Jerome Utley
Encyclopedia
Jerome Adams "Jerry" Utley (January 7, 1881 – April 24, 1959) was an American
baseball
player and coach, contracting engineer, hotelier and boxing promoter. He played and coached college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team in the early 1900s. He also briefly coached and played minor league baseball from 1905 to 1906. After retiring from baseball, Utley had a successful career as a contracting engineer on building projects in Detroit, Michigan
. From 1931 to approximately 1948, he had an ownership interest in the Hotel Playa Ensenada, later re-named the Hotel Riviera del Pacífico
, a luxury hotel in Baja California
, Mexico
. He also briefly had a partnership with Jack Dempsey
as a boxing promoter which included promoting the 1933 heavyweight championship match between Max Schmeling
and Max Baer.
, the son of Rev. Wells H. Utley and Emma (Adams) Utley. He attended Central High School
in Detroit, Michigan
in approximately 1899.
as an engineering student. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1903. While attending Michigan, he was a pitcher for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team from 1900 to 1903. After receiving his degree in 1903, Utley returned to Michigan as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball team in 1904. The Wolverines had a 10–5 record in Utley's only season as the head coach.
In August 1903, Utley moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to play for the Calumet baseball team and work as an engineer in one of the area's mines. In 1905, he was the manager of the Hancock Infants of the Copper Country Soo League. In 1906, he played minor league baseball for the Houghton Giants of the Northern-Copper Country League.
In 1907, Utley was hired as the baseball coach at Detroit College.
From 1908 to 1910, Utley was the star pitcher, and in 1909 the team captain, for the Detroit Athletic Club
baseball team. He also returned to the mound in 1913 as a pitcher for the Euclids, a semi-pro baseball team in Detroit.
. As of September 1918, he was self-employed as an engineer with an office at the Penobscot Building
in downtown Detroit. In his 1922 history of Detroit, Clarence Burton
included a profile of Utley, noting: "Jerome A. Utley, a contracting engineer of Detroit who has executed many important contracts, has had broad experience in this line of work and his standing in engineering circles of the city is an enviable one. ... Industry is the key which has unlocked for Mr. Utley the portals of success and thoroughness and diligence have characterized all of his work. His professional standing is of the highest and through his labors he has contributed in substantial measure to the development and improvement of Detroit, being recognized as a most progressive and public-spirited citizen, whose influence is at all times on the side of advancement and improvement."
Census records indicate he was unmarried and living in Detroit with his brother Stuart and sister Beatrice in 1910 and with his sister Beatrice Utley in 1920 and 1930.
Utley was a member of the First Congregational Church, a Mason
, and a member of the Detroit Athletic Club
.
. The hotel was a luxury resort built in the late 1920s during Prohibition
, included a casino, and was located approximately 75 miles south of Tijuana
. Jack Dempsey
, the world heavyweight boxing champion, was one of the original owners, and guests included Marion Davies
, William Randoph Hearst, Johnny Weismuller and Myrna Loy
. By 1931, the hotel's debt burden had become a problem, and Utley made a substantial investment in the hotel. Following Utley's investment, the hotel's business dropped off, as Prohibition was repealed in the United States and gambling was outlawed in Mexico. Utley became the hotel's principal owner in the 1930s, and the hotel was closed in 1938.
Utley also formed a brief partnership with Dempsey to promote boxing matches. Dempsey and Utley were the promoters of the June 1933 heavyweight championship match between Max Schmeling
and Max Baer.
During World War II
, the hotel as used as a military headquarters to guard against a Japanese attack on the United States through Baja California
. After the war, Utley re-opened the hotel. Described as "a seventy-year-old bachelor," Utley fell in love with Marjorie King Plant, described as "an attractive blond woman in her early forties." Utley gave the hotel to Plant in approximately 1948, but later learned that she had married a Mexican lawyer. Utley filed a lawsuit against Plant, and she sold her interest in the hotel and returned to California. Utley died in 1959.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 and coach, contracting engineer, hotelier and boxing promoter. He played and coached college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
team in the early 1900s. He also briefly coached and played minor league baseball from 1905 to 1906. After retiring from baseball, Utley had a successful career as a contracting engineer on building projects in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. From 1931 to approximately 1948, he had an ownership interest in the Hotel Playa Ensenada, later re-named the Hotel Riviera del Pacífico
Hotel Riviera del Pacífico
The Hotel Riviera del Pacífico was a hotel located in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. It was one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in Baja California, and is one of several candidates for having hosted the invention of the Margarita cocktail....
