In the fall of 1899, five Louisiana Tech students were on their way home from class when they noticed a quiet, old bulldog sitting alone under a tree near campus. Assuming the dog was a stray, they fed him all the food they had with them and continued on their way.

When these young men reached the boarding house where they lived, they discovered the bulldog had followed them. They liked the bulldog and did not want to send him away. They got permission from the homeowner to let him sleep in the kitchen for the night. However, they would have to make other plans the next day.

During the night, a fire broke out in the house and the bulldog was the first to awake. The dog ran from room to room tugging at the sheets of the beds to wake up the students and the owner. Once the owner and the students had safely gathered outside, they were horrified to discover that one boy was still in the house. By this time, the house was nearly engulfed in flames. Before the boys had time to react, they saw the bulldog run back into the burning house. Moments later, the final student ran out to safety. They all waited for the bulldog to come out, too, but it never did.

By dawn, the fire was out and the boys searched what remained of the house in hopes of finding the bulldog alive. After a short time, they found the old dog lying in an unburned corner of the house. The smoke and heat had been too much. The heroic bulldog didn’t make it.

With tears in their eyes, the young men picked up the lifeless body, and without saying a word, walked back to the campus. When they reached the tree where they had met the bulldog only the day before, they dug a grave. Not wanting the bulldog to lie uncovered, two students took off their jackets and wrapped the bulldog. One jacket was red, the other blue.

Soon, the news of the stray bulldog spread across Tech’s campus. Everyone grieved and felt a bond with the bulldog that they never knew. A loving, old bulldog had become the first Tech hero.

A year after the bulldog’s death, Tech began making plans to start its first football team and it needed a mascot and school colors. The students voted unanimously to become the Bulldogs in honor of Tech’s first hero. The school colors were chosen to be red and blue in recognition of the colors the bulldog was buried in.

Today, no one is sure where the old bulldog is buried or even the names of the young men who honored it. However, one thing is certain. The spirit of the dog is still alive, and the love and loyalty it displayed has been a trademark of Tech people through many generations. Questions about the events long ago will always exist, but be assured that somewhere on the Tech campus lie the remains of a brave, old bulldog wrapped in red and blue.