Charles Stevenson Football Game Recollection - March 29, 1919
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[December 15] [VFW] 1919 Football Game Charles S. Stevenson 6510 State Line [Shawnee Mission, Kansas]
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[page 2] Lock room exhortations generally do not win games, but the things were quite different in the third quarter. Lt. George Potay Clark of the University of Illinois, later to be a coach at the University of Kansas, received a pass from Lt. Adrian Lindsey, University of Kansas star and also a later coach there, ad pushed across the line for a touchdown. He then kicked a field goal. In the last quarter young Lieutenat Clark made a sensational 65-yeard run which ended in a touchdown, also. Now the hero of the day, he kicked his second field goal and the Division went on to win the championship, 14 to 6. Whether General Winn
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[page 3] Charles Gerhard, a West Point graduate and academy football player, later to be commanding general of the 29th Division in World War II, went to his knees to clean the mud off the shoes of Lt. Clark after the latter kicked his first field goals. Private Howard
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[page 4] 89th Division coaching staff. Lt. Robert Higgins was an All-American right end from [Pennsylvania State University]. [Laurie Perry Cookingham], later to be the dean of city managers across the country, played on the 85th Division team The game was the culmination of the effort of General Pershing to keep up the morale of the restless soldiers in France, [Belgium] and Germany at the time. Most all wanted to go home at once but could not because there simply was not enough boats to accomodate everybody on November 12, the day after the signing of the Armistice. Rivalry began in January of that year and swept over the entire European command and the United States where relatives and friends were following everything that went on in Europe. Little football had been played here during the winters of 1917 and 1918 and professional football had not yet arrived so football staved nation was ready for spectacle of this kind. Consequently the game received wide publicity. It was played at the Velodrome du Pare des Princes, a bicycle race track near Paris on March 29, 1919 - just 50 years ago. An estimated crowed of 15, 000 attended. Special trains from France, Belgium and Germany Army commands brought thousands to the area. While all could not get it, there was Paris, of course. The victorious team was given a leave of absense in Cannes and Nice. Upon its return to Trier in Germany it was entertained bu General Winn and his staff and at a similar occassion in the gran ball room of the Eifelerhof in Kyllburg. The players were given small silver footballs as was General Winn
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[page 5] More meaningful to the men, however was probably the truck full of francs the winners brought hom from suuporters of the 36th Division.
Details
| Title | Charles Stevenson Football Game Recollection - March 29, 1919 |
| Creator | Stevenson, Charles |
| Source | Stevenson, Charles. Football Game Recollection. 29 March 1919. Stevenson, Charles S. Collection. 1979.24; 1982.202. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | Charles Stevenson wrote this account of the football game between the 89th Division and the 36th Division. He wrote the account fifty years after the game that occurred on March 29, 1919. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; United States. Army. Infantry Division, 89th; United States. Army--Sports; Football and war |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | 1979.24; 1982.202 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | March 29, 1919 |
| Language | English |