, a luxury hotel in Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He also briefly had a partnership with Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
as a boxing promoter which included promoting the 1933 heavyweight championship match between Max Schmeling
Max Schmeling
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations...
and Max Baer.
Early years
Utley was born in Stanton, MichiganStanton, Michigan
Stanton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,504. It is the county seat of Montcalm County...
, the son of Rev. Wells H. Utley and Emma (Adams) Utley. He attended Central High School
Central High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Central High School is the oldest secondary school in Detroit, Michigan; it is staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools.-History:In 1858, Detroit's first high school opened on Miami Avenue. By 1863, due to increased enrollment, the school was moved to a building that had formerly housed...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in approximately 1899.
Baseball player and coach
After graduating from high school, Utley entered the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
as an engineering student. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1903. While attending Michigan, he was a pitcher for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
team from 1900 to 1903. After receiving his degree in 1903, Utley returned to Michigan as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines baseball team in 1904. The Wolverines had a 10–5 record in Utley's only season as the head coach.
In August 1903, Utley moved to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to play for the Calumet baseball team and work as an engineer in one of the area's mines. In 1905, he was the manager of the Hancock Infants of the Copper Country Soo League. In 1906, he played minor league baseball for the Houghton Giants of the Northern-Copper Country League.
In 1907, Utley was hired as the baseball coach at Detroit College.
From 1908 to 1910, Utley was the star pitcher, and in 1909 the team captain, for the Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
baseball team. He also returned to the mound in 1913 as a pitcher for the Euclids, a semi-pro baseball team in Detroit.
Engineering career
Utley became a contracting engineer in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. As of September 1918, he was self-employed as an engineer with an office at the Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
in downtown Detroit. In his 1922 history of Detroit, Clarence Burton
Clarence Burton
Clarence Burton was an American silent film actor....
included a profile of Utley, noting: "Jerome A. Utley, a contracting engineer of Detroit who has executed many important contracts, has had broad experience in this line of work and his standing in engineering circles of the city is an enviable one. ... Industry is the key which has unlocked for Mr. Utley the portals of success and thoroughness and diligence have characterized all of his work. His professional standing is of the highest and through his labors he has contributed in substantial measure to the development and improvement of Detroit, being recognized as a most progressive and public-spirited citizen, whose influence is at all times on the side of advancement and improvement."
Census records indicate he was unmarried and living in Detroit with his brother Stuart and sister Beatrice in 1910 and with his sister Beatrice Utley in 1920 and 1930.
Utley was a member of the First Congregational Church, a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, and a member of the Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
.
Hotel Playa Ensenada
In his later years, Utley was best known for his role as the owner of the Hotel Playa Ensenada, later re-named the Hotel Riviera del PacíficoHotel Riviera del Pacífico
The Hotel Riviera del Pacífico was a hotel located in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. It was one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in Baja California, and is one of several candidates for having hosted the invention of the Margarita cocktail....
. The hotel was a luxury resort built in the late 1920s during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, included a casino, and was located approximately 75 miles south of Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
. Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, the world heavyweight boxing champion, was one of the original owners, and guests included Marion Davies
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
, William Randoph Hearst, Johnny Weismuller and Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
. By 1931, the hotel's debt burden had become a problem, and Utley made a substantial investment in the hotel. Following Utley's investment, the hotel's business dropped off, as Prohibition was repealed in the United States and gambling was outlawed in Mexico. Utley became the hotel's principal owner in the 1930s, and the hotel was closed in 1938.
Utley also formed a brief partnership with Dempsey to promote boxing matches. Dempsey and Utley were the promoters of the June 1933 heavyweight championship match between Max Schmeling
Max Schmeling
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations...
and Max Baer.
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...
, the hotel as used as a military headquarters to guard against a Japanese attack on the United States through Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. After the war, Utley re-opened the hotel. Described as "a seventy-year-old bachelor," Utley fell in love with Marjorie King Plant, described as "an attractive blond woman in her early forties." Utley gave the hotel to Plant in approximately 1948, but later learned that she had married a Mexican lawyer. Utley filed a lawsuit against Plant, and she sold her interest in the hotel and returned to California. Utley died in 1959.