Dean Cromwell
Encyclopedia
Dean Bartlett Cromwell nicknamed "Maker of Champions", was an American
athletic coach in multiple sports, principally at the University of Southern California
. He was the head coach of the USC track
team from 1909 to 1948, excepting 1914 and 1915, and guided the team to 12 NCAA
team national championships
(1926, 1930–31, 1935–43) and 34 individual NCAA titles. He was the head coach for the U.S. track team at the 1948 Olympic Games
in London
.He was assistant head coach for the U.S. track team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and in such role was responsible for removing Jewish athletes Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller from the US mens' 4 x 100 meter relay team in order to mollify Adolph Hitler.^ "Marty Glickman at Jewish Virtual Library". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved June 7, 2010; Jewish Athletes – Marty Glickman & Sam Stoller". U.S. Holocaust Museum. Cromwell was also an opportunistic anti-semite who, in order to curry favor with Avery Brundage, U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman, joined the infamous isolationist, pro-Nazi organization, America First Committee, of which Brundage was a founding member and organizer. Stanley Meisler (July 23, 1996). "Nazi Games Exhibit Details Discrimination, Deception: Two American Jews were booted off track team, apparently to spare Hitler embarrassment". Los Angeles Times Glickman tells of '36 Games". Syracuse Herald Journal. January 20, 1980 Mistake of 1936 Olympic Games Not Forgotten". Los Angeles Times. March 29, 1998. Charles Chi Halevi (April 10, 2000). "Games of Shame". The Jerusalem Post, Howard Z. Unger (March 31, 1998). "Olympic-sized snubbing". The Village Voice, .
Born in Turner, Oregon
, Cromwell moved to southern California with his family as a boy after his father's death, and attended Occidental Prep School and Occidental College
, graduating in 1902. While at Occidental, he was a multi-sport standout athlete, playing football
and baseball
and competing in track and cycling
; in 1901 the Helms Athletic Foundation
named him the outstanding athlete in southern California. After college he worked for the telephone company, also continuing to compete in local amateur sports. After being hired as USC's track coach, he became known for his skill in developing star athletes. His many outstanding pupils included Fred Kelly (1912
gold medalist in the 110m hurdles), Charlie Paddock
(1920
gold medalist in the 100m
and 4x100 relay
), Bud Houser (1924
gold medalist in the shot put
and discus
; 1928
gold medalist in the discus), Jess Mortensen
(1929 NCAA javelin
champion, 1931 world record in the decathlon
), Frank Wykoff
(1928, 1932
and 1936
gold medalist in the 4x100 relay), Ken Carpenter (1936 gold medalist in the discus), Earle Meadows
(1936 gold medalist in the pole vault
), Louis Zamperini
(collegiate record-holder in the mile from 1938–53), Wilbur Thompson
(1948
gold medalist in the shot put), Cliff Bourland (1948 gold medalist in the 4x400 relay
), Bill Sefton (two-time world record holder in the pole vault), and Mel Patton
(1948 gold medalist in the 200m
and 4x100 relay). Athletes coached by Cromwell eventually set individual world records in 14 events and relay world records in three others, and won 12 Olympic
gold medals during his time at USC.
Cromwell also served as the head coach of the USC football
program from 1909 to 1910, and from 1916 to 1918. His involvement with USC football goes back even farther; he is known to have officiated USC games as early as 1903, and he played (along with the coaches of both teams) for USC opponent Harvard School
in a 1905 game due to the weakness of the Harvard roster. In his first term as coach in 1909-10, he posted a record of 10-1-3; but this was exclusively against southern California competition, with no major colleges on the schedule. Like many schools, USC switched from football to rugby
from 1911 to 1913. Cromwell returned as football coach in 1916, by which time USC's teams had begun to be known as the Trojans. But by this point, the university was facing competition which more regularly included major colleges such as California
, Utah
and Stanford
, and his relative lack of expertise in the sport was more readily apparent; World War I
also depleted the team's ranks in 1917-18. In his final three years his record was still respectable at 11-7-3, though only 4-4-1 against major colleges. In his final 1918 season, USC was 2-2-2 – not playing a home game in Los Angeles
until December 14 due to a citywide ban on public gatherings during the Spanish flu
epidemic – and he was replaced by Gus Henderson
. During his tenure, Cromwell compiled a 21-8-6 record. Apart from Sam Barry
, who took over the 1941 team in the wake of Howard Jones
' death, Cromwell was the last USC football coach for whom it was not his primary sport. He also coached the USC basketball team
in 1918, though they only played two games against the Los Angeles Athletic Club
, losing both.
