The Story of Duke Dog: James Madison University's Beloved Mascot
James Madison University (JMU), a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, boasts a rich history and a vibrant school spirit. Founded in 1908, JMU has evolved from a normal school into a comprehensive university with a strong athletic program. A key element of that spirit is Duke Dog, the school's official mascot. This article explores the history of the Duke Dog, from its origins to its current beloved status.
The Birth of the Dukes and Duchesses
The story begins after World War II when men first enrolled at Madison College as regular session students due to a request from the Veterans Administration. In 1947, the first men's basketball team was formed, and the players chose the nickname "The Dukes" in honor of Madison President Samuel P. Duke, who served from 1919 to 1949. About the same time, the women's teams began calling themselves the "Duchesses." In earlier years, women's teams had gone by a variety of names.
The Need for a Mascot
As the men's intercollegiate athletic program expanded rapidly in the 1970s, the need arose for a mascot to generate spirit. The idea for the Duke Dog came from Dr. Ray V. Sonner, then director of public affairs. Sonner later became vice president for university relations and senior vice president. His reasoning was that the stereotypical pet for British royalty, such as a duke, would be an English bulldog.
The First Duke Dog: A Real Bulldog
Duke Dog made his first appearance in the 1972-73 school year, both as a cartoon and as a real bulldog. The same year that the Duke Dog cartoon first appeared, 1972-73, was also the year that Duke Dog - the real bulldog - made his first appearance. Like the cartoon, the appearance of the real bulldog as a mascot was orchestrated by Dr. Ray V. Sonner, director of public affairs.
The bulldog was a purebred English Bulldog who belonged to Dr. Henry A. Myers, a Madison professor of political science and history. Duke I made his first appearance at the Jan. 16, 1973, men's basketball game against George Mason University. He wore a crown and a regal purple-and-gold cape. When Duke I made his debut, the crowd in Godwin Hall exploded. Unfortunately, Duke's charm couldn't win the game for the Dukes, who lost 79-78 to George Mason in double overtime.
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The Reign of the Bulldogs: A Succession of Dukes
Following Duke I, a succession of English Bulldogs served as the university's mascot:
- Duke II: He became the official JMU mascot in April of 1978 but died that August, apparently of a sunstroke or heart attack. The 2-year-old bulldog was kept during his brief reign by head trainer Robbie Lester and his wife, cheerleading coach Marsha Lester.
- Duke III: Duke III made his debut on Jan. 12, 1980, in front of a rousing and vocal packed-house crowd in Godwin Hall as the Dukes played arch-rival Virginia Commonwealth University. Duke III was kept by Drs. William R. and Eileen Nelson. Dr. William R. Nelson was head of the department of political science and Dr. Eileen Nelson was a professor of psychology.
- Duke IV: The Duke Dog with the longest reign, Duke IV, assumed the title on Feb. 28, 1982. The 5-month-old Duke IV made his first appearance in the JMU-Richmond game, with JMU winning 66-59. Duke IV was bought by the fraternities and sororities on campus and presented to the university.
- Duke V: Designated as Duke V, the bulldog is named Seigle and owned by Harrisonburg residents, Solomon Zarchini and Mark Neofotis.
The Duke Dog Mascot: The Modern Era
An early version of a Duke Dog student mascot appeared in 1972-73 but the mascot outfit similar to the one used today did not come into use until 1982-83. The Duke Dog mascot as we know him today first appeared in the 1982-83 basketball season. There had been an earlier version of the Duke Dog mascot.
The current mascot, extremely popular with fans young and old, was the brainchild of Dr. Ray V. Sonner, the vice president for university relations who was behind the bulldog mascot and the Duke Dog cartoon. Duke Dog debuted on Nov. Even though students were on Thanksgiving break, the Convocation Center was packed for the V.M.I. game and a capacity crowd erupted when Duke Dog made his first appearance. Duke Dog brought the same magic as the bulldogs Duke III and Duke IV in producing a win in his first appearance.
Duke Dog Today
Duke Dog's physical appearance has stayed roughly the same since its debut in 1982, being a gray, anthropomorphic English bulldog standing around eight-feet-tall wearing a purple cape and a purple and gold crown atop its head.
Duke Dog is an integral part of the JMU experience. The mascot can be seen at sporting events, campus activities, and community events, embodying the spirit and pride of the university. The Duke Dog statue greets fans every day, guarding the outside of Bridgeforth Stadium and Newman Lake.
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Duke Dog in Competition
In the 2004 football season, Duke Dog competed with 11 other college mascots in Capital One's College Mascot of the Year competition. Duke Dog won its matchup each week to finish a perfect 11-0. The next closest mascot finished with a record of 6-5. Although Duke Dog overwhelmingly won in polling, the contest was based also on scores from a panel of judges, and Monte from the University of Montana ended up winning the contest overall (ironically, JMU had just defeated Montana in the I-AA football championship less than a month prior).
On September 22, 2007, Duke Dog was tackled by Chanticleer, a chicken mascot from Coastal Carolina University.
JMU Athletics: A Legacy of Success
James Madison University's athletic teams are known as the Dukes. The school colors are royal purple and gold.
Beginning in July 2022, the football program began competing in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as part of the Sun Belt Conference. Over 546 varsity athletes compete in football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball, baseball, women's lacrosse, field hockey, men's and women's golf, women's cross country and track and field, and softball.
JMU football won the NCAA Division I-AA national title in 2004, with a 13-2 record, and in 2016 with a 14-1 record going undefeated in the FCS. The 2004 squad was the only team in history to win the title after playing four straight road playoff games.
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The James Madison University's women's basketball team have won 5 national championships along with 15 conference championships while competing in the CAA. Since moving to the Sunbelt conference, the Dukes have won two regular season championship titles and one conference tournament championship in the 2022-2023 season, defeating Texas State, 81-51.
James Madison basketball opened the 2023-24 season with an upset victory over Michigan State of the Big Ten Conference. That victory was a sign of things to come for the JMU Dukes, the Wisconsin Badgers' first-round opponent in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Dukes matched No. 1 overall seed UConn for most wins of an NCAA Tournament team. After the move to the Sunbelt Conference in 2022, the Dukes won their first Sunbelt title in the 2023-2024 conference tournament championship win over Arkansas State, 91-71. This win was followed with a run in the NCAA Tournament defeating No. 5 seeded Wisconsin in a 72-61 win.
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