Hugh White (athlete)

Hugh White (circa 1877-June 1936) was a nationally famous American football left tackle with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901. He captained the national champion 1901 team.

College football All-American at Michigan

After graduating from high school, White attended the University of Michigan, where he became the captain of Fielding Yost’s famous 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team, also known as the "point-a-minute" team. He played left tackle for the Michigan football team during the 1898 season, [ [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1898fbt.htm] UM athletic department website, 1898 football] left end in the 1899 season, [ [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1899fbt.htm] UM athletic department website, 1899 football] then returned to playing left tackle in the 1900, [ [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1900fbt.htm] UM athletic department website 1900 football] and 1901 seasons. [ [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbcapt/1901capt.htm] UM athletic department website 1901 football]

Michigan’s undefeated 1901 season

As a senior White was the captain of Michigan's 1901 national champion football team that was undefeated in eleven games, with a total score of 550 points for Michigan, 0 for opponents. They went on to win the first Rose Bowl against Stanford University by a score of 49-0. [ [http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1901fbt.htm 190X Football Team -- University of Michigan Athletics ] at bentley.umich.edu]

1902 Rose Bowl

In the first Rose Bowl game in January 1902, the eleven players White captained defeated Stanford University 49-0 without making a substitution. In those days there were not separate offensive and defensive squads and specialty teams. They put the ball in play 143 times for 1,463 offensive yards. The Stanford coach, C.M. Fickert asked Michigan coach Yost to stop the game, since the Stanford team was no match for the Michigan team, but Yost insisted the game continue. Yost had been ousted as Stanford coach the year before. [ [http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/rose/s/1902.html] O'Sullivan, Dan "1902 - Michigan 49, Stanford 0." 13 December, 2002. Retrieved June 11, 2009] With eight minutes left in the game, White agreed with Stanford captain R.S. Fisher to stop play. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=OmwfnipKuogC&pg=PA87&dq=michigan+football+%22hugh+white%22&lr=&as_brr=0&sig=0BeviVuOfWV4LA-BQfWA0q_WDlA] Nelson, David M. "The Anatomy of a Game: Football, the Rules, and the Men who Made the Game." University of Delaware Press, 1994, ISBN 0874134552, page 87.]

Later life

In the fall of 1902, White became the football coach at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=sAQTAAAAIAAJ&dq=michigan+football+%22hugh+white%22&lr=&as_brr=0&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0] "The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta" Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, 1903, page 103. Retrieved June 11, 2008.] In 1904 he umpired Ivy League football games. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9404E6D7123AE733A25755C1A9669D946597D6CF] "FIRST OF SEASON'S FOOTBALL SURPRISES; Columbia and Princeton of the So-Called Big Teams Beaten." New York Times 16 October 1904, page 19. Retrieved June 11, 2008.] He later worked as an engineer and became Chairman of the Board of George A. Fuller Company, one of the largest construction companies in the United States, which erected major public buildings and office buildings. He served as Village President of Scarsdale, New York. He died of pneumonia in June 1936. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60A15FC3A5B1B7B93C0A8178DD85F428385F9] Hugh White dies; noted engineer, 59; former chairman of the board of George A. Fuller Company, succumbs to pneumonia. A leader in Scarsdale once served as village president--an ex-captain of the Michigan football team" 12 June 1936, Social news art books, page 23, 59. Retrieved 11 June 2008.] [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60A15FC3A5B1B7B93C0A8178DD85F428385F9]

References