Dave Morey
Encyclopedia
David Beale Morey was an American football
and baseball
player, coach of a number of sports, and college athletics administrator. He was an All-American football player for Dartmouth College
in 1912 and a professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913. Morey coached football and baseball at the Lowell Technological Institute
(1916–1917, 1948–1959), Middlebury College
(1921–1924), Auburn University
(1925–1927), Fordham University
(1928), and Bates College
(1929–1939). After leading small colleges to ties against college football powers Harvard
and Yale
, Morey was given the nickname, "David the Giant Killer" by Grantland Rice
.
. He played baseball and football, and also competed on the track team, at Malden High School
. In June 1909, Morey struck out 25 batters in a baseball game against Everett High School
.
where he played for three years each with the school's football and baseball teams. He was captain of Dartmouth's baseball team during his senior year in 1913.
Morey played right halfback for Dartmouth's football team from 1910 to 1912. After the 1912 season, he was selected as a first-team All-American by W. J. MacBeth and a second-team All-American by Walter Camp
.
of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was a right-handed pitcher and a left-handed batter. He played in two games for the Athletics on July 4, 1913 and July 17, 1913. He did not have any decisions and compiled an earned run average
of 4.50. Morey also played minor league baseball for Worcester
in 1914 and Manchester
in 1915.
.
From 1916 to 1917, Morey was the football coach at Lowell Textile Institute, later renamed Lowell Technological Institute
. Following the entry of the United States
into World War I
, Morey served in the United States armed forces. In 1919, Morey returned to Malden High School as the school's baseball coach.
in Middlebury, Vermont as assistant to the school's athletic director. Morey was given the responsibility for developing the school's football team.
In 1921, Morey took over as the school's head football coach. Over the next four years, Morey helped turn the program around, improving from a record of 2–6 in 1922 to 7–1 in 1924. The most notable win during Morey's tenure at Middlebury was a 6–6 tie with Harvard in 1923, then one of the top football programs in the country. Two drop kicks by Middlebury's Al Klevenow provided the scoring in the tie with Harvard. Morey took particular pride in the tie against Harvard, noting that Middlebury had a total male enrollment of 140 at the time.
In 1924, Morey's Middlebury eleven outscored its opponents 254–44, won high-scoring honors among all of the Eastern football teams, and lost only one game—to Harvard. Morey was also the coach of Middlebury's baseball and basketball teams from 1921 to 1925.
In February 1925, Morey announced his resignation as coach at Middlebury, effective at the end of the baseball season in June 1925. He stated that his one and only reason for leaving Middlebury was the ill health of his wife, which could only be remedied by residence in a warmer client.
in Alabama. Morey was the head coach at Auburn for three years (1925–1927), compiling an overall record of 10–10–1 at the school. The highlight of Morey's tenure with Auburn was a 2–0 win over Bernie Bierman
's Tulane squad
in the game that dedicated New Orleans' famous Sugar Bowl
. In 1927, Morey's Auburn football team lost its starting quarterback, who was expelled after being caught sneaking into the women's dormitory following a night of drunken reverie. The team opened the 1927 season with an 0–3 record, including embarrassing losses to Stetson College
and Clemson
. At a pep rally six days after the loss to Clemson, Morey announced his resignation.
working under Major Cavanaguh—who had previously been Morey's head coach at Dartmouth. He also undertook graduate work in physical education at New York University
, where he also taught classes in athletic coaching.
in Lewiston, Maine
as the head coach of its football, baseball and ice hockey teams. In 1932, sports writer Grantland Rice
gave Morey the nickname "David the Giant Killer" after his Bates College football team played a highly touted Yale team to a scoreless tie. Morey remained at Bates until 1939. In ten years at Bates, his football teams compiled a record of 28–33–9. In June 1939, Morey unxpectedly resigned his position at Bates. He left his decision unexplained other than a public statement that, "There's no place at Bates for me now." Following the announcement, students at Bates circulated a petition urging the college to reinstate Morey.
