March 25, 2008

PITTSBURGH -– Beating out everything from robots to bagpipers, the Scottish terrier finally got its due as the official mascot of Carnegie Mellon University last year.

But even bigger news came on Monday, when the university announced that it’s recently heralded mascot was soon going to be living and breathing on campus.

A “Scottie dog” is being given to the university by comedian Bill Cosby, who delivered last year’s commencement address -- which is when he got the idea for the gift.

During the ceremony Cosby walked to the podium with Murray, a Scottish terrier, that will be cared for by civil and environmental engineering professor Larry Cartwright.

Cartwright will assume ownership of the living school mascot and its training in the months leading to the terrier’s campus debut this fall.

In a statement released by the university, Cosby spoke of the importance of students having varied interests outside of academic work, where having the chance to take pride and ownership in a dog can raise “one’s self esteem.”

School officials hope the terrier, which will come from a Calgary, Canada breeder, will spark greater enthusiasm among students and other supporters.

When the mascot was chosen, 78 percent of the student body favored the terrier, while 25 percent of alumni believe the Scottish terrier had always been the school’s official mascot.

The university, which was established in 1900, has had a long-standing relationship with the terrier, but never named it the official mascot. Now it’s set in stone -– and fur, and a dog house is being built.

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Bill Schackner, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contributed to this report.