1897 Yale Graduation photo with Handsome Dan

Yale was one of the first colleges to use a live mascot during sporting events.  Even though Handsome Dan was not the first bulldog at Yale, he eventually became the most popular.  Andrew Graves a football player, and member of the crew team bought Dan in 1889.  He soon became a fixture at Yale sporting events.   One of the tricks he was known for was when someone told him to “speak to Harvard” he would snarl and bark ferociously.

Andy Graves graduated in 1892 but Dan would continue being the mascot.  When he was out of town Dan would stay with his brother William Graves who also attended Yale.  In addition to his full time mascot duties Dan went on to win 30 awards at dog shows.

This photo is the graduation photo of the 1897 Sheffield School at Yale with William Graves posing with Handsome Dan.  Dan would pass away later in 1897.  He would end up being taxidermied and continues to be displayed at Yale to this day.  The next Handsome Dan did not appear at Yale until 1933.   They are now on Handsome Dan XIX.

1897 Yale football team photo Yale Field

I was gifted this great photo from a friend.  I like this one for a couple of reasons.  One being that you can see Yale Field in the background.  This is also one of the earliest and best images of a player in a head harness with Charles Chadwick in the middle. 

 

Harvard’s first mascot John the Orange Man Imperial Cabinet Photo

      Here is a wonderful piece of Harvard history consisting of a large, signed photo of John “the Orange Man” Lovett.  John immigrated from Ireland around the time of the potato famine in the 1840s and ended up in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He would work odd jobs around the area and in 1858 he began selling fruit in Harvard Square.

      It was said in 1858 that he went to Soldier Field to watch the Harvard men play baseball.  John ended up bringing them Irish sweet water consisting of water, molasses and vinegar.  He would continue to attend sporting events and became a popular fixture among the Harvard men.  Along with his donkey Radcliffe they became the first mascots for Harvard.  

     In 1891 the Boston Daily Globe dubbed him the most popular man at Harvard.  It was rumored that in addition to his fruit selling business he was sneaking liquor to the students in what was during this time a dry campus.  John would pass away from illness in 1906 after nearly 50 years being a fixture of Harvard and Cambridge.