Gonzaga's live mascot, a pure bred English Bulldog, was presented to the Gonzaga athletic department following the 1999 NCAA Basketball season in which the Bulldogs reached the Final Eight.

The Bulldog was presented by Spokane Radio Station, 105.7 FM The Peak, a member of the Citadel Communications radio family. The Bulldog pup was only 16 weeks old when he was given to Gonzaga.

The Bulldog was named "Q" after Gonzaga senior point guard Quentin Hall, a member of the 1999 team that helped place Gonzaga on the college basketball map. Hall was named to the All-West Region team after the Bulldogs lost to eventual National Champion Connecticut, 67-62 in the West Regional Championship.

Q currently lives with a member of the Gonzaga athletic department and is a regular fixture at Bulldogs athletic events.

No one is certain how many live bulldog mascots have held this position during Gonzaga's athletic history. Some have distinguished themselves and others have had a short life. The first bulldog apparently was "Teddy Gonzaga," a tiny bull terrier as reported by the newspaper in 1921.

In the late 1940's, "Corrigan," named afer the daredevil aviator Wrong Way Corrigan, died with five other dogs who were fed poisoned meat. Another, "Finnegan McGinty the First," (Corky) replaced Corrigan in 1949. After Corky died, a local kennel donated a new bulldog mascot, but the dog died four days later of an unknown disease.

A female dog was donated in April 1951 and a contest was held to name the dog. The name "Bullet" was chosen and the winner of the contest received a carton of Chesterfield cigarettes.

Other mascots have made a name for themselves during their reign as the Gonzaga live mascot. "Salty," distinguished himself in Gonzaga basketball history when during the 1966-67 season he ran out on the court and bit a referee who had made a bad call against Gonzaga.

The last live mascot prior to "Q" was "General Chesty Puller, a 1 1/2 year old English Bulldog that was purchased by Gonzaga students in 1970. Named after United States Marine General Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller, the most decorated man in Marine history, Chesty served until the late 1970's.

* Information on Gonzaga live mascots provided by Gonzaga Archives and compiled by Gonzaga Assistant Professor, Stephanie Edwards Plowman.