Henry Lamar (American football)
Encyclopedia
Henry Nicholson Lamar was an American college boxing
coach, college football
coach, and professional boxing
executive. He served as the head football coach at Harvard University
in 1943 and 1944. Lamar also served as the Harvard boxing coach and freshman football coach.
, and raised in Washington, D.C.
, by government employee Lucius Lamar and his wife Atala. He was a great-grandson of Mississippi jurist Lucius Quintus Cincinatus Lamar II and a relative of Mirabeau B. Lamar
, the second president of the Republic of Texas
. Lamar attended Western High School
in Washington, where he began his successful career as a boxer. As a senior, he won the national amateur light heavyweight championship at the Boston Garden
in 1925, and successfully defended the title the following year. He made his professional boxing debut in Boston in August 1926. Lamar also won the Pan-American light heavyweight championship.
Lamar attended the University of Virginia
, from which he graduated in 1929. Around that time, he married his wife, Juanita (née Galvin), with whom he had two daughters. Lamar boxed professionally until 1930 when he lost a match to Jim Maloney
at Braves Field
. After the bout, he said, "That's enough. I'm never going to be a champion ... this is a good time to get out." It was his only loss in 39 bouts as a professional fighter.
in 1931, initially intending "just to help out for a few weeks", but he remained at the school as a boxing and football coach for four decades. He became the head boxing coach in 1932 after many students had successfully petitioned for the introduction of the sport in 1929 and 1930. He remained coach after the sport, which had been adopted on a trial basis, was reduced to intramural level in 1937. Fans and sportswriters called Lamar "the gentleman coach of Harvard boxing".
In 1934, Lamar was named the line coach of the Harvard football team
. In a surprising selection the following season, head coach Dick Harlow
selected Lamar as Crimson's ends coach. The Boston Globe noted Lamar was previously "a very inconspicuous member of the Harvard Athletic Association
's organization." During his tenure at the university, he coached the four Kennedy brothers
: Joseph, John
, Robert
, and Edward
, all of whom played as ends on the football team.
During World War II
, Harvard football coach Dick Harlow spent 30 months in the United States Navy
, during which time Lamar served as the team's mentor for the 1943 and 1944 seasons. He compiled a 7–3–1 record. In the late 1940s, he coached Harvard's junior varsity football team.
In 1947, Lamar was appointed chairman of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission. In that post, he attempted to reform the sport in the state, including through a review of all licenses and the mandatory screening of fighters for brain damage. Lamar also courted controversy, for example, by suspending Sugar Ray Robinson
for walking out on a fight and by withdrawing the state from the National Boxing Association.
Lamar retired from coaching at Harvard in June 1972. Following his retirement, Harvard created the Henry N. Lamar Award, for which a a gold pocket watch is presented to "that senior member of the Harvard football squad who, through his dedication to the program and concern for his fellow man, has made a unique contribution to Harvard football."
After a brief illness, he died of cancer in a Marlboro, Massachusetts hospital on September 28, 1985. He was 79 years old.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
coach, college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach, and professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
executive. He served as the head football coach at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1943 and 1944. Lamar also served as the Harvard boxing coach and freshman football coach.
Early life
Lamar was born in Oxford, MississippiOxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
, and raised in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, by government employee Lucius Lamar and his wife Atala. He was a great-grandson of Mississippi jurist Lucius Quintus Cincinatus Lamar II and a relative of Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
, the second president of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. Lamar attended Western High School
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Edward...
in Washington, where he began his successful career as a boxer. As a senior, he won the national amateur light heavyweight championship at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
in 1925, and successfully defended the title the following year. He made his professional boxing debut in Boston in August 1926. Lamar also won the Pan-American light heavyweight championship.
Lamar attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, from which he graduated in 1929. Around that time, he married his wife, Juanita (née Galvin), with whom he had two daughters. Lamar boxed professionally until 1930 when he lost a match to Jim Maloney
Jim Maloney
James William Maloney is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels...
at Braves Field
Braves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
. After the bout, he said, "That's enough. I'm never going to be a champion ... this is a good time to get out." It was his only loss in 39 bouts as a professional fighter.
Coaching career
Lamar joined the athletic department at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1931, initially intending "just to help out for a few weeks", but he remained at the school as a boxing and football coach for four decades. He became the head boxing coach in 1932 after many students had successfully petitioned for the introduction of the sport in 1929 and 1930. He remained coach after the sport, which had been adopted on a trial basis, was reduced to intramural level in 1937. Fans and sportswriters called Lamar "the gentleman coach of Harvard boxing".
In 1934, Lamar was named the line coach of the Harvard football team
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...
. In a surprising selection the following season, head coach Dick Harlow
Dick Harlow
Richard Cresson "Dick" Harlow was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Pennsylvania State University , Colgate University , Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College , and Harvard University , compiling a career...
selected Lamar as Crimson's ends coach. The Boston Globe noted Lamar was previously "a very inconspicuous member of the Harvard Athletic Association
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
's organization." During his tenure at the university, he coached the four Kennedy brothers
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
: Joseph, John
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Robert
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
, and Edward
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, all of whom played as ends on the football team.
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...
, Harvard football coach Dick Harlow spent 30 months in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, during which time Lamar served as the team's mentor for the 1943 and 1944 seasons. He compiled a 7–3–1 record. In the late 1940s, he coached Harvard's junior varsity football team.
In 1947, Lamar was appointed chairman of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission. In that post, he attempted to reform the sport in the state, including through a review of all licenses and the mandatory screening of fighters for brain damage. Lamar also courted controversy, for example, by suspending Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
for walking out on a fight and by withdrawing the state from the National Boxing Association.
Lamar retired from coaching at Harvard in June 1972. Following his retirement, Harvard created the Henry N. Lamar Award, for which a a gold pocket watch is presented to "that senior member of the Harvard football squad who, through his dedication to the program and concern for his fellow man, has made a unique contribution to Harvard football."
After a brief illness, he died of cancer in a Marlboro, Massachusetts hospital on September 28, 1985. He was 79 years old.