dog but I honestly do think about him from time to time.


“A number of dogs around town looked like Wooglin. My wife, a psychiatrist, suspects that we Betas enjoyed Wooglin's exploits and, thus, chose not to have him neutered.”

From Dr. Philip Coons ’67

I am a Beta and was at Wabash from 1963 to 1967. I think George was still alive when I arrived.

But our chapter mascot was Wooglin, a black and white collie mix.

A number of dogs around town looked like Wooglin. My wife, a psychiatrist, suspects that we Betas enjoyed Wooglin's exploits and, thus, chose not to have him neutered. Who knows?

Anyway, when I was in Crawfordsville recently I saw a stray who looked like Woogie. Perhaps we Betas were proud of his genetic lineage!

Woogie, like other campus dogs, was prone to flatulence. He could empty the Beta TV room quite rapidly. Departing chapter members would whine, "Aw, Woogie," in their haste to exit.

We Betas used to have a song with the words, "go to Wooglin when we die." After being around Woogie, I was not sure that I wanted to go there. It could be a smelly place!

In my last year or so, a companion was provided for Wooglin. Fritz was a St. Bernard. I felt really sorry for the pledges who had to clean up his drool. One would have to change clothes after one of his dog kisses.“Word got to the Phi Delts in Crawfordsville that we should have a "marriage" of the two dogs.”


From Earl Johnson, USAF Maj. Gen (Ret.)

OK, gang, You asked for it:

It was in the midst of the Depression Years and was most certainly the Year 1934. I was in my Freshman Year.

The Phi Delts at Wabash had "Old Ben" .a St. Bernard male, a gift of Ben Evans, Class of the 1920's somewhere. The Sigma Chi's at Depauw had a female Great Dane, in a heat, and somehow word got to the Phi Delts in Crawfordsville that we should have a "marriage" of the two dogs.

The "ceremony" took place on the old eastside porch of the old Phi Delt house and was attended by at least forty or fifty students several of whom were Sigma Chi's from Depauw. The reason I know all this was that I was a Phi Delt pledge and had to attend the two dogs after the "marriage" ceremony since they did not want to leave each other.

In due time the female Great Dane from Depauw delivered either 9 or 12 puppies and the agreement was that Wabash would get half of them and Depau could keep half. So in a few weeks half-breed puppies from Depauw began to appear on the Wabash campus. I know one went to the Phi Gam house, another to the Sigma Chi's, perhaps the Kappa Sigs got one, but in any event these pups were all over the campus and in the classrooms in due time. You could tell they were Old Ben's off-spring for he had weak hind legs and all the pups had "weak hind legs".

When I had graduated in 1938 and had gone off to war in 1941, the off-springs of this "marriage" were still evident on the Wabash campus. This is one of the reasons if you were to go by the Phi Delt house today (Year 2002) you will see a male, St. Bernard mascot named "General III" which is in memory of one of the great periods of my life.“I humbly suggested that rather than a dog we buy ourselves an elk which would distinguish Kappa Sigma from every other frat on campus.”

From Page Stephens

The only dog I had any problem with was the late and lamented Delt's dog, George, who was so flatulent that he could clear out a lecture hall in a few minutes if given the chance. Fortunately the Delts never brought him into a major class which was held in a large room but some of them did bring him along when they attended one of their upper level courses in Professor Russell's classes which he held in his office in Yandes and George's farts could make the atmosphere in the room unbearable in a few minutes.

One day, back when I was still a member of Kappa SIG, the chapter debated whether or not we should get ourselves a dog like so many other frats had.

I humbly suggested that rather than a dog we buy ourselves an elk which would distinguish KS from every other frat on campus so that when a newcomer to the campus first saw it grazing peacefully on the campus they could be told that it was the Kappa Sigma elk.

For reasons which are still beyond me, my suggestion was turned down.


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