Breed History

Notes and Quotes from the Archives

By Anne Shannon, GRCA Archivist

At the 1988 National Specialty hosted by Badger Golden Retriever Club, every attendee at the annual banquet was presented with a 30-page booklet detailing some of the highlights of the first 50 years of GRCA’s history. It was lovingly compiled by Mary A. Strange, Sr., of Badger GRC with acknowledgments to Ainslie Mills, Christopher R. Burton, Pagey Elliott, Ruthe Berendsen, Roberta Vesley (AKC Library Director), and Mrs. John Magoffin.

This small book will serve as a jumping off point for what will become a series of articles based on the GRCA Archives. GRCA has been fortunate to have had members who recorded the story of the Golden Retriever in North America since its beginning. The qualities of good looks, temperament, working ability and character that inspired early fanciers to establish our club are the same traits that we nurture today. Considering the obstacles faced by breeders of dogs in the ’30s and ’40s, we realize what a powerful hold the Golden exerted even then!

We have chosen to reprint the majority of this excellent booklet along with some historic photographs as an introduction to those who came before. We are also including some of the “firsts” in our breed. AS

Download/Print the entire PDF below.

GRCA