Fala
| Category | Presidential Pets |
|---|---|
| Breed | Scottish Terrier |
Fala (full name Murray the Outlaw of Falahill) was a black Scottish Terrier born April 7, 1940, gifted to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt by his cousin Margaret Suckley. Fala became one of the most famous presidential pets in American history — appearing in newspaper photos, newsreels, military propaganda films, a statue at the FDR Memorial in Washington (one of only two dogs ever depicted at a presidential memorial), and even featuring in a 1944 campaign speech where FDR mocked Republican accusations that he had sent a Navy destroyer to retrieve Fala from the Aleutian Islands.
The "Fala Speech" — delivered to the Teamsters Union on September 23, 1944 — is considered one of the great political comebacks in American oratorical history. By framing the absurdity of the destroyer claim as an attack on his "little dog," FDR neutralized a serious political threat with humor, securing his fourth term that November. The speech includes the line: "These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons — they now include my little dog Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them."
Fala outlived FDR by seven years, dying in April 1952 at age 11. He was buried near Roosevelt at Hyde Park, New York. The bronze statue of Fala at the FDR Memorial — installed 1997 — depicts him sitting at FDR's feet, and is the only statue of a presidential pet at any presidential memorial.
Naming takeaway
Fala is the canonical name for a black Scottish Terrier or any small black dog with a dignified bearing. Naming a Scottie "Fala" is the strongest possible homage to FDR-era Americana and to the breed itself — which dropped from popularity in the late 20th century but is enjoying a 2020s revival. Two syllables, soft start, easy daily use. Less common than Hachiko or Laika in modern data, but ranks in the top 200 for Scottish Terrier-specific naming preferences.
The name Fala
Fala · Female · Native American origin · "Crow"
See the full name profile for naming variations, similar names, and other famous bearers of Fala.
Cross-referenced against the Wikipedia entry. Where text is paraphrased from Wikipedia, the original is licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0; image licenses are noted per image above.