Edward Morrison (American football)
Wiliiam Edward Morrison (October 11, 1894 – February 15, 1961) was an American football player and coach. He was an important figure in the integration of college football.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 11, 1894 Chelsea, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 15, 1961 (aged 66) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Playing career | |
| 1916 | Tufts |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1920–1922 | Howard |
| 1924 | Howard |
| 1928 | Howard |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 25–5–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 black college national (1920) 1 CIAA (1920) | |
Early years
Morrison played baseball and football at Everett High School. He then enrolled at Tufts University in 1915.[1]
As a player for Tufts University during the 1916 season, he was the target of significant racial discrimination. During a game against Princeton, he sustained injuries as the result of dirty play at that hands of Princeton players.
Later that season, the team had a game at Indiana University. The team's hotel initially denied Morrison and another black teammate a room. In response, Tufts coach Charles Whelan protested and said that if the black players weren't accommodated, he would take his team back to Massachusetts without playing. The hotel quickly acquiesced, and Tufts won the game, 12–10.[2]
Howard coach
From 1918 to 1920, Morrison studied dentistry at Howard University in Washington, D.C..[1] He served as the head football coach at Howard (1920–1922, 1924, 1928), winning a black college football national championship in 1920.[3]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Bison (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1920–1922) | |||||||||
| 1920 | Howard | 7–0 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1921 | Howard | 6–1 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1922 | Howard | 4–2 | 2–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| Howard Bison (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1924) | |||||||||
| 1924 | Howard | 2–1–3 | 1–1–1 | T–4th | |||||
| Howard Bison (Independent) (1928) | |||||||||
| 1928 | Howard | 6–1–2 | |||||||
| Howard: | 25–5–5 | 12–4–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 25–5–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- "New Football Coach of Howard University". The Dallas Express. October 2, 1920. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Trantanella, Charlie (December 12, 2016). "Integrating Football—in 1916, The Tufts gridiron squad featured two black players, and a determination to stave off opponents". Tufts University. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- "Howard Football: Legacy and Legends, 125 Years in the Making". Howard Bison. June 12, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2019.