After retiring, Cromwell continued to serve as an advisor in track and field, and briefly was the field announcer for the National Football League
's Los Angeles Rams
. He died at age 82 at his Los Angeles home after suffering a heart attack; he had suffered a previous attack in March of the same year. He was survived by his wife Gertrude and their three sons; his cremated remains were interred at Twin Oaks Cemetery in Turner, Oregon. He was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in 1974, and into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in its second class in 1995. The university's track field is named Cromwell Field in his honor.
He can be seen as a contestant on the 16th December 1954 edition of You Bet Your Life
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athletic coach in multiple sports, principally at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He was the head coach of the USC track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team from 1909 to 1948, excepting 1914 and 1915, and guided the team to 12 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
team national championships
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
(1926, 1930–31, 1935–43) and 34 individual NCAA titles. He was the head coach for the U.S. track team at the 1948 Olympic Games
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.He was assistant head coach for the U.S. track team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and in such role was responsible for removing Jewish athletes Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller from the US mens' 4 x 100 meter relay team in order to mollify Adolph Hitler.^ "Marty Glickman at Jewish Virtual Library". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved June 7, 2010; Jewish Athletes – Marty Glickman & Sam Stoller". U.S. Holocaust Museum. Cromwell was also an opportunistic anti-semite who, in order to curry favor with Avery Brundage, U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman, joined the infamous isolationist, pro-Nazi organization, America First Committee, of which Brundage was a founding member and organizer. Stanley Meisler (July 23, 1996). "Nazi Games Exhibit Details Discrimination, Deception: Two American Jews were booted off track team, apparently to spare Hitler embarrassment". Los Angeles Times Glickman tells of '36 Games". Syracuse Herald Journal. January 20, 1980 Mistake of 1936 Olympic Games Not Forgotten". Los Angeles Times. March 29, 1998. Charles Chi Halevi (April 10, 2000). "Games of Shame". The Jerusalem Post, Howard Z. Unger (March 31, 1998). "Olympic-sized snubbing". The Village Voice, .
Born in Turner, Oregon
Turner, Oregon
Turner is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,199 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Cromwell moved to southern California with his family as a boy after his father's death, and attended Occidental Prep School and Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, graduating in 1902. While at Occidental, he was a multi-sport standout athlete, playing football
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...
and competing in track and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
; in 1901 the Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
named him the outstanding athlete in southern California. After college he worked for the telephone company, also continuing to compete in local amateur sports. After being hired as USC's track coach, he became known for his skill in developing star athletes. His many outstanding pupils included Fred Kelly (1912
Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics
These are the results of athletics competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics. 30 events were contested, all for men only.The athletics programme grew by 4 events since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 5000 and 10000 metre races were introduced for the first time, as the 5 mile event was eliminated...
gold medalist in the 110m hurdles), Charlie Paddock
Charlie Paddock
Charles "Charlie" William Paddock was an American athlete and twofold Olympic champion.After serving in World War I as a lieutenant of field artillery in the U.S. Marines, Paddock - a native of Gainesville, Texas - studied at the University of Southern California...
(1920
Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics
At the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, 29 athletics events were contested, all for men only. The competitions were held from August 15, 1920 to August 23, 1920.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
gold medalist in the 100m
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 4x100 relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
), Bud Houser (1924
Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics
At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, 27 athletics events were contested, all for men only.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-Participating nations:657 athletes from 40 nations competed. Ten nations competed in athletics for the first time...
gold medalist in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and discus
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
; 1928
Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics
At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, 27 athletics events were contested. The competition was held on a 400 meter track and would become the standard for athletics tracks in the future. For the first time, women's events in athletics were included in the Olympic Games program...
gold medalist in the discus), Jess Mortensen
Jess Mortensen
Jesse "Jess" Philo Mortensen was a NCAA champion track athlete and coach. Mortensen is one of only three men to win Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship team titles as both an athlete and coach.Mortensen was captain of the 1930 NCAA championship track team at the University of...
(1929 NCAA javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
champion, 1931 world record in the decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
), Frank Wykoff
Frank Wykoff
Frank Clifford Wyckoff was an American athlete, triple gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay at the Olympic Games....
