The Depression Years
In 1932 T.F. Green added to his bear legacy with the donation of a bronze replica of a 1904 drinking fountain in the public square of Breslau, Germany. The statue, which quickly gained the nickname “lapping bear” was placed in the Faunce House courtyard. Two freshmen sporting their beanies are shown getting acquainted with the new arrival, which expelled water from its nostrils.
As the Great Depression waned, Brown alumni decided it was time for Bruno III. Over the objections of the Athletic Council and with the help of the City of Pawtucket which agreed to house and feed a bear at no cost to the University, an orphaned bear cub continued Brown’s mascot history. A gift from the Governor of Maine, Ruthie is pictured arriving by plane in Boston on April 20, 1936. The Bear had a busy schedule, hosting a “mascot party” for her counterparts from area colleges, growling a radio greeting to alumni, and attending a Brown-Tufts baseball game in Medford. The highlight of her Boston stay was the Boston Brown Club banquet, where Maine Governor Brann presented Bruno III to Brown President Barbour. In May Ruthie attended the Class of 1936 Spring Day. This bear gained national attention at her first football game when she broke loose at halftime and climbed a nearby tree. It took hours to dislodge her, and with guns drawn and orders to “shoot the bear if necessary, but not your fellow officers”, Providence’s finest managed to cage the snarling bear. Ruthie was returned to her home at Slater Park, ending her brief career. On October 12, 1937 a student petition was initiated to obtain a new mascot in hopes of creating more Brown spirit. A few days later members of the Owl and Ring Society drove to New Hampshire and purchased a nine month old Canadian bear, whose campus home was the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house. A “Two Bits For Bruno” campaign ultimately netted only $70 of the $150 goal. Pictured in his freshman beanie with Owl and Ring keepers, Bruno IV made his debut at the Dartmouth game, where he somersaulted and chased the Dartmouth Indian mascot from the gridiron.
In 1939 another Benson’s Animal Farm bear was procured to replace its 1938 predecessor “Buster Brown,” who grew too large to be handled safely. Bruno V took up residence in the back yard of the Phi Kappa Psi house. He suffered from ill health all season long and died suddenly on December 2. The Daily Herald’s disclaimer stated that Bruno “has been on a strict diet and received the best of care.” In a testament to the mascot’s popularity, hundreds attended a funeral service on the Middle Campus and the interment at Aldrich Field.