During World War II
, Morey served as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Martha's Vineyard
. From 1944 to 1948, Morey was the head coach at Marblehead High School
.
, where he had been a coach from 1916 to 1917 while the school was called Lowell Textile School. He was appointed in 1948 to the physical education department at Lowell and served as an assistant coach in three sports, including football. He served as football coach at Lowell until the school abandoned the sport in 1950. He also coached Lowell teams in basketball (1948–1959), soccer (1951–1958), and lacrosse (for five years). In March 1959, Morey announced his retirement from Lowell at age 70.
in Milton, Massachusetts
. He also helped with coaching the Curry football team in 1959.
In October 1963, the Hartford, Connecticut
chapter of the College Football Hall of Fame
nominated Morey for induction into the national College Football Hall of Fame. However, he did not receive a sufficient percentage of the total votes cast for induction. In November 1964, Morey was honored by the Gridiron Club with a dinner in his honor in Boston.
Morey lived in his later years in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
on Martha's Vineyard
. He died there in 1986 at age 96.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, coach of a number of sports, and college athletics administrator. He was an All-American football player for Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1912 and a professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913. Morey coached football and baseball at the Lowell Technological Institute
Lowell Technological Institute
The Lowell Technological Institute was a public college located in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School.-Beginnings:...
(1916–1917, 1948–1959), Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
(1921–1924), Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
(1925–1927), Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
(1928), and Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
(1929–1939). After leading small colleges to ties against college football powers Harvard
Harvard Crimson football
The Harvard Crimson football program represents Harvard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Harvard's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1873...
and Yale
Yale Bulldogs football
The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Yale's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1872...
, Morey was given the nickname, "David the Giant Killer" by Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
.
Early years
Morey was a native of Malden, MassachusettsMalden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
. He played baseball and football, and also competed on the track team, at Malden High School
Malden High School
Malden High School is a public high school located in Malden, Massachusetts. Accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges , it awards high school diplomas.The school was founded in 1857.-Centre St.:...
. In June 1909, Morey struck out 25 batters in a baseball game against Everett High School
Everett High School (Massachusetts)
Everett High School is a public high school in Everett, Massachusetts. In the 2007-2008 school year, it had 1,774 students. After being at the Broadway Street location for almost 100 years, a new high school was built on Elm Street, opening in September, 2007....
.
Dartmouth College
Morey attended Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
where he played for three years each with the school's football and baseball teams. He was captain of Dartmouth's baseball team during his senior year in 1913.
Morey played right halfback for Dartmouth's football team from 1910 to 1912. After the 1912 season, he was selected as a first-team All-American by W. J. MacBeth and a second-team All-American by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
.
Professional baseball player
Morey graduated from Dartmouth in 1913 and was signed by Connie MackConnie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was a right-handed pitcher and a left-handed batter. He played in two games for the Athletics on July 4, 1913 and July 17, 1913. He did not have any decisions and compiled an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 4.50. Morey also played minor league baseball for Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
in 1914 and Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
in 1915.
Football and baseball coach
In the fall of 1914, Morey returned to Dartmouth as the school's freshman football coach, working as an assistant to Frank "Major" Cavanaugh. He also worked for the American Felt Company in Boston. He also served briefly as the baseball coach for Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
From 1916 to 1917, Morey was the football coach at Lowell Textile Institute, later renamed Lowell Technological Institute
Lowell Technological Institute
The Lowell Technological Institute was a public college located in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School.-Beginnings:...
. Following the entry of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Morey served in the United States armed forces. In 1919, Morey returned to Malden High School as the school's baseball coach.
Middlebury College
In July 1920, Morey was hired by Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in Middlebury, Vermont as assistant to the school's athletic director. Morey was given the responsibility for developing the school's football team.
