Lawrence Roehm
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Stevens "Rummy" Roehm (July 5, 1893 – October 10, 1958) was an American football
and baseball
player and businessman from Detroit, Michigan
. He played college football for the University of Michigan
from 1913 to 1915 and college baseball in 1916. He was the starting quarterback of the 1915 Michigan Wolverines football team
.
, and attended Detroit Central High School
. He played football in high school, but his athletic career was hampered by injuries. As a sophomore, Roehm injured his ankle in an early practice session and was unable to play during the 1909 football season. As a junior in 1910, Roehm was the starting fullback for Detroit Central and led the team to a state championship. As a senior in 1911, he was considered "a sure candidate for all-city honors," but he suffered a broken cheek bone early in the third game of the season against Saginaw-Eastern and was unable to play for the remainder of the season.
Despite the injuries, Roehm won a reputation as one of Detroit’s top football prospects. In December 1911, the Detroit Free Press
published a feature story on Roehm, describing him as the "Thinking Type" – "one of the type of athletes who make a study of the fall pastime and who get into every play thinkingly, apparently knowing just what to do to advance the ball or to stop an opponent’s play." The article also referred to Roehm as "160 pounds of undaunted courage and as strong as a young bull," and further: "A more 'peppery' player than Roehm would be hard to imagine. He fairly imbued the team with that 'do-or-die spirit.'"
. He was the captain of the freshman football team in 1912.
As a sophomore in 1913, Roehm was a backup on Michigan’s varsity football team. In a 48-0 victory over Case, Roehm appeared as a substitute for Catlett at the left halfback position.
Roehm worked his way into the starting lineup as a halfback in 1914. He started at the right halfback position in Michigan’s 1914 games against Case (a 69-0 victory), Mt. Union (a 27-7 victory) and Vanderbilt (a 23-3 victory). He scored two touchdowns in a 69-0 victory over Case which led The New York Times to write that the game brought back “memories of the point-a-minute days.”
As a senior in 1915, Roehm was moved to the quarterback position and started seven of the team’s eight games at quarterback. Roehm won the starting quarterback position in competition with several other candidates. The Michigan Alumnus noted, "Roehm displayed the best ground-gaining ability of all the backs during the practice season."
In the 1915 season opener, a 35-0 victory over Mt. Union, Yost tried six different players at the quarterback position. Roehm won the competition and became the starter. Following the Mt. Union game, The Michigan Alumnus wrote, "Roehm, the athlete who was finally designated for the position in the big games, received his first trial in this [Mt. Union] clash, and showed to better advantage than all the others." Roehm started again in Michigan's victories over Marietta
(28-6) and Case
(14-3). After the Marietta game, The New York Times
wrote:
Michigan suffered its first loss of the season against Syracuse
(14-7), and The Michigan Alumnus noted afterward that "Roehm was hindered in his piloting of the team through the refusal of some backs to follow instructions."
Michigan lost for a second time in 1915 against Cornell
, with Roehm scoring the only touchdown for the Wolverines. The Michigan Alumnus wrote that Roehm "ducked over between the center's legs" for the touchdown.
In the final game of the 1915 season, Michigan played Penn
to a scoreless tie. Roehm was credited with saving the Wolverines from defeat after intercepting a Penn pass in the end zone. Playing in the era of two-way football, Roehm earned a reputation not only for his offensive skill but also for tackling and defense. The 1916 Michiganensian (the University of Michigan yearbook) noted, "More than once Roehm was the last obstacle in front of the goal posts. He was a real obstacle." The Michiganensian also referred to Roehm as "the brains of Yost's 1916 machine."
After the 1915 football season, Roehm also played at the catcher position for the 1916 Michigan Wolverines baseball team. In January 1916, the Detroit Free Press wrote, "He is built ideally for the backstop job, being heavy and strong. He is a thorough athlete, keeping always in perfect physical trim, and his football training of last fall, when he piloted the Wolverines eleven, will stand him in good stead in his workouts under Lundgren. He is a willing worker, and is said to possess all the requisites of a coming backstop."
Roehm graduated from Michigan in 1916 as a member of the Literary Class with a bachelor of arts degree. While at Michigan, he was also a member of Chi Psi, Griffins, Druids and Sphinx.
, Roehm entered the military in 1917. He served with the United States Army
305th Infantry, where he was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. He saw combat action with Company E at Lorraine
and Vesle
.
Roehm at that point became employed by Jones & Laughlin as the assistant manager and, starting in 1938, manager of the company's Detroit warehouse operation.
Rohem died in October 1958 in Detroit.
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...
player and businessman from 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...
