Beetle Bailey, Mizzou's famous comic-strip character, was created by Mort Walker, AB '48 Humanities. The character began in 1950 as a laid-back Mizzou student and Army private. Walker, with his son Neal, designed and produced a bronze statue of Beetle Bailey as a gift to MU. Installed in 1992, the statue places Beetle in a re-creation of a booth from the Shack, a hangout Walker frequented during his student days. The statue stands near the site of The Shack, which was destroyed by fire on Halloween 1988, and was financed by donations from Walker, King Features Syndicate, and alumni whose names are carved on the bench and table.