The Birth of a Breed

Sue Lackey is a member of the Morris & Essex Historian Committee

We can’t tell the story of the American Staffordshire Terrier without the great Morris & Essex Kennel Club. Many fanciers celebrate the birth of the breed as June 10, 1936 — the day the American Kennel Club approved our standard. But the breed was really born on May 23,1936, on the pristine polo grounds of Giralda Farms in Madison, New Jersey. From its very humble beginnings the Amstaff now stood alongside the great heritage breeds — but not without some very influential help.

From 1937 to 1941, the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America held its national specialties at Morris & Essex. On October 1, 2025, we will gather again for a lavish regional specialty at Morris & Essex to celebrate the 89th anniversary of the founding of our breed. The Morris & Essex show experience remains very much as it would have been in 1936. This is the story of that great show, and how we got there.

In the Beginning

There is no Morris & Essex without its founder, Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge. Mrs. Dodge was a daughter of the Gilded Age. Her father, William Rockefeller, was the co-founder of Standard Oil, and she was the niece of her father’s partner, John D. Rockefeller. She grew up in lavish surroundings wanting for nothing, and in 1907 she married Marcellus Hartley Dodge in a small private ceremony.

Marcellus Dodge had inherited the Remington Arms Company, at the time the largest supplier of ammunition to the U.S. government, and he was a brilliant businessman in his own right. When he married Geraldine Rockefeller in 1907, he brought inherited wealth that today would be equivalent to more than $2 billion. The newspapers discreetly stated that “the fortune of his wife was said to be even larger.” Geraldine Rockefeller brought to the marriage a fortune that would be worth $3.5 billion today, and they instantly became the richest couple in America.

The early decades of the 20th Century saw a growing movement toward philanthropy by the sons and daughters of great wealth. The Dodges embraced this ethos enthusiastically, and for the remainder of their lives donated large sums to countless charities, universities and civic institutions. Their largesse would directly impact purebred dogs for generations.

The newlyweds settled in a gabled mansion on 240 pristine acres in Madison, New Jersey, at that time a millionaire’s enclave within reach of New York City. They named their retreat Giralda Farms. Mrs. Dodge built an incredible kennel facility and enthusiastically indulged her passion for breeding fine dogs and his for beautiful horses.

Mrs. Dodge was a passionate, knowledgeable expert on the breeding of elite purebred dogs. She became an international leader in the breeding of top show dogs, owning as many as 80 different breeds in her lifetime and winning more than 200 Bests in Show with her homebreds. Her special focus was on German Shepherds and Cocker Spaniels, about which she wrote two important books. Her support and patronage of Ernest Loeb, a German Jewish refugee who repeatedly smuggled German Shepherds out of Nazi Germany, transformed the breed. In 1933 she became the first woman to judge Best in Show at Westminster.

Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge in 1939 with her Doberman Ferry v. Rauhfelsen.

Mrs. Dodge reportedly had at least 10 dogs in her bedroom with her every night and constructed a special stairway so they could be let directly out onto the lawns. She was seldom seen without a dog in her lap, and legend has it that if a dog bit an employee, the employee was let go.

At that time in history, almost all the best bloodstock was imported from Europe. Mrs. Dodge had a passionate devotion to promoting American breeds and bloodstock, proving through her own efforts that American breeders could build on and exceed their European foundation stock. She is credited with being the prime mover behind separating Cocker Spaniels into the English and American breeds, although English Cockers — those bred here in America—remained her passion.

“Going to Morris & Essex”

In 1927, Mrs. Dodge founded the Morris & Essex Dog Show to showcase the best dogs in America and promote the breeding of fine bloodstock. She served as the president of the club, and her husband Marcellus served as chairman of the show committee. For the next 30 years, Morris & Essex would be the country’s premier dog show.

