History of the Bulldog Club of Indiana

The distinguished history of the Bulldog Club of Indiana, Inc., begins in October 1935, at the Antlers Hotel in Indianapolis where officers were elected, and a decision was made to hold monthly meetings on the last Sunday of each month.

A document in the archives prepared by Mrs. Claud A. Crum of Indianapolis, the first treasurer and later secretary, indicates that the idea to form a club in the State of Indiana was conceived in 1935 following the Hoosier Kennel Club all-breed show in Indianapolis.

Lamenting the fact that only four Bulldogs were entered, three of the eventual founders of the club - Mr. A.K. Mayer, Miss Marguerite Vance and Mrs. Minnie Crum - noted that there were several good Bulldogs in Indiana. So they decided to prepare a list of owners and met at the Crum's residence at 1220 Strum Avenue to consolidate them.

A preliminary meeting was held October 18, 1935, to determine whether the other Bulldog owners felt it was worthwhile to organize a club in Indiana. The answer was clearly affirmative, and the date for an organizational meeting was set. Twenty-one bulldogger fanciers met again on October 27th at the same hotel to elect officers. Elected were: Frank Hatfield, Indianapolis, President; Harold W. Brady, Indianapolis, First Vice-President; A.K. Mayer, Beech Grove, Secretary; and Mrs. Claud Crum, Indianapolis, Treasurer. No club meeting was held in November because of a scheduling conflict with the Chicago Bulldog Club's specialty show on November 24. However, four directors were elected on December 1, 1935: W.T. Morgan, South Bend; Noble W. Hiatt, Indianapolis; Paul Maddux, Frankfort; and Miss Marguerite Vance, Indianapolis.

Club membership was "limited to those really interested in the betterment of the breed," according to the archives. There were 20 original members. Ten associate members were added to the roster, including Miss Alice Rosethall, publisher of Dog News Magazine, and Mr. Will Judy, publisher of Dog World Magazine. An initiation fee of $1.00 and annual dues of $1.50 were established. At least one benched show and sometimes two were held either in the spring and/or the fall, and $75.00 was budgeted for silver-plated trophies at each show.

The club's first undertaking was to support the entry at the spring of 1936 all-breed Anderson Kennel Club show. The following September, Miss Vance served as show chairman for the club's first fall specialty show. "This show was a three day affair held in conjunction with the Indiana State Fair in the leaky Poultry Building." according to the archives. The specialty show was judged by Anton Rost, a highly regarded all-breed judge, who drew an entry of 28 Bulldogs, validating the decision to form a new club here.

In 1937, the club wisely refused to return to the Poultry Building and the show's location was changed to the Manufacturer's Building at the state fairgrounds. Dr. Glen Adams judged an entry of 29 Bulldogs. The Bulldog Club of Indiana also received its charter in 1937 from the Bulldog Club of America, based in New York.

The club's first Puppy match was held March 7, 1937, in conjunction with the Cocker Spaniel Club of Indiana and Scottish Terrier Club of Indiana in the show rooms of the Frank Hatfield Company on North Capitol Avenue. The entry fee was $1.00 and admission was 25 cents for adults, 15 cents for children. Several July puppy matches and pitch-in dinners in te 1940s were held on the lawn at Paul and Dorothy Maddux's Maple Lodge Kennels, near Frankfort. A total of 47 puppies were entered there in 1947. Frankfort's Clinton County 4-H Building was the site of BCI's annual puppy match for many years. Members and exhibitors were hosted afterwards by Beyrl and Edith Gould of Kelly Road Bulldogs, Frankfort.

Despite World War II gas rationing, the new club remained determined to sponsor an annual specialty show. In 1942, the Hoosier Kennel Club was forced to cancel its May 31st all-breed show because the fairgrounds had been leased to the U.S. Army. So the club's annual specialty show was held in conjunction with the Anderson Kennel Club's all-breed show in September of that year. Defense Stamps were offered in every class and trophies were awarded for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex and Best of Winners.

A few years later, the club's 1947 Fall Specialty Show at the state fairgrounds drew a record entry of 100 Bulldogs for Judge Frank Carolin, president of the Bulldog Club of America. At this two-day event on Saturday, Dr. and Mrs. G.W. Andress's "Choo-Choo of White Hub" finished her championship going Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed. Her breeder/owners, Dr. Andree, a Rensselaer veterinarian, and his wife, Marie, a Life Member of the BCI, were elected to membership in November 1941.

On Sunday at the Hoosier Kennel Club's all-breed show, the renowned breeder/judge George M. Beckett drew an entry of 80 Bulldogs. About 80 exhibitors also attended the Judge's Banquet honoring Mr. and Mrs. Carolin, following the Saturday specialty show.

In 1949, the Bulldog Club of Indiana hosted the first of four BCA National Specialty shows at Indianapolis. The event marked the first time the national specialty was ever held outside the New York area, following the reorganization of the Parent Club into the current eight regional BCA Divisions. A National entry of 103 Bulldogs confronted breeder/judge William Tuten of Maryland, who awarded Best of Breed to Ind. CH. Nugget My Ideal, owned by Joe Laughlin of Ohio.

The Bulldog Club of Indiana later hosted BCA National Specialties in 1954, 1962 and 1994. The club's all-time, independent specialty record was set, however, at the club's highly successful 50th Anniversary Specialty Show in 1985. An entry of 199, including 45 Champions, competed in the historic event, consummating four years of fund-raising.

--written by Co-Historians G.W. "Bill" and Marie Andree