Friday, April 17, 2009

Governor Dummer Academy Homing Pigeons

The March 14, 1959 issue of The Archon includes the following photograph of academy employee Paul Griffin and student Mark Johnson '62, the academy's "Keeper of the Bird." Griffin holds Suzie, a homing pigeon trained at the academy. An except with the photo says, "Mr. Paul Griffin instructs Mark Johnson, newly appointed Keeper of the Bird, in proper handling of homing pigeons. Suzie is being trained to bring back the scores of out-of-town baseball games. Coach [Buster] Navins will personally band and release her at the end of the ninth inning. Keeper Johnson will time her arrival and decode the message for transmittal to the metropolitan journals."

If readers have information on the homing pigeon program at the academy, let us know!