Athletes often come out of retirement to play another season. Yale mascots
also get that urge. Maurice, who was donated to Yale by Mrs. Edward Curtis
(a graduate of Cornell in 1957), in the memory of her father, Arthur C.
Keller, Yale Class of 1925 (died in 1983), did just that when his successor
was felled by an illness. He is the only Yale bulldog to come out of retirement
to serve another year. Whizzer, Dan XIV, mascoted for one academic year
before passing away in the summer heat of 1996. Maurice, technically both
Dan XIII and XV, still resides with Chris Getman, Yale Class of 1964,
here in New Haven.
He is registered with the AKC as Curtis' Hill and Dale Law, and the son
and grandson of National Specialty winner Ch. Dingman's Hunk of Hetherbull
and Ch. Marinebull's All the Way, respectively. (See attached 4-generation
Certified Pedigree papers.) He was 5 months old when given to Yale. A
white dog with a brindle patch on the right side over the left eye and
ear, and another brindle patch on the right side of the back toward the
tail.
The official presentation of Handsome Dan XIII was at the Yale-Cornell
football game held on November 3, 1984, as requested by Mrs. Curtis.
Late December of 1988, Maurice was hit by a car near East Rock Park and
required 3 pins in his hip.
Maurice has his picture in almost every printed matter which the Department
of Athletics produces, i.e. programs, brochures, etc. In fact, the Department
selected Maurice to be on the cover of the Christmas card in 1991. He
sat for almost one hour while a wreath and a Santa hat was put on and
taken off his neck and head. He was also seen at the swim meets with his
"bathing suit" on.
