Tiger

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Tiger Tales

Max Richburg...During my AU FIJI period (1963-1967) we were blest with honorable and honorary membership by a wonderful spirit known as Tiger. Often have I thought of that wonderful dog, each recollection bringing warmth to my heart and a smile to my face. He always was ready, willing, and able to accompany any FIJI anywhere at any time. If ever a dog had a smile on his face, Tiger did! I recall relaxed summer classes when Tiger accompanied me into the class room and slept by my desk until the bell rang. I recall one such class in Ross Hall when the bell rang, Tiger ran to the door, and the professor called him back in, saying he was not through with the lecture. If ever a dog looked embarrassed, it was then.

I am sure that he has passed on to the canine spiritual world. When? Does anyone have a digital photo? He appeared to have been the most perfect of dogs, but what type of canine was he? A guess would be that he was the product of a union between a German shepherd and a golden retriever, but is that guess correct? He seemed to combine the short hair, form, and intelligence of the German shepherd with the coloring and disposition of the golden retriever. Where did he originate? I would like to attempt to have such a dog bred; if he or she were half the dog as Tiger, I would be happy. To whom within the chapter should thanks be given for bringing in this wonderful spirit? Make sure that person is recognized! Make sure such an animal is a part of the AU FIJI world now and forever! All will be blest!

I recall that during one summer semester, while walking with Tiger across the lawn and near the trees between the library and the FIJI house, Tiger caught a squirrel by the tail. Unfortunately, the squirrel's business end was available, and Tiger howled when the squirrel bit him on the snout. I often later saw Tiger chase squirrels ('Its my nature,' he often said), but never again did I see him catch one. As Ben Franklin said, 'That which hurts, instructs!'

Ben Spratling and I often enjoyed Tiger's company in our dorm room. Naturally, while we hit the books, Tiger merely rested for the next chase. However, even while asleep, one could tell that the demon squirrels came forth in nightmares, as Tiger's feet would move as though in a chase in a dream. Occasionally, when Tiger was asleep, but not chasing, we would whisper 'squirrel' into his ear, and Tiger immediately would commence the chase for the devils.

Finally, the photos added by Don Craft bring back another memory. When Tiger was resting on a front portico (as seen in the photos), one merely had to sit down beside him and, again, whisper 'squirrel.' His ears perked and he surveyed across South College Street for the furry rodents.

Alas, such wonderful memories! While, unlike the song, we knew those days would end, my friend, nonetheless it is delightful to have them journey back from the little pinkish, gray cells, Mon Ami!

Russell McWhorter Cunningham III...Rodney Powell provided Tiger when he was just past puppyhood. His breed was thoroughly bred; a proper representation of his neighborhood. I am looking forward to the reunion.

Mel Pulliam...Thanks for the Tiger memories. I remember Tiger, but not too many of his exploits outlined in your message. Would also like to know what happened to him.

Lyn Scarbrough...In the journalism curriculum, we had to take Photojournalism under Professor Burnett to earn the degree. In that course, every student had to do a photojournalism project, taking all of the photos, developing them, making the prints and preparing them in a scrapbook. For my project, I chose "A Day in the Life of Tiger."

I spent almost an entire day following Tiger anywhere that he went, camera in hand and clicking away. We covered a lot of the campus that day, several times back and forth across the library lawn, outside classrooms where fraternity brothers were in class. One time I got up in a tree so Tiger didn't know I was there; caught him getting after some squirrels. ... also a dog of the opposite sex. (Those photos were not included in the scrapbook!) Everything from sleeping in the back yard to standing with Willie Mae and Pearl was photographed. Sometimes he was a ham, like he knew he was the star, so he posed for the camera. (We were limited as to the number of photos that could be in the scrapbook, so many photos were left out.)

I got an A for the project and we placed the scrapbook in the living room of the main house, where it stayed for many years. Several years after my graduation, I would still see the Tiger scrapbook out in the living room area on display for brothers of later years that would only know Tiger by reputation. Unfortunately, the Tiger scrapbook is only a memory. Like many other things, it was apparently misplaced or discarded when the original house was torn down in the 1980s. I've spent a lot of time at the new house over the past decade and have never seen a sign of the scrapbook or talked to anyone who knew anything about it. If anybody knows what happened to that old scrapbook, it would be great to know.

Jack Riley...I remember when they cordoned off the campus for the enrollment of Harold Franklin (first black student) and you had to have an ID card to enter campus. We made Tiger an ID card to hang around his neck, with a large photo/drawing of a dog, because we KNEW he had to be able to get on campus. I think Tiger was a spiritual descendant of Ole Yeller -- maybe a genetic one as well.

Tom Hooten...Remember when... Ed Mixon used to say, "Hey Tiger, want some ice cream?" Tiger would be gone like a shot, and we'd find him sitting impatiently in the back seat of Ed's Ford convertible. We would drive him up town and buy him a cup of vanilla, and he would eat every drop as we rode home, never getting a drop in the car. I also remember his dark side; he was arrested several times by the campus cops for trying to catch the gold fish in the fountain outside the student union. War Eagle!

David Housel...Haven't thought about Tiger in years and years, but I certainly remember him. He was a God--or lived like a God.

Don Craft...My memories of Tiger are similar--what a great dog for us to have had! He followed me to classes, also, and I always felt honored.

Jim Thomas...I, too, have fond memories of Tiger, and have often told tales of his exploits. Remember how to use to chase the squirrels in the park across from the Fiji house? I think he was brought to the house by Ed Mixon, but I'm not sure.

My favorite memory of Tiger is how he used to chase the squirrels across the street from the house. He would sit on the pillars of the front steps looking regal until he spotted some action, then dash across the street to put them up a tree. He always seemed to time his dashes perfectly to mesh with the traffic. Don't know what he would have done had he actually caught one of those squirrels !

Susan, Rob White's wife: I am sure many of you remember how Tiger had a class schedule each quarter. He would leave the house with someone at 8:00. Somewhere between the 8:00 class and the 9:00 class, he would meet another Fiji and attend his class. This went on for most of the day. I don't know if Tiger ever had any labs, but some of you may remember. The only quarter that Rob and I had a class together, Tiger decided he needed to learn Economics. Each day, he would lie down between us, and snooze away the class. (We sure did envy him!). One day, the class had just begun, when Tiger suddenly sat up, his stomach rolling, and after making a terrible noise for a couple of minutes, left his breakfast on the classroom floor. Rob and I just looked at each other, while other students grabbed their books and papers, and gave us some nasty glances. Rob tore a piece of paper from a notebook and placed it over the evidence. A few minutes later, Tiger sat up and repeated the performance, carefully landing his lunch on top of the paper. Another sheet of paper followed the first. For a while, all was quiet. We began to breathe easier as the end of the class approached, but five minutes before 12:00, Tiger again sat up and repeated the performance. When the bell finally rang, two students and a dog were the first ones out of the door ! I never learned if the professor was aware of the hour's activities.

Another "Tiger Tale" . When we were first married, we lived in the "married student" apartments. Shortly after we moved in, a group of Fijis, including Tiger, came to visit. Tiger sniffed around the barely furnished two rooms, walked up to our bookcase, on which we had splurged $15.00, and hiked his leg. I still have that bookcase, and value its connection to Tiger. Tiger, if you are listening somewhere out there, you can mark my furniture any time! Tiger was indeed a treasure to us all.