1901 Football Team at Springfield College

In 1890, Amos Alonzo Stagg, a Yale all-American and major league baseball pitching prospect, came to Springfield College (then known as the YMCA Training School) and started the college’s first football team. A grad student in a one-year program to become a YMCA Physical Director, he served as Coach, Manager, Captain, and Player on this original team often called “Stagg’s Eleven” or “The Stubby Christians.” The team finished the first season with a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, playing Yale strongly in the first indoor football game ever played in Madison Square Garden. Among other greats to coach the football team was James Huff McCurdy. McCurdy came to Springfield in 1895 and headed the team till 1917. He is largely responsible for helping to grow the Springfield College football team’s reputation and starting a long tradition of being feared by other colleges, in addition to his innovative work in exercise physiology. Later, Oscar “Ossie” Solem, famous Syracuse University coach, coached the team from 1946-1957.

Item in oversized collection folder 3.

A photograph of the 1901 football team at Springfield College, led by Head Coach James McCurdy, and team Captain George Cornell (class of 1902). The team finished the season with a record of 3 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties. The members of the team include: [1st row from left to right] Louis Bradshaw (class of 1903), Samuel Abbott (class of 1904), John Gray (class of 1904), Nobel Randel (class of 1904), Frederick Henckel (class of 1904), Gilbert Thompson (class of 1903), and Porter Woolworth (class of 1903); [2nd row from left to right] Edward Offinger (class of 1904), Edward Elliott (class of 1904), George Cornell, Thomas Clark (class of 1903), James Armstrong (manager, class of 1903), Elmer Berry (class of 1902), and Von Roseboro (class of 1903); [3rd row from left to right] Frederick Bugbee (class of 1903), James McCurdy, George McLaren (class of 1903), John Schroeder (assistant manager, class of 1902), Charles Ashley (class of 1904), Robert Hamlin (class of 1904), and Dr. Page.