Bogart, an old orange tomcat that lived in the building, died in 1990.

According to Barnes, Bogart was fed too much food. Rumors were rampant that he was also fed a little too much vodka.

Another fixture at 14 Plympton St. was George, a homeless man who, according to Tucker, used to spend the winters sleeping in the building and, according to legend, was an ex-stockbroker with a daughter at Stanford.

"He was a Harvard hanger-on in general," says Tucker, continuing with a famous tale about George. One year, he attended a law firm's recruitment session at the Law School, raising his hand during the question-and-answer period to ask, "How big are the offices at your firm?"

But after following a female camper to Logan Airport on the T, George became a persona non grata at The Crimson, Tucker says. Soon after, he was banned from the University Lutheran Church homeless shelter after pushing a director down the stairs.

"[With the new building], it seemed like we suddenly had fewer outrageous eccentrics, less high drama," Tucker says.

The Money Rolls In

But the prospect of building renovations had not always been a sure thing.

Cohn says the idea of a new building had been discussed for several years, but was something of a "pipe dream" because of lack of funds.

But in the mid-1980s, The Crimson launched a capital campaign and began accumulating the much-needed funding.

Citing infrastructure problems, security concerns and a need for modernization and increased space, Crimson editors and alumni began a second campaign in 1988, in hopes of raising $2.5 million.

The Harvard Crimson Campaign was headed by Robert W. Decherd '73 and Donald E. Graham '66.

Editors and executives called Crimson alumni to discuss current efforts at the paper, the need for renovations and to solicit funds, says Rebecca L. Walkowitz '92, Crimson president in 1991. Walkowitz also gave tours of the building under construction to potential donors.

The campaign was successful, reaching its $2.5 million goal. "It's been an extraordinary show of alumni support for an organization that people have enormous affection for," said Crimson Trustee George S. Abrams '54 in 1992.

Living With Change