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University of Minnesota

Kathryn A. Martin Library

The Bulldog’s Tail: Earning its pedigree since 1933

A history of the University of Minnesota Duluth mascot

Bulldog Depictions

UMD’s first official bulldog logo was introduced during the 1969-1970 school year. Previous bulldog images varied greatly and were seldom used consistently. The new logo was a bulldog head that was often given a body for football, hockey, and basketball.

Team photograph of eleven female athletes

Female athletes wear uniforms with homemade bulldog emblems. This photo appeared in the 1935 Chronicle (UMD's yearbook).

Two make students crouching in front of an archway, holding a cardboard sign with a picture of a bulldog

Members of the Barkers pose with a bulldog sign. The Barkers were a pep club that worked to instill school spirit and assisted with pep assemblies, cheerleading, and Homecoming. This photo appeared in the 1940 Chronicle.

Five cheerleaders, three standing and two kneeling and holding paper megaphones. A model bulldog is sitting between the two kneeling cheerleaders.

DSTC cheerleaders pose with an artificial bulldog. Standing: Alyce Taylor, Harold Steffen, Helen Carlson. Kneeling: Philip Pfenninger, Frank Goggins. This photo appeared in the 1940 Chronicle.

Two photographs of cars decorated for a parade. Top photo shows the full car, covered with streamers and with a bulldog model standing on top of the car. Bottom photograph shows three female students wearing coats standing next to the same car, holding a banner with a drawing of a bulldog.

The 1940 Homecoming parade featured sedans decorated with streamers and painted bulldogs. This photo appeared in the 1941 Chronicle.

A female student standing on a wooden ladder, hanging steamers on a wall with a painted bulldog.

A student hangs green and gold streamers next to a bulldog painted on a wall for a 1940s Homecoming.

Painting of bulldog mascot with streamers near the top of its head

The DSTC bulldog adorned with streamers for a 1940s Homecoming at Old Main.

Line of cars on a downtown Duluth street. Cars are decorated with streamers and painted bulldogs. Other cars are parked on the side of the street, and two-and-three story buildings are visible on one side of the street. Students are visible in some cars.

The 1941 Homecoming parade featured sedans decorated with streamers and painted bulldogs.

A female cheerleader kneeling on a floor. The feet and legs of two other cheerleaders standing on wooden stools are visible in the background.

This cheerleader’s sweater had a bulldog patch on the chest. This photo appeared in the 1946 Chronicle.

Embossed image of a bulldog head. The bulldog is green on a green background, with a gold spiked collar.

This bulldog, in the DSTC colors of green and gold, was on the cover of the 1947 Chronicle yearbook.

Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright, wearing a hat and smoking a pipe.Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright, sweeping with a broom.Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright by a lectern, wearing a suit and eyeglasses, and holding a rolled-up paper.Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright, wearing a graduation robe and cap, and holding a diploma.Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright in front of goal posts, dressed in a skirt and sweater and wearing a crown. Caption below the image reads "Our Queen."Black-and-white drawing of a cartoon bulldog standing upright, wearing ice skates and carrying a hockey stick. A hockey puck is below the puck.

These characters fill the pages of the 1947 Chronicle, which also had a bulldog on the cover. Chronicle 1947 (both cover pages and individual drawings).

Team photograph, with seven women standing and seven women seated in front. All are wearing matching sweaters. One of the seated women is holding a ball.

The DSTC women’s basketball team had bulldog heads on their sweatshirts. This photo appeared in the 1947 Chronicle.

Four women seated outdoors in front of a building. One is wearing a freshman beanie and holding a small bulldog toy.

The 1954 Freshman Princess (second from right) holds a toy bulldog.

Cartoon bulldog wearing shoes with cleats.

Undated photo of a Bulldog drawing.

Line drawing of bulldog mascot on yellow background. Bulldog is wearing a UMD hat and sweater.

This bulldog, similar to the Vicky cartoon that appeared in the new student handbook, was on the cover of the 1966-67 Buzz Book. Buzz Books were a directory with names and photos of incoming freshmen.

Newsprint advertisement featuring a line drawing of a cartoon bulldog wearing a beanie and fur coat and holding a UMD flag.

This festive Bulldog advertised Homecoming 1988 activities in the UMD Statesman.

Black-and-white line drawing of bulldog mascot standing upright, bouncing basketball.Black-and-white line drawing of bulldog mascot standing upright, holding basketball.Black-and-white drawing of bulldog mascot standing upright holding hockey stick.

These bulldogs appeared on season ticket advertisements in 1991.

Cover of 1983-84 Winter Sports Schedule with red and gold cartoon bulldog.

The forward-facing bulldog was popular from the mid-1970s to the early-1990s.

Gold lettering reading "bulldogs athletic department" with red and gold cartoon bulldog.

Athletics Department letterhead from 1982.

Current bulldog mascot logo, showing a yellow bulldog head in profile with a red collar.

Jesse Bodell updated the bulldog logo to its current design in 1998.

Contact Us:

Email: libarchives@d.umn.edu

Phone: (218) 726-8526

Location: Kathryn A. Martin Library
Library Annex 202 (see map)