The History of Certain Interscholastic Sports for Boys in the Columbus
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ii AC KNOWI.EDGMENT The writer wishes to express his sincere appreci ation to Dr. Arthur s. Daniele for his unending patience and sympathetic assistance in the preparation of this thesis. 111 DEDICATION To my wife, for her sacrifices during the periods of my study and to all of the coaches who contributed so much of their lives that boys might benefit from competitive athletics. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ~ I IN'I'RODUCTION . ...•••...•••.......•••.....•.•• 1 Purpose of the Study ••.••••.•••••••••••••• 1 Contents of the Study ••••••••••••••••••••• 2 Procedures and Sources of Information ••••• 3 Limitations of the Study •••••••••••••••••• 4 The Origin and Growth of the Columbus Public Secondary Schools •••••••••••••••• 5 II THE ORIGINS OF FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, BASE BALL AND TRACK IN THE COLtnvtBUS PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS, 1892-1910 •••••••••••••••• 10 The First Football Team is Organized •••••• 10 The First Well-Organized League is Formed • ••••••••••••.•••••••••••...•.•••• 12 School Administrators on a National Level Begin to Recognize Problems............. 16 Beginning of Administrative Controls...... 18 Night Football............................ 20 The Passing of the "Professional" Coaoh.... 30 A State Championship Comes to Columbus.... 31 Faoulty Coaches Take Charge............... 31 The Emergence of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.................... 33 S\llllmary. • • • • • • . • • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • . • 36 III ATHLETICS UNDER TBE SUPERVISION Ol4, THE CITY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC RECREATION, 1910-1920 •• 38 History of Recreation in Columbus ••••••••• 38 Reasons for Recreation Department Control of Interscholastic Athletics •••••••.•••• 39 Athletics during this Period •••••••••••••• 39 The First School OWned Athletic Field ••••• 42 Growth of Spectator Interest •••••••••••••• 44 First League Meeting Held ••••••••••••••••• 49 Effect of the War ••••••••.•••••••••••••••• 50 All Star Football Game •••••••••.•••.•••••• 51 All Star Basketball Game •••••••••••••••••• 54 Summary • •••••••••.•.••.••.••••.••••••••••. 56 IV THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM UNDER THE· SUPERVISION OF B. E. WIGGINS, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF THE COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. (1920-1933). 58 Reasons for Change 1n Supervision ••••••.•• 58 School Board Control Begins ••••••••••••••• 59 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) CHAPTER IV (cont.) Disorganized Football League Play......... 63 The Harley Football Trophy................ 65 New Gymnasiums... • • • • • • • . • . • • . 68 National Track Championship Competition... 71 Eligibility Disputes...................... 72 The Johnny Minor Trophy................... 74 Efforts for Night Football................ 75 A World's Record is Set................... 77 Four Straight State T1tLes................ 80 The Debut of Night Football............... 80 Attempts to Eliminate Mid-Week Games...... 81 High School Athletic Insurance Discussed.. 82 All-High Football Banquet Inaugurated..... 85 S tmlmary • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 7 V THE OFFICE OF THE CITY DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS ELIMINATED........ 90 Reason for the Change..................... 90 Night Track Meets......................... 92 Summary. • • . • . • • • • . • • • • • . • . • . • • • • . 95 VI ATHLETICS UNDER THE SU?ERVISION OF M. D. SHEATSLEY, 194.1. TO THE PRESENT .••••• • • 97 Linden Enters League Play in Football and Becomes a FulL Fledged City League Member. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • 102 First State Basketball Championship for Columbus. • • • . • . • . • . • • • . • . • • • • . • • • • . l.09 A Phenomenal Track Record................. 111 EL1gibil1ty Disputes Again Arise.......... 112 A Future All-American..................... ~~3 Aquinas, the Cinderella Team.............. 114 South Goes to the State Basketball Finals. ~17 Summary. • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • . • . • 121 VII ATHLETICS TODAY IN THE COLlli'lBUS PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS........................... 125 The Evolution of Thinking................. 125 Today's Problems.......................... L26 The Philosophy Toward Athletics........... L27 Conclusion................................ 128 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................ J.56 vi TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURES 1-6 Coaching Tenures • • • • • . 