November 17, 1978
Who's that student with the funny nose?
Has anyone noticed an unusual-looking student lurking around the campus lately? Yes, that is the one—the guy with the funny nose and glasses that is always wearing a shaggy coat, and never says a word.
His name is Casey, and, by the way, he is a dog. Yes, he really does wear glasses, but only when he types. As for “lurking” around, he only appears to be lurking because of his ground-hugging body and sagging stomach.
Casey belongs to Dr. DeWitte Holland, head of the Department of Communications, who describes Casey as a “warm, loving, faithful” dog.
Casey has been attending Lamar for 5 1/2 years now in various capacities. He serves as Dr. Holland’s righthand—unh—man, and as a personal escort service for the ladies in the speech office.
Casey also enjoys playing the part of the carefree hoodlum, nonchalantly strolling around the campus looking for trouble.
In addition, like most students, Casey also attends classes. To their envy, however, Casey can come and go as he pleases, attending classes only when he is in the mood.
“Whenever the speaker or teacher becomes too boring,” Dr. Holland said, “Casey looks up at him, yawns widely, and settles down to a nap at his feet.”
Casey is a very jealous dog, according to Dr. Holland. A guest speaker once attended Dr. Holland’s Business and Professional Speaking class to lecture on the training of a dog.
Casey, However, was not too pleased with the speaker’s visual aid. Another four-legged creature lapping up all the attention just did not agree with Casey. “He’s a very easy dog to please, as long as he receives his fair amount of attention,” Dr. Holland added.
Casey is a very popular dog on campus, with friends in high places. He seems closet, however, to the people in the Music-Speech Building, where he spends most of his time.
“He will go anywhere with the ladies in the speech office, and they take good care of him,” Dr. Holland said. Casey, in turn, takes good care of the ladies. When a suspicious-looking stranger walked in one day, Casey growled a warning and took a bite out of the stranger’s leg.
Dr. Holland described Casey as a “pretty obedient dog.” On the way to school, he sits very properly in the back seat with his head held arrogantly out the window. Instead of jumping the front seat as would an uncivilized dog, Casey calmly waits for Dr. Holland to open the door for him.
“Sometimes I leave Casey at the door of the faculty dining room, and he sits outside waiting for me,” Dr. Holland said. “That is, unless I take too long.”
In that event, Casey roams the campus, later returning to the office he and Dr. Holland share in the Music-Speech Building.
Casey’s blue typewriter, set on a low table beside Dr. Holland’s desk, shows that Casey does take his studies seriously from time to time.
His choice of four-legged friends also reflects his cultural and educational background. “Casey will only associate with one dog on our block, whose name is Martini,” Dr. Holland said. “I could never understand why they got along so well, that is, until I learned that Martini was a college dog too.”
Martini lived in the dorms on campus while attending North Texas State University in Denton. “He knocks on the back door, I let him in, and off he and Casey go,” Dr. Holland said. “I don’t know, I guess they have a lot to talk about.”
The students coming in and out of the Music-Speech Building also seem to find a lot to say to Casey. For a guy with such a funny nose, he gets more than his share of sweet smiles and affectionate pats.
And why not? Casey is a good listener—and he never tells a secret.
Compiled from the archives by Ja'Leigh Cerf.