What’s in a nickname? Dogs dominate in Albany, N.Y.

Officially, Albany, N.Y., is nicknamed the “Cradle of the Union,” referring to the Albany Congress that occurred in 1754. 

Seven of the northern colonies participated, and representatives adopted the Albany Plan of Union. It was the first important proposal to view the colonies “as a collective whole united under one government.” 

Benjamin Franklin opined in his Pennsylvania Gazette that the colonies either “Join or Die.” His colonial colleagues balked, delaying any official declaration of independence for another decade. 

Citizens of Albany – fondly known as Albanians or Albanyites – do appreciate being known as the “Cradle of the Union.” 

Yet, younger generations suggest “Nippertown” as a more upbeat nickname for Albany. (Does that make them Nippertonians?) 

Nipper is the name of a real dog – a mixed breed terrier – that became the famous Radio Corporation of America (RCA) trademark. Nipper became associated with the Victor Talking Machine Company and began appearing in the company’s print advertisements in1909.

When RCA acquired Victor in 1929, Nipper was retained and became the face and the voice of the RCA Victor brand. 

Nipper was “reintroduced” in 1990 as a “live-action dog.” He acquired a new sidekick – a puppy named “Chipper” – for a series of television commercials to advertise RCA home theater systems with surround sound. 

Today, Albany’s “Downtown is Pawsome,” as several litters of Nipper statues have emerged. Each has been painted by an eccentric local artist. The Nippers are displayed all around the central city area. 

Each stands 3 feet tall. Visitors are encouraged to find them all. (The statues are moved to “indoor homes” during the winter months.) 

Another famous canine looms as the BDOC (big dog on campus) at the University at Albany, State University of New York (UAlbany). He is the college’s Great Dane mascot named “Damien.” (He resembles the cartoon character “Scooby-Doo.”) 

Brandon Mendelson, a freelance writer based in New York City, confirms that “no other college in America has the Great Dane for a mascot.” 

UAlbany’s athletic teams became the Great Danes in 1965. Students held a contest, and the Great Danes won out as the nickname, replacing the “Pedagogues,” which had been carried over from the days when the school was known as the New York State College for Teachers. 

Back then, the mascot was “Pedguin, a professorial penguin caricature.

 The student who suggested Great Danes was Kathy Earle (Class of 1967). She told the student newspaper at the time: The Great Dane “has an imposing stature. It is clean, graceful, proud, quick and alert.” Besides, Kathy said, the name would be easier for sports writers to spell than Pedagogues. 

Great Danes are considered gentle giants. They are moderately playful, affectionate and good with children, yet they will faithfully and loyally guard their home. (In athletics, it’s vital to defend one’s home field or court.) 

The Great Dane, known as the “Apollo of dogs,” is considered to be “the most handsome” of all breeds. Apollo was a Roman god who influenced the music, poetry and the civilized arts. 

The mythology link is ironic. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, has been an enduring symbol at UAlbany since 1913. Her image appears on the university’s official seal. 

She was regarded as the wisest of all the Roman gods and goddesses. Minerva spurned advances of mortals and gods alike in order to retain her virginal purity. She never married and was childless.