130 FIGURE 7 City Champions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 136 FIGURE 8 Financial Statements to Iilustrate the Tremendous Growth of Football During the last 45 Years • • • • • • • • • • • 138 FIGURE 9 Notable "Firsts" in Columbus Athletics. • • 139 FIGURE 10 Columbus State Championship and State Runner-Up Teams • • • • • • • • • • • • • 141 FIGURES 11-14 Playing Sites Previous to 1926 • • • • 142 FIGURE 15 School Origins • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 146 FIGURE 16 All High Football Teams ••••••••• • 147 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Down through the ages man has expressed a keen inter est in events that have transpired before his time. Pre historic youths no doubt sat before comforting, blazing campfires listening with rapt attention to the experiences of the hoary headed elders of their tribe, while at the same time creating in their own imaginations situations of danger and adventure requiring cool cunning and courage to conquer. With the coming of the written word, recorded history has occupied an eminent place in the lives of all mankind. Comfort, understanding and wisdom have all been derived from the priceless accounts of events and experiences from a far distant past but whose counterpart keeps repeating itself in each succeeding generation. It is largely through the history of past experience that man has been able to utilize his superior intellect to drag himself from the misery and degradation of a beast-like jungle existence and to thrust himself into a constantly ex panding civilization. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to record the events which formed the foundation of and the evolution to the present program of boys interscholastic athletics in our Columbus public secondary schools. The contributions of 1 2 various coaches, administrators, athletes and other inter ested persons are so important that they deserve a place in a recorded athletic history ot our school system. Contents of the Study In this study will be found the origins of the friendly but intense rivalries between the schools. We shall catch a giimpse of many of the problems of the program in its infancy, such as those of finding suit able playing sites during a period in school history which made no provisions for athletic games. This was also the period in which no coaching, supervision or financial aid was provided by the schools. Competitive athletics was frowned upon as being suitable on1y for a select few and was contrary to the prevaiiing notion which held that calisthenics provided adequately for the physical education needs of the students. The coaching tenures of ail of the men engaged in coaching are charted as weil as a record of the various city champions. All-high football teams (and other all star teams) are iisted 1n this study. Columbus state championship teams are recognized, notabie "firsts" in athletics are listed and one wiil be able to find a record of playing sites for various sports prior to 1924, when most of the present schools were completed. The origins of each school are charted as is the origin of the four 3 sports and the first faculty coaches at each school. Bitter eligibility disputes are recorded and the efforts on the part of the administration to solve these problems are discussed. Changing league policies are traced and in short, every possible phase of the athletic history of the Columbus public secondary schools is recorded. Procedures and Sources of Information The style of this study is largely narrative; it tells a season by season, year by year story. Use has been made of charts for additional information and ready reference. The sources of information have been many and varied. By far the greatest bulk of information was gleaned from the microfilm department of the Columbus Public Library where many hours were spent poring over fiLmed records of the Coiumbus Dispatch. From the Board of Education Library, which contains copies of the AnnuaL Report of PubLic Schools, important in formation was found. Other sources of material included the files of the physical education office at the administration building, yearbooks from school libraries and the off ice of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. 4 Certainly the most interesting source of informa tion for this study was that received through personal interviews with various former coaches, the men who had played leading roles in much of the early history of the interscholastic athletic program. Through their fine cooperation and hearty interest it was possible to gather a great store of information and at the same time share with them a fascinating period in the life of the youthfu~ athletic history of the Columbus Public Secondary Schools. To these men, therefore, this thesis is dedicated, with the sincere hope that they may relive through many of its pages, those moments of excitement, the joy of victory, the disappointment of defeat, but above all, to recall the deep satisfaction of having contributed to the development of our American youth. Limitations of the Study There are, of course, certain definite limitations to this study. Basically it is concerned only with the seven public secondary schools of Columbus. It is limited to certain