By 1939, Morris & Essex was the largest dog show in the world, with more entries than Westminster or Crufts. (It remains twice as big a show as Westminster.) In its heyday in the 1930s and ’40s, the number of attendees and spectators reached 65,000. More than 10,000 vehicles, many bearing signs saying “Going to Morris & Essex Dog Show,” flooded Giralda’s pristine polo grounds, where Mrs. Dodge’s staff created an aura of elegance and perfection.

Morris & Essex pennants flew along the road and at every ring, as they still do today, and a gourmet box lunch was provided to all exhibitors. Mrs. Dodge attended dog shows regularly, and she realized that many families, still recovering from the Great Depression, could not afford to enter and travel to the show as well as feed their families. As elite as the Morris & Essex show was, Mrs. Dodge was completely egalitarian when it came to dog breeders and exhibitors. At precisely noon, a bell would ring, all judging would cease, and a gourmet box lunch was provided to all exhibitors, who were encouraged to picnic with their dogs on the beautiful grounds. This tradition survives to this day, in every detail.

The Morris & Essex show was covered by every major newspaper and magazine. Best in Show winners were some of the greats of history and became instant celebrities. First prize in every class received a special sterling trophy and $10 (the equivalent of $219 today), and for years Mrs. Dodge donated a sterling Best of Breed trophy for every breed in the judge’s name.

In 1937 Arthur Frederick Jones wrote in the AKC Gazette, “To reach a high standard of perfection requires painstaking effort. And once that standard has been established, it becomes increasingly difficult to raise it, periodically, to even higher planes. Yet such a thing has been happening, yearly, with the great Morris and Essex Kennel Club Show.”

So important was the Morris & Essex Dog Show that when Mrs. Dodge passed away in 1973, the New York Times obituary of this daughter of American elites, legendary philanthropist and one of the wealthiest women in America was headlined, “Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, Founder of Kennel Club.”

Geraldine Dodge’s life was not without sorrow. In 1930 the Dodges’ only child, their son Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Jr., was killed in a car accident in France shortly after his graduation from Princeton. Mrs. Dodge was inconsolable, and she turned her grief toward philanthropy, endowing many projects in his name. The most enduring memorial was the coveted American Bred Class sterling trophies, which were awarded yearly at Morris & Essex in memory of her son — a tradition the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America and our uniquely American breed maintains. The trophy table at Morris & Essex today looks exactly as it did when Mrs. Dodge was alive, and every Best of Breed trophy is a replica of the American Bred trophies she donated in her son’s honor.

While Mrs. Dodge welcomed any and all exhibitors to her wonderful dog show, she was extremely selective about which dog breeds were allowed to exhibit. She insisted that any breed she invited be one that would not only provide a sizable entry, but an entry of quality. Morris & Essex was formed to showcase the best that America’s breeders had to offer; she wanted to make sure that the prestigious trophies were awarded to quality dogs in a competitive entry. To this day Morris & Essex emphasizes specialties to ensure a breed’s excellent representation to the world.

Seeking Recognition

In 1936 there was a core of dedicated Amstaff breeders who wanted to show their dogs. They craved AKC recognition, and to do so would require a parent club and a breed standard.

The chief architect of this effort was the first president of the STCA, Wilfred T. Brandon. At the time, in 1935, Staffy Bulls had just received recognition in the U.K., and would not become an AKC-recognized breed until 1974. Amstaffs were known as either American Pit Bull Terriers or Yankee Terriers. Brandon had spent considerable time studying other breed standards and consulting with the Staffy Bull breeders in England for advice on a prospective breed standard.

A standard melding the best of the Staffy Bull and the American Pit Bull Terrier was written, and it was decided to apply for recognition as the American Pit Bull Terrier. The venerable Bull Terrier Club of America objected strenuously to the AKC allowing any breed to share the term “Bull Terrier” and wanted nothing to do with its pit-fighting brethren. It was an uphill fight to get a breed perceived as nothing but pit-fighting dogs to be recognized by the AKC and respected by the dog-show community at large.

Enter Will Judy.

