Football in the Fifties

Gridders Slaughter Wooster, 58-2" screamed the headlines of The Oberlin Review on November 21, 1950. The defeat, which capped a 7-1 season for Oberlin's 1950 football team, broke a record previously set in 1926, and remains today the College's most winning season. Teammates from the 1950 and '51 squads reunited Commencement weekend, sharing memories and pondering the state of football today. Academic life, they were quick to stress, was no more lax in the 1950s. "The biggest problem the coach had was competing against chemistry labs, biology labs, and exams," said Kev O'Connor '51, former team quarterback and four-time letterwinner. "There wasn't any more relaxing of standards then as there is now. Oberlin's always had that tradition."

Teammate Jim Pohlman '54, said that many players have stayed in touch over the years and have gone on to have outstanding careers in a variety of professions. Credit for that success, he said, should be given in part to the coach. "My sophomore, junior, and senior years I was privileged every afternoon to spend with Lysle Butler who was the football coach, assistant basketball coach, and head tennis coach. "He was a wonderful man--my mentor and role model over the years--and he taught all of us how to manage our time," Pohlman added. "He understood, no questions asked, if we were in the laboratory or studying for a test. He had enormous prestige among the faculty--they really respected him." Bobby Burhham '53, and Joe Howell '53, both from Maryland, were instrumental in planning the reunion, which gathered nearly one-third of the original team and featured remarks by President Dye.


KV

The Football in the Fifties reception reunited Oberlin's record-setting 1950 football team, including '50 and '51 teammates (front row, left to right) Pete Loveland '51, Al Schwartz '52, Joe Howell '53, Geoffrey Blodgett '53, Bart Harrison '51, and George Andrews '54, (second row, left to right) Dick Bailey '51, Jim Pohlman '54, Bob Long '53, Bob Burnham '53, Tom Hayes '53, (back row, left to right) Don Robertson '53, Steve Davenport '53, Norm Thompson '54, George Furcron '54, Roger Michael '53, and Kev O'Connor '51.