E. J. Stewart
Encyclopedia
Edward James "Doc" Stewart (? – November 18, 1929) was an American football
, basketball
, and baseball
player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was also the founder, and player-coach
of the Massillon Tigers
professional football team.
, located in Alliance, Ohio
. He had attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University
, located in Cleveland
, where he played on the baseball team.
called the Massillon Tigers. Ed, a young and ambitious editor of the city newspaper The Evening Independent, was named as the team's first coach. At this time, Massillon was involved in rivalry with the cross-county, Canton Bulldogs
. Both teams spent lavish amounts of money to bring in ringers from out of town. Prior to the 1906 season, a news story in The Plain Dealer alleged that the Bulldogs were financially broke and could not pay its players for that final game. Many Canton followers believed the story had originated in Massillon as trick to discredit their team and make it tougher for Canton to recruit players for 1906. Since Stewart had newspaper connections, he was believed by Canton to have planted the story.
The Tigers, who had won every "Ohio League
" championship from 1902 to 1906. In 1906 Stewart promoted from coach to the Tigers' manager. Sherman Wightman, a student of Amos Alonzo Stagg
, was named the team's new coach.
, and Tigers end, Walter East
, of conspiring to fix a two game championship series between the two clubs. When the Tigers won the second a final game of the series and were named pro football's champions, Wallace was accused of throwing the game for Canton.
However Stewart, through the Massillon Independent, charged that an actual attempt was made to bribe some of the Tiger players and that Wallace had been involved.
Stewart never stated that either the first or seceond Canton-Massillon game was fixed. Instead his accusation was that an attempt had been made to bribe some Massillion players before the first game. According Stewart, Tiny Maxwell
and Bob Shiring
of Massillon had been solicited to throw the first game by East. Maxwell and Shiring then reported the offer to Wightman and the scandal ended before it began. East was then released by the Tigers. Only then was Wallace named by Stewart of being East's accomplice.
The scandal was said to have ruined professional football in Ohio until the mid 1910s. However some others argue that the expense of placing all-star teams on the field each week, also put a hamper on the sport. The Canton Morning News put a $20,000 price tag on the Massillon Tigers 1906 team, while many speculate that the Bulldogs probably cost even more. Stiil others contend that the games involving top teams like Canton and Massilon were too one-sided and lacked excitement. Many towns in Ohio still fielded clubs over the next several years, however these new pros were consisted more of sandlotters, with only the occasional ringer. A second incarnation of the Bulldogs would be established in 1911 and would later go to win two championships in the National Football League
.
. He coached one season there and posted a 9–2 record. Stewart was also the head coach of the Mount Union men's basketball team for one season. He coached the team for one season posting a record of 18–3 in the 1907–08 season.
just days before the season began. He led the team to a record of 8–4, their first winning season in four years.
, then known as Oregon Agricultural College. In his five seasons as the head basketball coach at OAC, Stewart posted a record of 67–33.
While at Oregon State, he also coached the Oregon State Beavers baseball team during the 1912 season. He coached the team to a 5–9 record.
Pulling the triple threat for Oregon State, Stewart also coached the Oregon State Beavers football
team from 1913 to 1915. In football he compiled a 15–5–5 record.
team and ran spring practice for football, all while coaching the baseball team. He coached the baseball team for just the 1921 season and the track program from 1921 to 1923.
In the fall of 1921, Stewart coached his first season of football at Clemson. He remained there for two seasons, the 1921 and 1922 seasons, and compiled a 6–10–2 record.
As soon as the football season of 1921 ended, Stewart jumped into his 4th head coaching role at Clemson at coached the basketball team. He coached the basketball from 1921 to 1923. In his two seasons at the helm, he led Clemson to a 19–19 record.
Athletic Director L. Theo Bellmont hired Stewart from Clemson
to lead both the Longhorn football
and basketball
programs in 1923.
