Jack the Bulldog, Georgetown University’s beloved mascot, died July 10 after a brief illness.
Jack — full name IROC Casagrande John F. Carroll — served as the university’s mascot since August 2019 after the retirement of the previous Jack the Bulldog, John B. Carroll.
“With a heavy heart, we share the sad news that our beloved Jack the Bulldog has gone over the Rainbow Bridge after a brief illness,” a university spokesperson told The Hoya. “Since 2019, Jack has brought joy to thousands of members of the Georgetown family with his ever-ready high paws, his ability to run and drive on the basketball court and his genuine love for everyone big and small.”
Born in Alberta, Canada, in January 2019 and raised in Valley Center, Calif., Jack trained under breeders Janice and Marcus Hochstetler before his arrival on campus that summer. According to the university website, he loved chasing balls and falling leaves; playing with his toy armadillo and elephant; and eating blueberries, strawberries and chopped salad.
Jack was the eighth English bulldog to represent the university and the seventh named Jack since Georgetown first adopted a bulldog mascot in 1962. Following the announcement of Jack’s death, students shared heartfelt memories and photos of Jack, who was often seen on campus walks with members of the Jack Crew, a group of students tasked with escorting Jack around campus.
He also made appearances at most Georgetown home sporting events and could be spotted riding in a remote-controlled car alongside members of the Jack Crew.
Regan Fisher (SOH ’23), a former member of the Jack Crew, said Jack was both a treasured member of the Georgetown community and a unifier for campus pride.
“Jack is the physical embodiment of the Georgetown spirit. On a college campus where there are countless stressors and individual struggles, Jack brings together the community towards something that solely brings joy and pride,” Fisher wrote to The Hoya.
“Everyone smiles and is elevated when they meet him — crossing off the Georgetown bucket list item of taking a photo with him,” Fisher added.
When he was not on walks across campus or attending sporting events, Jack lived with Cory Peterson, the director of Georgetown’s Office of Neighborhood Life.
Peterson said he would fondly remember both Jack’s appearances at sporting events like the men’s basketball Big East tournaments every March and his naps on the couch when he was “off duty.”
“Jack was the best nap partner who always snuggled up with me,” Peterson wrote to The Hoya. “Oftentimes, he would snore, and you could watch his paws move as he dreamed about Hoya wins and time with students on the lawn.”
Grace Hardymon (CAS ’25) said she joined Jack Crew as a first-year and enjoyed leading Jack to greet prospective students and cheer on Hoya sports teams.
“Whether viewed as a symbol of tenacity, a good luck charm before an exam, or a friendly face, his interactions with the campus community were unspeakably special each day,” Hardymon wrote to The Hoya. “From accompanying his car onto the court of Capital One Arena to simply walking across the front lawn, I loved witnessing Jack bring smiles and school spirit into our campus’s everyday life.”
Fisher said her time on the Jack Crew was among her most meaningful experiences on campus.
“The time I spent with Jack taught me how to care for another being and what unconditional love is. Regardless of whether I would accidentally stumble into Jack or I had to stop him from chasing a pile of leaves, he always looked at me with so much love and trust,” Fisher wrote to The Hoya.
“I will never take for granted the trust Jack and I shared, helping each other out when we were stressed or needed support,” Fisher added.
The university will release further plans for the future of Georgetown’s mascot in weeks ahead, according to a university spokesperson.
Peterson said seeing the Georgetown community’s memories of Jack proves the dog’s importance to the campus.
“No matter who they were, Jack loved everyone unconditionally and with his whole heart. This has never been more evident to me than seeing so many people share on social media the personal interactions they’ve had with Jack over the years and what he meant to each person,” Peterson wrote. “The stories, the pictures, and the love for Jack are deep and embedded into Georgetown’s history and culture dating back to the first dog associated as Georgetown’s mascot.”
Fisher said Jack represented the best of the Georgetown community.
“Bulldogs are known for being stubborn, but Jack was so much more; bulldogs are loyal, intelligent, kind, compassionate, and resilient (to name a few),” Fisher wrote. “These qualities describe Georgetown students too. Jack was the best qualities of all of us — just with a whole lot more slobber.”