World War I veteran Captain Will Judy was a lifelong dog lover. In 1923 he purchased a failing magazine called Dog World and made it the most successful and long-lived dog magazine ever published. Fanciers haunted their mailboxes waiting for the monthly issues, and Will Judy became an extremely influential member of the dog-show community. His training as a preacher in the Church of the Brethren convinced him that dogs had souls, just as humans did. Far ahead of his time, Will Judy promoted positive dog-training methods and advocated animal anti-cruelty legislation. With a group of fellow dog lovers he established National Dog Week in 1928, a celebration that continues to this day.

Captain Judy set a high bar for Dog World, with monthly breed columns and feature stories by some of the best writers of the day. He set a standard for breeders eager to advertise in the magazine; he did not want cheap puppy mills, only serious breeders. He would accept no ad with a stud fee listed under $20 (about $370 today) and no puppy listed for sale under $25 (about $460 today).

Will Judy judged dogs throughout the world and rubbed elbows with dog-show elites, who respected his informed opinions and the far reach of his magazine. He was aware of everything happening in the dog world, and, most importantly for our history, he firmly opposed breed-specific legislation as far back as the 1920s. The aura of a pit dog did not dissuade him from recognizing the inherent quality in Amstaffs, and his anti-cruelty stance would drive his support to get them out of the pits and onto the bench.

When the Bull Terrier Club of America put its foot down to the AKC, the decision was made to request recognition for the name Staffordshire Terrier, reasoning that our Amstaffs most closely resembled the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. (Eventually, as we all know, the AKC requested our name be changed to the American Staffordshire Terrier to avoid confusion.)

At some point, Cpt. Judy heard from Mr. Brandon about his ambitions and the opposition to pit bull terriers, and the two men struck up a correspondence. Cpt. Judy immediately championed the cause of the breed.

Wilfred Brandon decided to call the first meeting of the STCA at the 1936 Morris & Essex show on May 23, 1936 — a bold but well-advised move most likely influenced by his astute and powerful ally, Will Judy. Brandon was making a statement about the respectability of the breed by deciding to form the parent club at the country’s most influential and selective dog show. Along with Vice President Clifford Ormsby (X-Pert), J.P. Colby and Secretary/ Treasurer J. Maurice Wheeler, the STCA was formed at Morris & Essex. The breed standard was formally adopted, and application for recognition was made to the AKC.

As soon as the AKC accepted the breed, Will Judy trumpeted in Dog World, “Good News! The AKC has recognized the Yankee Terrier with full show and registration privileges and has placed this good breed on an equal footing with every other dog in the official canine family."

An Equal Footing

It was a bold statement of support from one of the most influential people in dogs, and his support continued unabated. Cpt. Judy created a Dog World breed column for the Staffordshire Terrier, signifying his mark of approval for the fledgling breed. He continued to support the cause of the STCA, printing notices for the first national specialty and editorial comments urging breeders to show their dogs and touting the quality of overall type in the breed.

It is now that we enter the area of conjecture. The Amstaff was a newly recognized breed with the whiff of its distant past as a dog-fighting cur still attached. The powerful Bull Terrier Club of America had opposed the breed’s recognition. Amstaff people were not showing in great numbers, evidenced by Will Judy’s call for Amstaff breeders to “put more dogs on the show benches.” In 1937 the STCA held its first national specialty. To be invited to do so at Morris & Essex would firmly place Amstaffs, as Will Judy said, “on an equal footing with every other dog.” It would catapult the Amstaff into the company of the top breeders and judges in America, who would observe the breed for the first time under the imprimatur of the First Lady of Dog Shows.

Wilfred Brandon had neither the access nor the reputation to approach Mrs. Dodge to plead his case for this new breed holding its first specialty, and unable to guarantee a quality entry. He would be asking for a breed with a questionable background to be invited to stand among the finest of the elite heritage breeds and — most notably — among some of the most famous and well-bred terriers in the world.

