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FALA (fah-LAH)

Beloved dog of FDR
Common clues: New Deal dog; 40s White House pet; Roosevelt pet; Franklin's Scottie; FDR’s dog
Crossword puzzle frequency: once a year
News: FDR's Fala featured in book 'Dogs of War'
Video: FDR “The Fala Speech”

Fala (April 7, 1940–April 5, 1952) was a famous Scottish Terrier, the beloved dog of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. One of the most famous presidential pets, Fala captured the attention of the public in the United States and followed Roosevelt everywhere, becoming part of Roosevelt's public image. Given to the Roosevelts by a cousin, Fala knew how to perform tricks; his White House antics were widely covered in the media and often referenced both by Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. Fala survived Roosevelt by seven years and was buried alongside him. A statue of him alongside Roosevelt is prominently featured in Washington, D.C.'s Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Fala was born on April 7, 1940, and was given as an early Christmas gift to Roosevelt by Augustus G. Kellog of Westport, Connecticut, through Roosevelt's cousin, Margaret "Daisy" Suckley. As a puppy, Fala was given obedience training by Suckley, who taught him to sit, roll over, and jump. His original name was Big Boy; Franklin renamed him Murray the Outlaw of Falahill after John Murray, a famous Scottish ancestor. This was later shortened to "Fala."

Fala moved into the White House on November 10, 1940. He spent most of his time there until Roosevelt died and was succeeded by Harry S. Truman in April 1945. Fala also traveled with Roosevelt to his home (Springwood) in Hyde Park, New York and Warm Springs, Georgia (Roosevelt's favorite spa town) which helped him with his polio-induced paralysis.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fala".