Malkiel’s pet Skipper, ‘Dog of the College,’ passes away at 10

Skipper, Dean Nancy Malkiel’s beloved miniature schnauzer and a campus icon, passed away from illness on Wednesday morning. She first joined the Malkiel family in October 2001 and has been a fixture in Malkiel’s West College office ever since.

“There’s been an outpouring of sympathy from so many people on campus, people whom she knew and genuinely touched. My husband [economics professor Burton Malkiel] and I have been greatly moved by everyone’s recollections of her and their kindness in reaching out to us,” Malkiel said in an email.

Malkiel explained that, at 12 weeks old, the dog was too small to leave at home so she accompanied Malkiel to work. What was originally a temporary arrangement turned into a decade-long daily routine, and Skipper made fast friends with University staff and students alike.

Many West College administrators recalled how hearing the jingle of Skipper’s tags always meant their day would soon be brightened up by the dog’s presence. Those who knew her said Skipper wasn’t just Malkiel’s dog; she quickly became known as the Dog of the College.

“Many people described her as the morale officer of West College. Holding her and playing with her for a little while was a happy diversion from the pressures of daily work,” Malkiel said.

Robyn Howard, an administrative assistant in Malkiel’s office, remembered Skipper as well-dressed, often with a red bow on her collar, and a lover of the Boston Red Sox, President Barack Obama and the color red.

“It would be easy to say that she was the mascot of West College’s 4th floor, but the truth is she reigned more than served, with dignity, over willing subjects,” Howard said.

Skipper’s status as Dog of the College was cemented when Kerry Walk, former director of the Princeton Writing Program, and Marguerite Browning, linguistics professor and former Wilson College master, created mugs for Malkiel with Skipper’s title printed on them. Along with the legend “Dog of the College,” the mugs bore a picture of Skipper in a Red Sox jersey and the Princeton shield.

Skipper was apparently conscientiously involved in many West College affairs. She often attended Council of the Princeton University Community meetings and usually was officially welcomed by President Shirley Tilghman at the first meeting of each year.

“She’d done it for so long that she probably knew more about the workings of the University than most people, but she was extremely discreet and was never quoted in The Daily Princetonian about anything that should have remained confidential,” Malkiel said.

As much as she was involved in official business, Skipper was also an integral part of the daily routine of the office.

Many staff members recalled her fondness for climbing onto their laps or watching them while they worked.

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In fact, Deputy Dean of the College Peter Quimby said Skipper was sitting on his lap when Malkiel offered Quimby his job. “I feel like Skipper has been a part of my experience at Princeton since the very moment that I joined the dean’s office,” he said.

Skipper’s influence also extended beyond West College. Malkiel established a routine of walking Skipper on campus in the early mornings, and she said students would often stop to say hello and pet the dog while sharing stories about their own dogs. Skipper became Malkiel’s trademark: In old cartoons published in the ‘Prince,’ Malkiel was always distinguishable from President Tilghman because she was pictured holding a small dog.

Malkiel has many fond memories of her companion spending time in her office, she said. Skipper loved resting among her many stuffed animals and climbing up and walking on office tables.

Malkiel joked she was unable to teach Skipper to respond to email, but “she would have told you that she didn’t much care about that; what really bothered her was that she never succeeded in catching one of those black squirrels.”

Although Skipper has moved onto greener pastures, her memory will remain indelibly fixed in the hallways and courtyards of the University as well as in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.