The New York Historical (formerly The New-York Historical Society) recently opened a new exhibition on Pets and the City, where visitors can learn about New Yorkers and their beloved animal companions. Columbia University in the City of New York has also had a few four-legged best friends over the years. Here are some of our favorites who have left their paw prints in the archives.
Found in the Office of the Superintendent records is this Dog License from August, 1903. Columbia University seems to have been the proud dog-parents of Bonne, a 2-year-old Scotch Collie. Frederick A. Goetze, who was then the Superintendent of the new grounds in Morningside Heights, registered Bonne as the official campus dog with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for $2.
But Bonne was not alone on campus. When Columbia moved to Morningside Heights in 1897, it took over what had been the Bloomingdale Asylum facilities. Not only were some hospital buildings repurposed for classrooms but Columbia also relied on the expertise of the Asylum’s groundskeeper and gardener Jared Spencer. A campus character, he was better known by the students as “Old Man Spencer” and he was always seen with his “inevitable companion, the unpedigreed canine ‘Dusty’.” In keeping with his previous role (or was it?), Spencer used to refer to all Columbia faculty, students and alums as “the inmates.”
In 1917, Columbia and the Presbyterian Hospital built the first American field hospital in the US on the athletic grounds up in the Bronx known as the Columbia Oval. The Columbia War Hospital was soon officially turned over to the War Department. Between August 1917 and October 1919, General Hospital No. 1 cared for over 32,000 military members and at least this one happy dog. A Belgian war dog who had been shot in the leg in Brussels was adopted by the unit and here he is showing off his now-recovered leaping abilities.
Much more recently, at the second ever “Take Your Daughters to Work Day” in April 1994, President George Rupp’s wife, Nancy Rupp led a group of young women on a tour of the President’s House at 60 Morningside Drive. The Rupps had recently moved into President’s House in the fall and were the first full time residents of the House since 1980. This photo of the second floor landing gives us a peek inside the House, but, more importantly, we can also see the Rupp family dog, the first canine ever to live in the President’s House.
Our last beloved campus pet was not of the canine variety but she occupies a very special place in Columbia lore. Matilda the Harlem Goat belonged not to Columbia, but to Patrick Riley who lived on a farm on the northeast corner of 120th Street and Amsterdam. This was also in the very early days of Columbia on Morningside Heights, when there were still farms surrounding the campus. According to the legend, Riley “lent” Matilda to students (mostly for pranks). When Matilda died in 1914, Columbia students held a funeral, with a procession in academic gowns and even performed a mournful song in her honor. Charles Friedgen, the owner of a drugstore on Amsterdam Avenue, had Matilda’s remains stuffed and preserved. She was on display in the store’s window until 1960. There was even talk of the New-York Historical Society claiming Matilda’s remains when the store closed, but her final fate is unknown. However, Matilda lives on in a children’s book, Matilda by Le Grande, from 1956. In the book, Matilda saves the day at a Columbia football game. She headbutted the fullback who had fallen asleep so he manages to score the winning touchdown. For her heroic assist, Matilda is declared an honorary student. For us archivists, the book ends on a rather unexpected (and somewhat scary) note: “All these things were written in the records of Columbia University. They would be well known today except for one thing: Matilda ate the records.”
The Pets and the City exhibition at the New York Historical runs through April 20, 2025.