(1928, 1932
Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics
At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. It was the first time the 50 kilometre walk appeared in the men's athletics at the Games. This was only the second time women's events in athletics were included in the Olympic Games program...
and 1936
Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. The program of events was unchanged from the previous Games. There was a total of 776 participants from 43 countries competing.-Medal table:...
gold medalist in the 4x100 relay), Ken Carpenter (1936 gold medalist in the discus), Earle Meadows
Earle Meadows
Earle Elmer Meadows was an American athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault and broke the world record in 1937. He also cleared a height superior to the world record, but it was not ratified by the sport's governing body.Meadows attended the University of Southern California...
(1936 gold medalist in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
), Louis Zamperini
Louis Zamperini
Louis Silvie Zamperini is a World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and former American Olympic distance runner.-Early life:...
(collegiate record-holder in the mile from 1938–53), Wilbur Thompson
Wilbur Thompson
Wilbur Marvin "Moose" Thompson was an American athlete who competed mainly in the shot put. He was born in Frankfort, South Dakota....
(1948
Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics
At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. Three events made their Olympic debut at these Games: women's 200 metres, women's long jump and women's shot put...
gold medalist in the shot put), Cliff Bourland (1948 gold medalist in the 4x400 relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
), Bill Sefton (two-time world record holder in the pole vault), and Mel Patton
Mel Patton
Melvin Emery "Mel" Patton is an American track and field athlete, who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
(1948 gold medalist in the 200m
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
and 4x100 relay). Athletes coached by Cromwell eventually set individual world records in 14 events and relay world records in three others, and won 12 Olympic
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
gold medals during his time at USC.
Cromwell also served as the head coach of the USC football
University of Southern California Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Pacific-12 Conference . The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA...
program from 1909 to 1910, and from 1916 to 1918. His involvement with USC football goes back even farther; he is known to have officiated USC games as early as 1903, and he played (along with the coaches of both teams) for USC opponent Harvard School
Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12....
in a 1905 game due to the weakness of the Harvard roster. In his first term as coach in 1909-10, he posted a record of 10-1-3; but this was exclusively against southern California competition, with no major colleges on the schedule. Like many schools, USC switched from football to rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
from 1911 to 1913. Cromwell returned as football coach in 1916, by which time USC's teams had begun to be known as the Trojans. But by this point, the university was facing competition which more regularly included major colleges such as California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
, Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
and Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
, and his relative lack of expertise in the sport was more readily apparent; 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...
also depleted the team's ranks in 1917-18. In his final three years his record was still respectable at 11-7-3, though only 4-4-1 against major colleges. In his final 1918 season, USC was 2-2-2 – not playing a home game in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
until December 14 due to a citywide ban on public gatherings during the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
epidemic – and he was replaced by Gus Henderson
Gus Henderson
Elmer Clinton "Gloomy Gus" Henderson was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Southern California , the University of Tulsa , and Occidental College , compiling a career college football record of 126–42–7...
. During his tenure, Cromwell compiled a 21-8-6 record. Apart from Sam Barry
Sam Barry
Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry was an American collegiate athletic coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports. He remains one of only three coaches to lead teams to both the Final Four and the College World Series.-Early career:Barry was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota...
, who took over the 1941 team in the wake of Howard Jones
Howard Jones (football coach)
Howard Harding Jones was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Syracuse University , Yale University , Ohio State University , the University of Iowa , Duke University , and the University of Southern California , compiling a career record of...
' death, Cromwell was the last USC football coach for whom it was not his primary sport. He also coached the USC basketball team
USC Trojans Basketball
The University of Southern California Trojans men's basketball program is the college basketball team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and represents the University of Southern California on the court.The program began playing...
in 1918, though they only played two games against the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
, losing both.
After retiring, Cromwell continued to serve as an advisor in track and field, and briefly was the field announcer for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. He died at age 82 at his Los Angeles home after suffering a heart attack; he had suffered a previous attack in March of the same year. He was survived by his wife Gertrude and their three sons; his cremated remains were interred at Twin Oaks Cemetery in Turner, Oregon. He was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in 1974, and into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in its second class in 1995. The university's track field is named Cromwell Field in his honor.
He can be seen as a contestant on the 16th December 1954 edition of You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
.
The Dean's writings
- The High Jump Published in 1939, International Sports, Inc.,Indianapolis, IN.