Another Stuffy Local Celeb Headed To Gu Famous Dead Polar Bear To ‘Retire’ At School

Spokane’s unofficial mascot is going to the dogs.

The Bulldogs, that is.

After considering offers from Arizona to Alaska, Lewey Lorenzen decided his stuffed polar bear, which spent years at the airport, should spend its retirement at Gonzaga University.

“They called me the day it came out in the paper, ‘Free bear,’ and said they’d like to have it,” said Lorenzen.

GU officials say it was Lorenzen who called them. Whatever the genesis of the proposal, the alma mater of Tom Foley, Bing Crosby and John Stockton is glad to claim another famous Spokane resident.

“A lot of what we do here at Gonzaga is keeping a history of our place, the region, the area,” said GU spokesman Dale Goodwin. “Certainly, it (the bear) has played an important part of Spokane history, at least for travelers.”

Lorenzen, who shot the bear in the Arctic in 1971, displayed it at the Davenport Hotel until 1985, when it was moved to Spokane International Airport. There, it greeted travelers with a frozen snarl until the airport became too cramped and complaints from animal rights activists too numerous.

It was moved to Walk in the Wild in 1993 and must move again because the zoo is closing.

Lorenzen said he had plenty of offers after The Spokesman-Review reported the bear soon would be homeless.

“We’re still getting calls … I think we’re up to about 25 or 26,” he said. “They come at 11:30 at night.”

Some Spokane residents thought they wanted the bear for their homes - until they heard that it stands in a glass case as big as a Volkswagen.

Some business owners wanted it for their stores and factories. The University of Alaska called, as did Safari Club International, which wanted it for a wildlife museum in Arizona.

GU got the nod, Lorenzen said, because he wanted the bear to stay in Spokane, in a public place. He’s not giving it away, just putting it on permanent loan.

The bear, which measures 10 feet from tooth to tail, probably will make its cross-town migration in the next couple of weeks, Goodwin said. Empire Glass will do the moving, at the university’s expense.

GU officials haven’t decided where to put the bear, but possibilities include Martin Center, Crosby Center or the Foley Center library, Goodwin said.

“I’ve given them free reign to put it wherever they like, as long as it’s secure,” said Lorenzen.

“We anticipate it being on display for a public audience,” said Goodwin, adding that there’s “no chance” the Bulldogs will become the Bruins anytime soon.

, DataTimes