But Will Judy did have that kind of access. He knew Mrs. Dodge had made it her mission to promote American breeds and bloodstock. He knew she had no classist presumptions, despite her elite status; she welcomed everyone who loved purebred dogs. Did he approach Mrs. Dodge and personally ask that she admit this new, distinctly American breed, even if it was a bit rough around the edges? I think it safe to say that he did.

The Staffordshire Terrier Club of America held its first five national specialties at Morris & Essex until World War II intervened and caused a four-year dog-show hiatus. Amstaffs did not appear again at Morris & Essex until the show’s revival in 2000.

Breed judging, 1937.

Revered Revival

The last Morris & Essex Mrs. Dodge held was in 1957. By happenstance, in the late 1990s a tip led Wayne Ferguson, a noted show chairman and historian, into a storeroom filled with Morris & Essex show records, trophies and memorabilia. It was there that he decided Mrs. Dodge’s great vision for the perfect dog show needed to come back to life. Mr. Ferguson — who many of you will recognize as the show chairman of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and the man who has made the televised National Dog Show a Thanksgiving Day tradition — was determined that it could be done. With a dedicated group of volunteers who are some of the most accomplished breeders and judges in dogs, Morris & Essex has been revived in all its splendor. Morris & Essex is now held only once every five years. It takes that long to plan and organize the show in the same way Mrs. Dodge did, with the same amenities.

Morris & Essex is unlike any show you will ever attend. Located in Colonial Park in Somerset, New Jersey, you will see the best dogs in America and overseas competing. As though you are stepping back in time, Morris & Essex today retains the same aura of an elite sporting event in a relaxed park setting that made the show so special when it debuted almost a century ago. Exhibitors are encouraged to dress in the spirit of the era; it’s not required but it is incredible fun! Fabulous chapeaus abound, and male judges frequently wear bowler hats. An army of volunteers with golf carts help exhibitors move their crates from the parking lots, and a free buffet breakfast and the traditional box lunch are offered for every exhibitor. Unlike most other dog shows, parking, grooming space, electricity and lunch are all provided free of charge. Because electricity is provided to exhibitors, there are no generators and no PA system — just a beautiful park setting filled with flowers and deck chairs where breeders can show and discuss purebred dogs.

Classic 1930s roadsters, including one of Mrs. Dodge’s cars that has been restored, dot the grounds. As Mrs. Dodge wished, there are dozens of specialties being held throughout the day, highlighting the best their breeds have to offer. This is especially true for terriers, who are out in force for Montgomery at the end of the week.

The Morris & Essex Judges Committee has the final say on all judge selections, just as Mrs. Dodge did. They require that any judge submitted should be chosen from within his or her own group and preferably have deep experience in their breed. During the noon break, judges will dine in a tent featuring live classical music and fine linen and china. Every detail of the show adheres to Mrs. Dodge’s original vision as closely as possible.

Nearly 5,000 dogs will compete under the oaks, and the excitement is electric.

The STCA 89th Anniversary Regional Specialty will kick off Terrier Week, with five shows culminating in the 2025 National Specialty and Montgomery County Terrier Show. We are already fielding requests from Amstaff exhibitors across the U.S. and overseas who want to be part of this great tradition. Come early to pick up some great Specialty swag and check out the exclusive trophies. Be sure to check Morris Essex Amstaff on Facebook for information and updates, and we’ll see you there to celebrate the Birth of the Breed!

TERRIER WEEK 2025

Colonial Park, Somerset, NJ

October 1, 2025 Wednesday              Morris & Essex 89th Anniversary Regional Specialty

Macungie, PA

October 2, Thursday                          Hatboro Kennel Club #1 Supported Entry

October 3, Friday                     Hatboro Kennel Club # 2 Supported Entry

October 4, Saturday                          2025 SBTA National Specialty

October 5, Sunday                   Montgomery Terrier Show, Regional Specialty

An abridged version of this article originally appeared in the Morris & Essex email newsletter. To sign up for M&E newsletters, and for more information about the October 1, 2025 show, visit www.morrisandessexkennelclub.com.