With a rich, 161-year heritage like Bryant’s, Bulldogs are constantly learning new details about the university and its history. Whether you’re entering campus as a freshman college student or walking the halls of the Unistructure as a fourth-year student, we challenge you to test your Bulldog knowledge:
1. Founded in 1863, Bryant was originally located on the east side of Providence. When the institution moved its campus to Smithfield in 1971, what souvenir did we take back from the Providence location?
2. True or false: Bryant’s Suite Village and the freshman housing are named after cities and towns in Rhode Island.
3. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bryant had a candy store where students, faculty, and staff could purchase candy bars, penny candy, and other snacks. In which campus building was this store located?
4. In what year did Bryant transfer from college to university?
5. True or false: There are fish in Bryant Pond.
6. Bryant’s brick walkways lead you to important locations on campus, but below ground, an underground passageway connects two university buildings. Which two campus buildings are connected?
7. If you pass by Bryant Pond and the Michael E. ’67 and Karen L. Fisher Student Center at dawn or dusk, you’ll probably see a black cat leisurely strolling around. What is the name of this fluffy four-legged creature?
8. True or false: Bryant used to have a bowling alley on campus.
9. Which professional sports team held its summer training camp at Bryant for 26 years?
10. It is common for students to wear Bryant gear featuring the university’s mascot. What year did the bulldog become the official logo/mascot of Bryant’s sports teams?
11. Who was the bulldog Tupper named after?
12. While Tupper II is the university’s official bulldog mascot, there are several other dogs that are part of the Bryant family. What is the name of the iconic Labrador Retriever that is a certified community service dog and works with the Department of Public Safety?
13. True or false: Bryant’s Pool was originally located where Salmanson Dining Hall is today.
14. Rhode Island actress Viola Davis – who starred in “The Help,” “Fences” and “How to Get Away with Murder” – was the keynote speaker at which annual Bryant event?
15. Ross Gittell, Ph.D., took over as university president in 2020. How many presidents has Bryant had over its 161-year existence?
ANSWER
1. The archway was brought to Bryant’s Smithfield campus to symbolize continuity in the university’s history.
2. TRUE. Rhode Island is made up of 31 cities and eight metropolitan areas. Bryant is home to 17 of these municipalities.
3. The Bryant Candy Store was located on the ground floor of the Unistructurewhere Faculty Suite A is now located. Today, the Unistructure is home to the Archway Café, which serves Starbucks-made beverages, baked goods, sushi—and yes, candy.
4. 2004. At that time, Bryant University consisted of the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. The institution continued to expand its offerings, adding the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences in 2022.
5. Yes, Bryant Pond is home to bass and bluegills, and on warm days you’ll often see college students casting their lines in the water.
6. The underground passage connects the Unistructure and the Koffler Center and Communications Complex. Start at the mailboxes in Koffler and follow the sidewalk until you end up at the Department of Public Safety on the lower level of the Unistructure.
7. Campus cat. Campus Kitty is a true community cat: she has a water/food bowl in front of the Ronald K. and Kati C. Machtley Interfaith Center.
8. TRUE. Built in 1976 and located in the underground passageway between Unistructure and Koffler, the bowling alley was removed just over a decade later when the Student Center moved to the newly constructed Fisher Student Center.
9. The Only One New England Patriots held his summer training camp at Bryant.
10. In 1994, The bulldog became Bryant’s official logo/mascot – a symbol of tenacity and unbridled devotion. The idea for the bulldog came from Protestant chaplain Philip Devlin, whose English bulldog Lester was Bryant’s unofficial mascot for many years.
11. Tupper was named in honor of Tupperware Corporation President Earl Tupper, who donated the land for Bryant’s Smithfield campus in 1967.
12. Archie is Bryant’s three-year-old certified community dog who started college in 2022. His birthday is November 1st and he regularly celebrates this milestone with his Bryant friends.
13. INCORRECT. What is now the admissions office atrium was once Bryant’s swimming pool.
14. Viola Davis spoke at Bryant Women’s Summit – an annual event with a long tradition of empowering, supporting and encouraging women to succeed professionally, personally and financially.
15. Ross Gittell is Bryant’s ninth President. He has taught management and economics for more than 20 years and is highly respected for his economic analysis and forecasting. Today, he leads Bryant in the development and implementation of Vision 2030.
YOUR RESULTS
(11-15 correct): Congratulations! As a walking Black and Gold encyclopedia, you effortlessly radiate bulldog pride.
(6-10 correct): You may have missed some of the answers, but you probably know the Bryant basics. Keep the Bulldogs spirit!
(1-5 correct): Maybe you didn’t have all the answers today, but there’s time for that tomorrow. Hit the books and brush up on your Bryant knowledge – you’ll soon be an expert on all things Bulldog.