A medical school graduate, a piano enthusiast, a former sportswriter, a one-time automobile dealership owner, and a veteran coach, E.J. Stewart quickly became a popular figure across diverse segments of the University population. His oratory eloquence landed him an open job offer from the head of the UT English Department, should he ever decide to quit coaching and desire other work.
Some have speculated that Stewart's devotion to his varied non-athletic interests was the root cause of his football and basketball teams' decline in performance over his tenure. He led the Longhorn football team to an 8–0–1 record during the 1923 season; his following teams finished with records of 5–3–1, 6–2–1, and 5–4. Stewart led the Longhorn basketball team to a perfect 23–0 mark and a Southwest Conference championship during the 1923–24 season, but his subsequent teams finished 17–8, 12–10, and 13–9.
This decline in his teams' performance resulted in the popular Stewart's controversial dismissal following the 1926–27 season.
where he compiled a 5–6–3 record. On November 18, 1929, Stewart was shot and killed by a deer-hunting companion.
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...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, 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, and college athletics administrator. He was also the founder, and player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
of the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
professional football team.
Early life
Stewart was the son of a Methodist minister and had played football and basketball at Mount Union CollegeMount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
, located in Alliance, Ohio
Alliance, Ohio
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
. He had attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, located in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, where he played on the baseball team.
Massillon Tigers-Canton Bulldogs rivalry
In the early 1900s, Stewart organized a pro football team in Massillon, OhioMassillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
called the Massillon Tigers. Ed, a young and ambitious editor of the city newspaper The Evening Independent, was named as the team's first coach. At this time, Massillon was involved in rivalry with the cross-county, Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
. Both teams spent lavish amounts of money to bring in ringers from out of town. Prior to the 1906 season, a news story in The Plain Dealer alleged that the Bulldogs were financially broke and could not pay its players for that final game. Many Canton followers believed the story had originated in Massillon as trick to discredit their team and make it tougher for Canton to recruit players for 1906. Since Stewart had newspaper connections, he was believed by Canton to have planted the story.
The Tigers, who had won every "Ohio League
Ohio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
" championship from 1902 to 1906. In 1906 Stewart promoted from coach to the Tigers' manager. Sherman Wightman, a student of Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
, was named the team's new coach.
Canton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal
In 1906 Stewart was a figure in betting scandal between the two clubs. The Canton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal was the first major scandal in professional football. It was more notably the first known case of professional gamblers' attempting to fix a professional sport. It refers to an allegation made by a Massillon newspaper charging the Bulldogs' coach, Blondy WallaceBlondy Wallace
Charles Edgar "Blondy" Wallace was an early professional football player. He was a 240-pound, former Walter Camp second-team All-American tackle from the University of Pennsylvania. He also played two years at Peddie Institute, in New Jersey, winning state championships in 1896 and 1897...
, and Tigers end, Walter East
Walter East
Walter East was the Akron Zips men's basketball head coach in 1909. In twelve games, he guided the team to a 5-7 record.-Scandal:He is best known for fixing a championship football series in 1906 between the Canton Bulldogs and the Massillon Tigers of the "Ohio League"...
, of conspiring to fix a two game championship series between the two clubs. When the Tigers won the second a final game of the series and were named pro football's champions, Wallace was accused of throwing the game for Canton.
However Stewart, through the Massillon Independent, charged that an actual attempt was made to bribe some of the Tiger players and that Wallace had been involved.
Stewart never stated that either the first or seceond Canton-Massillon game was fixed. Instead his accusation was that an attempt had been made to bribe some Massillion players before the first game. According Stewart, Tiny Maxwell
Tiny Maxwell
Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell was a professional football player and referee. He was also a sports editor with the Philadelphia Public Ledger.-Early life:...
and Bob Shiring
Bob Shiring
Robert Shiring was a professional football player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known for playing for the Massillon Tigers from 1903 until 1907. However he also played for the Pittsburgh Stars of the first National Football League in 1902...
of Massillon had been solicited to throw the first game by East. Maxwell and Shiring then reported the offer to Wightman and the scandal ended before it began. East was then released by the Tigers. Only then was Wallace named by Stewart of being East's accomplice.
