Joseph McCulloch
Encyclopedia
Joseph Howard McCulloch (c. 1887 – December 15, 1960) was an American football
, baseball
, and basketball
coach, teacher and athletic director in the United States
. He played college football and baseball at Springfield College
from 1908 to 1910. He was the athletic director and coach of the baseball and basketball teams at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University
) from 1911 to 1918. After service in the military during World War I
, he spent more than 30 years from 1919 through the mid-1950s as the athletic director at Michigan State Normal College (now known as Eastern Michigan University
), including stints as the head coach of the football, basketball and tennis teams.
in Springfield, Massachusetts
. He was the captain of the Springfield College football and baseball teams in 1909 and 1910.
). In March 1918, he was also placed in charge of "soldiers' sports" at Carnegie Tech.
McCulloch's coaching career was interrupted during World War I
when he served in the United States armed forces. As of September 1918, McCulloch was serving as an assistant flight officer with the rank of lieutenant at Chanute Aviation Field (later renamed Chanute Air Force Base
) in Rantoul, Illinois
. He was also named as the coach of the base football team that included stars including former All-American Archie Weston
from Michigan, future All-American Jim Reynolds from Georgia, Kofed of Carnegie Tech, and Mackall of Virginia.
After being discharged from the military in 1919, McCulloch was hired as the football, baseball and tennis coach at Michigan State Normal College
located in Ypsilanti, Michigan
. He was the head basketball coach for the Normalites
(now called the Eastern Michigan University Eagles) from 1921 to 1925 and head football coach during the 1921 and 1922 seasons. His coaching record for the football program was 6 wins, 5 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #15 at Eastern Michigan in total wins and #11 at the school in winning percentage . At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, McCulloch was living in Ypsilanti, and his occupation was identified as the "athletic supervisor" at a school.
McCulloch was married to Katharine P. McCulloch in approximately 1913. They had two sons, Rudolph (born in Illinois in approximately 1914), Joseph Howard, Jr. (born in Pennsylvania in approximately 1915), and George M. (born in Michigan in approximately 1922), and a daughter, Charlotte Morrison (born in Illinois in approximately 1919).
McCulloch died in December 1960 at age 74.
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...
, 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 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...
coach, teacher and athletic director in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He played college football and baseball at Springfield College
Springfield College
Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented...
from 1908 to 1910. He was the athletic director and coach of the baseball and basketball teams at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
) from 1911 to 1918. After service in the military during 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...
, he spent more than 30 years from 1919 through the mid-1950s as the athletic director at Michigan State Normal College (now known as Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
), including stints as the head coach of the football, basketball and tennis teams.
Early years
McCulloch was born in the State of New York in approximately 1887. His father was an immigrant from Scotland. McCulloch attended Springfield CollegeSpringfield College
Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. He was the captain of the Springfield College football and baseball teams in 1909 and 1910.
Coaching career
From approximately 1911 to 1918, McCulloch was professor, athletic director and coach of the basketball and baseball teams at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
). In March 1918, he was also placed in charge of "soldiers' sports" at Carnegie Tech.
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...
when he served in the United States armed forces. As of September 1918, McCulloch was serving as an assistant flight officer with the rank of lieutenant at Chanute Aviation Field (later renamed Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training....
) in Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,674 at the 2010 census. The present mayor is Neal Williams, who was re-elected in 2009...
. He was also named as the coach of the base football team that included stars including former All-American Archie Weston
Archie Weston
Archie Bruce "Beak" Weston was an American football player who was a quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1917 and a halfback in 1919. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1917 by Chicago Tribune sports editor Walter Eckersall.-Youth in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula:Weston was...
from Michigan, future All-American Jim Reynolds from Georgia, Kofed of Carnegie Tech, and Mackall of Virginia.
After being discharged from the military in 1919, McCulloch was hired as the football, baseball and tennis coach at Michigan State Normal College
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
located in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
. He was the head basketball coach for the Normalites
Eastern Michigan Eagles football
The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a college football program at Eastern Michigan University. They compete in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference...
(now called the Eastern Michigan University Eagles) from 1921 to 1925 and head football coach during the 1921 and 1922 seasons. His coaching record for the football program was 6 wins, 5 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #15 at Eastern Michigan in total wins and #11 at the school in winning percentage . At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, McCulloch was living in Ypsilanti, and his occupation was identified as the "athletic supervisor" at a school.
Later years and family
McCulloch retired from coaching at Michigan State Normal College in 1936, but he remained the school's athletic director for another 20 years. At the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, McCulloch remained in Ypsilanti, and his occupation was listed as a teacher at the Normal College. In 1951, the press reported on rumors that Michigan State Normal's football players had been "doped" with novocain to allow them to play through injuries. McCullocah, who was the head of the athletic department and a member of the school's board of athletic control, denied the rumors and told reporters, "We want to know who started these rumors."McCulloch was married to Katharine P. McCulloch in approximately 1913. They had two sons, Rudolph (born in Illinois in approximately 1914), Joseph Howard, Jr. (born in Pennsylvania in approximately 1915), and George M. (born in Michigan in approximately 1922), and a daughter, Charlotte Morrison (born in Illinois in approximately 1919).
McCulloch died in December 1960 at age 74.