Posts Tagged ‘Hamilton Fish’

Southern All Stars

May 4, 2010

On New Year’s Eve, the day after the game in Nashville, the Harvard Law School All Stars played an All-Southern All Star team in Memphis. This was apparently the game that had been previously rained out. Hamilton Fish played even though his nose was broken the day before by a rough blow from “Smith” of Michigan. Even with the injuries, Harvad Law’s line-up changed little from the previous game:

 

Dowey replaced Galbreath at right end and Hamm started at right guard rather than relieving Hoar. Their opponents weren’t identified as to their college affiliation. However, a game write-up provided a few details. Again, the game was played on a soggy field. Kennebrew, Carter, Barker and Lee were from Ole Miss and Marro was a former Notre Dame star, one assumes, from the South. Perhaps a reader will provide more information on the Southern All Stars.

Once again, the game was a defensive struggle with the only scoring came in the third quarter on a 25-yard pass play from Harvard Law’s quarterback Gallati to left end Silas Williams, ironically captain of the 1910 Sewanee team. The kick after touchdown was not made, resulting in a 5-0 win for the Harvard Law All Stars.

January 2, 1911 found the Harvard Law School All Stars in Baton Rouge, Louisiana playing a team of former LSU stars. Fish’s squad was even more banged up after the Memphis game and had to make more changes in its line-up. Forcheimer started at right end; Crumpacker shifted to right guard; Hall played left tackle; and McVeagh called signals from the quarterback position. The old LSU stars, many of whom hadn’t played in two or three years, acquitted themselves well. Harvard Law showed the effects of travel and the two previous games. In what a sports writer called, “the finest exhibition of football ever given in this state,” field conditions prevented spectacular play. Strong winds hampered passing and played havoc with punts. The game ended as a scoreless tie.

Afterwards, Hamilton Fish took his men to New Orleans for some rest, relaxation and recuperation. While there, the University of Havana challenged Harvard Law to a game in Cuba. Fish declined. Thus ended Harvard Law School football.

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Harvard Law School Game Recap

April 28, 2010

Today we talk about what actually happened in the game played on November 16, 1910 between Carlisle Indian School and the Harvard Law. The game against the Indians was the second game for Hamilton Fish’s all stars. On October 19, Harvard Law played the Harvard varsity and lost 6 to 0 due to fumbling the ball. Their defense was strong as they allowed only two field goals. The varsity only allowed one team to score against them in their 8-0-1 season that ended with a scoreless tie with arch-rival Yale.

Captain Pete Hauser had not recovered sufficiently from the injuries he received in the Navy game to play against Harvard Law. In his place was his brother, Emil Hauser, who was listed in the line-up as Wauseka. Wauseka normally played at tackle but returned from the injured list to fill in for his brother in the backfield. He spent most of the season coaching the second team because he wasn’t able to play.

In spite of their injuries and the quality of the opposition, Carlisle played a strong game. Probably because there was little scoring, news accounts of the game were very short. The Boston Morning Globe reported:

The All-star vs. Carlisle game was the talk of the town yesterday. “By jove, I wish I had been out there; I am sorry I missed it,” was the constant refrain all day. Those who saw the game maintained that it “was the best ever,” and that it was a splendid thing for the sport.

A wire account of the game summarized the lawyers’ 3 to 0 victory:

It was a one-man contest, however, for F. B. Philbin, the fleet Yale half back, ran the team front quarter back’s position, where he took direct passes either for a dash around the end on his own account or to hurl a forward pass. The Indians played entirely on the defensive except for a brief spurt in the fourth period.

The only scoring in the game was a 15-yard field goal Steve Philbin kicked in the first quarter. The first half was all Harvard Law as they had the ball inside Carlisle’s 25-yard line twice and on their 8-yard line once in the second quarter, but the Indian defense held.

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Posted in Carlisle Indian School, Emil Hauser, Football, Pete Hauser, Wauseka | Leave a Comment »

Harvard Law School All Stars

April 22, 2010

A little research has unearthed a few more facts about the 1910 Harvard Law School football team. After two years as a Walter Camp first team All American at Harvard, Hamilton Fish wasn’t quite ready to put aside his cleats and what passed for a helmet in those days even though he had graduated and had entered Harvard Law School. The term wasn’t underway long when he organized a team from his classmates who had played football in their undergraduate days. He apparently challenged the Crimson varsity to a game because, on Thursday, October 20, the Daily Kennebec Journal reported on a game played the day before at the Harvard horseshoe:

The Harvard Varsity football eleven played this afternoon at the Stadium with a team made up of former Harvard Yale and Princeton football players styling themselves All Stars and won by the narrow margin of 6 to 0. The members of the All Stars team are all now Harvard Law School students and aside from their fumbling they put up so strong a game that the Crimson men were unable to get across the goal, the only points being made on two goals from the field by Lewis.

On November 3, The Post-Standard of Syracuse questioned the likelihood of a game between Carlisle and Harvard Law School: Glenn Warner’s Men Are Sadly Crippled: But Few of the First Team Are in Physical Shape to Be Used in Practice. “The few regulars that were out were put on the second team, which was given a short scrimmage against the third eleven.” It also reported that Carlisle management would likely reach a decision the next day.  

The November 14 issue of The Washington Post A PIECE titled INDIANS BADLY BATTERED confirmed that the Indians would be playing the Harvard Law School All Stars the following Wednesday. Warner felt that his injured players, or at least most of them, would be recovered enough to play against Fish’s squad.

 Next time—the game.

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Posted in Carlisle Indian School, Football, Pop Warner | 2 Comments »

Harvard Law School All Stars

April 20, 2010

A November 16, 1910 Washington Post article listed Harvard Law’s star-filled line-up. The next day’s game report modified it a bit, including the substitutes who played in the game. The Indianapolis Star refined it further. Follows is an amalgam of the three:

Player Position College
Logan Left End Yale
Crumpacker, Withington Left Tackle Michigan, Harvard
Matters Left Guard Nebraska
Cass Center Princeton
S. Hoar,                     Dore Right Guard Harvard, Harvard
Hamilton Fish Right Tackle Harvard
Triggs Right End Holy Cross
S. H. Philbin Quarterback Harvard
Pfeiffer,                     Page Left Halfback Princeton, Harvard
H. Moore Right Halfback Harvard
White,              Simmons Fullback Harvard, Princeton

 

P. Withington was a second team Walter Camp All American in 1909.

L. Withington was a third team Walter Camp All American in 1909.

It isn’t clear which of the former Harvard linemen played on the Harvard Law School team.

Hamilton Fish, organizer of the team, was a Walter Camp first team All American in 1908 & 1909.

S. Hoar was a 1908 third team All American in 1908

S. H. “Steve” Philbin was a Walter Camp first team All American in 1909.

 The team was as advertised. It was indeed loaded with former college stars who today might be playing in the NFL.

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