Amos Alonzo Stagg and Martin I. Foss (1933)

Item Information

Title:
Amos Alonzo Stagg and Martin I. Foss (1933)
Description:
This picture was taken in 1933 and shows Springfield College alumni Amos Alonzo Stagg (right) and Martin I. Foss (left) standing outside the front a building that we believe is part of the George Williams College campus. The blanket draped around Stagg’s shoulders was presented to him by George Williams College.
Date:
1933
Format:
Photographs
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Series:
Amos Alonzo Stagg Papers
Subjects:
Springfield College--Faculty
Springfield College--Alumni and alumnae
Springfield College
International Young Men's Christian Association College
Stagg, Amos Alonzo, 1862-1965
Foss, Martin I.
Blankets
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/2809
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Springfield College
Language:
English
Notes:
Martin I. Foss, who graduated from Springfield College in 1899, went on to serve as director of the physical education department at George Williams College. An All-American Yale player, Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862-1965) brought football to Springfield College and coached the institution’s first team in 1891. After arriving as a graduate student and instructor in 1890, Stagg posted a notice inviting students and faculty to play football for the institution. The first year ended with a 5-3 record, highlighted by a 26-0 defeat of Amherst and a contest against Yale at Madison Square Garden, the first-ever indoor football game. Yale fielded a team of five varsity players, two substitutes, and a group of Yale graduates. Springfield College, at this time, had less than fifty students from which to draw. Stagg was the only experienced player on the Springfield College squad and found his team outsized by an average of twenty pounds per man. In a great game, Springfield College showed true courage and pride, but ultimately lost 16-10. The newspapers labeled Stagg’s team the “Stubby Christians,” commending the team for the surprise they gave everyone in attendance and how they outplayed the giants from New Haven. After coaching for fifty-seven years at number of different institutions, he became the dean of college football coaches. Stagg pioneered the huddle, the man in motion, the end-around, and the Statue of Liberty play, among others. During October 2006, the refurbished Benedum Field was renamed the Amos Alonzo Stagg Field. In The Fireside Book of Football, Edwin Pope describes Stagg as “football’s Ben Franklin, Alexander Bell, and Thomas Edison all rolled into one.”
Small red mark on bottom edge of the photograph; Two small scratches at top of photograph;
Identifier:
ms507-01-01-02-006