In 1921, Morey took over as the school's head football coach. Over the next four years, Morey helped turn the program around, improving from a record of 2–6 in 1922 to 7–1 in 1924. The most notable win during Morey's tenure at Middlebury was a 6–6 tie with Harvard in 1923, then one of the top football programs in the country. Two drop kicks by Middlebury's Al Klevenow provided the scoring in the tie with Harvard. Morey took particular pride in the tie against Harvard, noting that Middlebury had a total male enrollment of 140 at the time.
In 1924, Morey's Middlebury eleven outscored its opponents 254–44, won high-scoring honors among all of the Eastern football teams, and lost only one game—to Harvard. Morey was also the coach of Middlebury's baseball and basketball teams from 1921 to 1925.
In February 1925, Morey announced his resignation as coach at Middlebury, effective at the end of the baseball season in June 1925. He stated that his one and only reason for leaving Middlebury was the ill health of his wife, which could only be remedied by residence in a warmer client.
Auburn University
In September 1925, Morey was hired as the head football coach at Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in Alabama. Morey was the head coach at Auburn for three years (1925–1927), compiling an overall record of 10–10–1 at the school. The highlight of Morey's tenure with Auburn was a 2–0 win over Bernie Bierman
Bernie Bierman
Bernard W. "Bernie" Bierman was an American football player and coach. He coached from 1919 to 1950 except for a span during World War II when he served in the U.S. armed forces...
's Tulane squad
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
in the game that dedicated New Orleans' famous Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. In 1927, Morey's Auburn football team lost its starting quarterback, who was expelled after being caught sneaking into the women's dormitory following a night of drunken reverie. The team opened the 1927 season with an 0–3 record, including embarrassing losses to Stetson College
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
and Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. At a pep rally six days after the loss to Clemson, Morey announced his resignation.
Fordham University and NYU
After leaving Auburn, Morey returned north and accepted a position as an assistant football coach at Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
working under Major Cavanaguh—who had previously been Morey's head coach at Dartmouth. He also undertook graduate work in physical education at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where he also taught classes in athletic coaching.
Bates College
In January 1929, Morey was hired by Bates CollegeBates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
in Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
as the head coach of its football, baseball and ice hockey teams. In 1932, sports writer Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
gave Morey the nickname "David the Giant Killer" after his Bates College football team played a highly touted Yale team to a scoreless tie. Morey remained at Bates until 1939. In ten years at Bates, his football teams compiled a record of 28–33–9. In June 1939, Morey unxpectedly resigned his position at Bates. He left his decision unexplained other than a public statement that, "There's no place at Bates for me now." Following the announcement, students at Bates circulated a petition urging the college to reinstate Morey.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Morey served as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
. From 1944 to 1948, Morey was the head coach at Marblehead High School
Marblehead High School
Marblehead High School is a four-year high school located in Marblehead, MA. The school has approximately 970 students and serves Marblehead, MA...
.
Lowell Technical Institute
In August 1948, Morey accepted an offer to return to Lowell Technological InstituteLowell Technological Institute
The Lowell Technological Institute was a public college located in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School.-Beginnings:...
, where he had been a coach from 1916 to 1917 while the school was called Lowell Textile School. He was appointed in 1948 to the physical education department at Lowell and served as an assistant coach in three sports, including football. He served as football coach at Lowell until the school abandoned the sport in 1950. He also coached Lowell teams in basketball (1948–1959), soccer (1951–1958), and lacrosse (for five years). In March 1959, Morey announced his retirement from Lowell at age 70.
Later years
In 1959, Morey accepted a position teaching history at Curry CollegeCurry College
Curry College is a private liberal arts-based institution in Milton, Massachusetts that started as the School of Elocution in 1879.-History:...
in Milton, Massachusetts
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
. He also helped with coaching the Curry football team in 1959.
In October 1963, the Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
chapter of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
nominated Morey for induction into the national College Football Hall of Fame. However, he did not receive a sufficient percentage of the total votes cast for induction. In November 1964, Morey was honored by the Gridiron Club with a dinner in his honor in Boston.
Morey lived in his later years in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
Oak Bluffs is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,713 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 3,735 as of 2008...
on Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
. He died there in 1986 at age 96.