The scandal was said to have ruined professional football in Ohio until the mid 1910s. However some others argue that the expense of placing all-star teams on the field each week, also put a hamper on the sport. The Canton Morning News put a $20,000 price tag on the Massillon Tigers 1906 team, while many speculate that the Bulldogs probably cost even more. Stiil others contend that the games involving top teams like Canton and Massilon were too one-sided and lacked excitement. Many towns in Ohio still fielded clubs over the next several years, however these new pros were consisted more of sandlotters, with only the occasional ringer. A second incarnation of the Bulldogs would be established in 1911 and would later go to win two championships in 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...
.
Mount Union College
Stewart's first collegiate head coaching position was as the head football coach at Mount Union CollegeMount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
. He coached one season there and posted a 9–2 record. Stewart was also the head coach of the Mount Union men's basketball team for one season. He coached the team for one season posting a record of 18–3 in the 1907–08 season.
Purdue University
In 1909, Stewart was hired as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
just days before the season began. He led the team to a record of 8–4, their first winning season in four years.
Oregon State
From 1911 to 1916, Stewart was the head coach of the men's basketball team at Oregon StateOregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
, then known as Oregon Agricultural College. In his five seasons as the head basketball coach at OAC, Stewart posted a record of 67–33.
While at Oregon State, he also coached the Oregon State Beavers baseball team during the 1912 season. He coached the team to a 5–9 record.
Pulling the triple threat for Oregon State, Stewart also coached the Oregon State Beavers football
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
team from 1913 to 1915. In football he compiled a 15–5–5 record.
University of Nebraska
From 1916 to 1917, Stewart was the head coach of the University of Nebraska football team. In his two seasons at the helm, he led the team to the Missouri Valley Conference title each year and posted a 11–4 record overall. After the conclusion of the 1917 football season, Stewart took over as head basketball coach and remained in that capacity from 1917 to 1919. He coached the Cornhuskers to a 17–14 record over those two seasons.Clemson University
In the spring of 1921, Stewart became the head baseball coach at Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina. That spring was a busy one for Stewart as he also coached the track and fieldTrack 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 and ran spring practice for football, all while coaching the baseball team. He coached the baseball team for just the 1921 season and the track program from 1921 to 1923.
In the fall of 1921, Stewart coached his first season of football at Clemson. He remained there for two seasons, the 1921 and 1922 seasons, and compiled a 6–10–2 record.
As soon as the football season of 1921 ended, Stewart jumped into his 4th head coaching role at Clemson at coached the basketball team. He coached the basketball from 1921 to 1923. In his two seasons at the helm, he led Clemson to a 19–19 record.
University of Texas
University of TexasUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Athletic Director L. Theo Bellmont hired Stewart from Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
to lead both the Longhorn football
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
and basketball
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
programs in 1923.
A medical school graduate, a piano enthusiast, a former sportswriter, a one-time automobile dealership owner, and a veteran coach, E.J. Stewart quickly became a popular figure across diverse segments of the University population. His oratory eloquence landed him an open job offer from the head of the UT English Department, should he ever decide to quit coaching and desire other work.
Some have speculated that Stewart's devotion to his varied non-athletic interests was the root cause of his football and basketball teams' decline in performance over his tenure. He led the Longhorn football team to an 8–0–1 record during the 1923 season; his following teams finished with records of 5–3–1, 6–2–1, and 5–4. Stewart led the Longhorn basketball team to a perfect 23–0 mark and a Southwest Conference championship during the 1923–24 season, but his subsequent teams finished 17–8, 12–10, and 13–9.
This decline in his teams' performance resulted in the popular Stewart's controversial dismissal following the 1926–27 season.
University of Texas at El Paso
He ended his career at University of Texas at El PasoUniversity of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
where he compiled a 5–6–3 record. On November 18, 1929, Stewart was shot and killed by a deer-hunting companion.