In the summer of 2002, residents and visitors in the District of Columbia were shocked to discover hundreds of elephant and donkey statues scattered on street corners across the city. Each of the fiberglass statues had a name and unique style, painted by a local artist or children from the neighborhood. This particular statue, named Clever Donkey, was painted by Zora Janosova, with sponsorship from the Perseus Books Group, for display outside of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. After several months of being displayed publicly, the statues were auctioned off, with the proceeds supporting the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission.
Clever Donkey was acquired in one such auction by Dr. Mardi and Mr. H. Patrick Hackett, Jr., who donated him to the university in honor of the tenth year of service of the Provost at the time, James J. O'Donnell. O'Donnell was a well-documented animal enthusiast; his office housed a menagerie of critters including a lion, a couple of hippos, and Winnie the Pooh sitting in a rocking chair reading the Latin edition of Winnie Ille Pu. O'Donnell loved donkeys in particular, describing the animals to a Voice interviewer as, "Very intelligent, very hard working. Civilization wouldn't have happened as it has … if it weren't for the donkeys who worked and still work very hard all the way around the world."
Clever Donkey served as O'Donnell's personal supervisor, keeping a watchful eye over his office until O'Donnell's retirement of the post in 2012. On July 11th of that year, Clever Donkey made his final journey from the Provost's Office to the Library on the back of a hay-laden trailer, as part of a loosely organized procession featuring music and an escort of Hoya Kids preschool children. He remained a guardian of the library's administrative office until the winter of 2018, when the new Dean of the Library, Harriette Hemmasi, expressing that he seemed "restless" and "really wanted to go for a walk," had him moved next to the Service Desk on the 3rd floor of Lauinger. And there he now sits, his watchful eyes turned to the student body forevermore.
Stop by, say hi, and give him a friendly pat next time you are in the Library!