In the late spring or early fall, there was no air conditioning in Dublin High School, so every window and door was open. It was during a warm day in 1949 that a dog that probably didn’t have a home, wandered into the building.
The dog hung around for a while, probably because students petted him and loved having him at school. Elmo Hallmark, a gentleman in town was the distributer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Dublin. Many of the students had paper routes in town and threw papers for him. So when it came time to name their new dog, they named it after their good friend Elmo. (interview with Harrell Gilbreath)
Elmo would take a nap in one classroom and when he needed a change, he would go to another room. Between classes, the students would stop and give Elmo a few brushes with their hands. Of course, he loved the attention. The superintendent of the Dublin Schools, Mr. Raley didn’t see anything wrong with affection shown by the students. Since Elmo needed to be taken care of, W.D. Raley would take care and feed him. (interview with Sharon Moffett)
Harrell Gilbreath said he didn’t know how long Elmo stayed, but it was long enough to become famous. He was a white dog with brown spots that loved everyone.
According to the school annual, “Elmo responds promptly and eagerly to the bells summoning him to each class in turn. He attends class, causes no disturbance, offers no comment and never complains about the length of assignments. Elmo is accepted by faculty and student body as a regular attendant.” (The Shamrock 1949) Every school needs a mascot and Dublin had Elmo for a while.
*** The museum is thankful for all the helpers and friends who keep the museum open. It is with their faithful dedication that the museum stays open 1-5 PM everyday. If you would like to be a part of our mission of sharing our rich history, stop by and let us know.