Passing by the south side of Old Main, students might stumble upon a plaque marked “Napoleon,” and tilt their heads in curiosity.

The plaque marks the resting place of a golden retriever who wandered onto campus and became a beloved member of Eastern, Eastern archivist Robert Hillman said.

Napoleon first roamed onto campus largely unnoticed in 1945 and soon began to gain the affection of students and faculty.

“Everybody accorded him special attention and honor,” Hillman said.

The Eastern community grew to love Napoleon so much that he was soon allowed to wander the campus and buildings at will.

“He would show up at classes and wander into buildings, or people would let him in,” Hillman said. “He essentially was given free reign on the campus.”

Napoleon was a regular at crowded events, mingling with fans at football games and snaking through the aisles of graduation practices, Hillman said.

Napoleon would even sit at students’ and professors’ feet during class or office hours, he said. Sometimes students would let him into their rooms and care for him.

“The thing about golden retrievers is that they are typically pretty gentle dogs so there was little concern about letting Napoleon go where he pleased,” Hillman said.

Napoleon became a figure people came to admire and expected to see on a regular basis.

“They let him roam at will, and he went all over the place,” Hillman said.

Hillman said he believes Napoleon’s grip on Eastern may have contributed to him being named after the early 19th century French emperor because “he reigned over campus.”

Napoleon was even featured on the cover of the 1959 Warbler as an embossed image, which was a divergence from the normal Warbler design criteria.

In spring 1960, students and faculty began to notice Napoleon was no longer wandering the halls and sidewalks of campus.

“All of a sudden, they realized they hadn’t seen him around,” Hillman said.

On May 3, 1960, a student found Napoleon’s body under her porch at 1410 Seventh St., according to a May 11, 1960, article in The Daily Eastern News.

Hillman said Napoleon likely died of exposure during the winter.

A small memorial service was conducted for Napoleon south of Old Main, where former President Quincy Doudna buried him beneath the plaque that bears his name and the inscription reads “truest of friends, he leaves us one distinct and special quality to remember — loyalty.”

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or tadeters@eiu.edu.