Post written by Aarika Dobbins and Jessica Fleener
“Empire” was a Great Dane owned and raised by Colonel LeRoy Vernon Patch of Payette, Idaho. The dog was 8 months old when he was selected to be the Vandals mascot. The Payette Enterprise noted that the dog would travel to Moscow with the owner’s son, Vernon T. Patch, who was a senior at UI at the time, and the dog would reside in the Kappa Sigma house while on campus.
During the fall of 1923, Empire attended rallies, visited the Gonzaga bulldog to promote the UI-Gonzaga football game, traveled to California for a football game at Stanford, and even led the Vandal Pep Band during the 1923 Armistice Parade in Boise. He was insured for $200 and it was said that the dog’s appearance matched the viciousness of the Vandal athletes.
In March of 1924, that appearance of viciousness concerned UI President Upham, who worried that frightened Moscow citizens might poison the large dog. So it was decided to send Empire home to Payette for the rest of the Summer (Spring).
During his stay in Payette, however, Empire vanished. Newspaper articles were published about the missing animal throughout the summer and early fall. A September 1924 Argonaut article mentions the loss of the mascot, and although the writer states that the dog was stolen, there are no other reports confirming that to be true (Campus.)
The 1924 Gem of the Mountains yearbook has artwork in the margins depicting Empire with his signature red and gold blanket as well as photos with students on campus.
One final photo in the yearbook shows Empire with a caption that reads “gone but not forgotten”
No further information on what happened to Empire could be found.
Resources
Spring to Witness Passing of “Emp” as Vandal mascot, Argonaut, 1924 Mar 19
Campus Regrets Loss of Mascot, “Empire”, Argonaut, 1924 Sept 19