. He played college football for the University of Michigan
University 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...
from 1913 to 1915 and college baseball in 1916. He was the starting quarterback of the 1915 Michigan Wolverines football team
1915 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1915 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1915 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:-Letter winners:...
.
Early years
Roehm was the son of Charles M. Roehm, one of the leaders in Detroit's growing automobile industry in the early 1900s. He grew up 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...
, and attended Detroit 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...
. He played football in high school, but his athletic career was hampered by injuries. As a sophomore, Roehm injured his ankle in an early practice session and was unable to play during the 1909 football season. As a junior in 1910, Roehm was the starting fullback for Detroit Central and led the team to a state championship. As a senior in 1911, he was considered "a sure candidate for all-city honors," but he suffered a broken cheek bone early in the third game of the season against Saginaw-Eastern and was unable to play for the remainder of the season.
Despite the injuries, Roehm won a reputation as one of Detroit’s top football prospects. In December 1911, the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
published a feature story on Roehm, describing him as the "Thinking Type" – "one of the type of athletes who make a study of the fall pastime and who get into every play thinkingly, apparently knowing just what to do to advance the ball or to stop an opponent’s play." The article also referred to Roehm as "160 pounds of undaunted courage and as strong as a young bull," and further: "A more 'peppery' player than Roehm would be hard to imagine. He fairly imbued the team with that 'do-or-die spirit.'"
University of Michigan
In 1912, Roehm enrolled at 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...
. He was the captain of the freshman football team in 1912.
As a sophomore in 1913, Roehm was a backup on Michigan’s varsity football team. In a 48-0 victory over Case, Roehm appeared as a substitute for Catlett at the left halfback position.
Roehm worked his way into the starting lineup as a halfback in 1914. He started at the right halfback position in Michigan’s 1914 games against Case (a 69-0 victory), Mt. Union (a 27-7 victory) and Vanderbilt (a 23-3 victory). He scored two touchdowns in a 69-0 victory over Case which led The New York Times to write that the game brought back “memories of the point-a-minute days.”
As a senior in 1915, Roehm was moved to the quarterback position and started seven of the team’s eight games at quarterback. Roehm won the starting quarterback position in competition with several other candidates. The Michigan Alumnus noted, "Roehm displayed the best ground-gaining ability of all the backs during the practice season."
In the 1915 season opener, a 35-0 victory over Mt. Union, Yost tried six different players at the quarterback position. Roehm won the competition and became the starter. Following the Mt. Union game, The Michigan Alumnus wrote, "Roehm, the athlete who was finally designated for the position in the big games, received his first trial in this [Mt. Union] clash, and showed to better advantage than all the others." Roehm started again in Michigan's victories over Marietta
Marietta College
Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation...
(28-6) and Case
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
(14-3). After the Marietta game, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote:
"Yost's troubles in filing the quarterback position were lessened considerably by the performances of Roehm at the pilot position during the Marietta game Wednesday. Roehm was a reserve halfback last season and equally good at running the ends and carrying the ball through the line. Roehm is the heaviest quarter a Michigan team has had in a long time, tipping the beam at 190 pounds. He covers ground fast and with a little more coaching should develop into a star quarter."
Michigan suffered its first loss of the season against Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
(14-7), and The Michigan Alumnus noted afterward that "Roehm was hindered in his piloting of the team through the refusal of some backs to follow instructions."
Michigan lost for a second time in 1915 against Cornell
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
, with Roehm scoring the only touchdown for the Wolverines. The Michigan Alumnus wrote that Roehm "ducked over between the center's legs" for the touchdown.
In the final game of the 1915 season, Michigan played Penn
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
to a scoreless tie. Roehm was credited with saving the Wolverines from defeat after intercepting a Penn pass in the end zone. Playing in the era of two-way football, Roehm earned a reputation not only for his offensive skill but also for tackling and defense. The 1916 Michiganensian (the University of Michigan yearbook) noted, "More than once Roehm was the last obstacle in front of the goal posts. He was a real obstacle." The Michiganensian also referred to Roehm as "the brains of Yost's 1916 machine."
After the 1915 football season, Roehm also played at the catcher position for the 1916 Michigan Wolverines baseball team. In January 1916, the Detroit Free Press wrote, "He is built ideally for the backstop job, being heavy and strong. He is a thorough athlete, keeping always in perfect physical trim, and his football training of last fall, when he piloted the Wolverines eleven, will stand him in good stead in his workouts under Lundgren. He is a willing worker, and is said to possess all the requisites of a coming backstop."
Roehm graduated from Michigan in 1916 as a member of the Literary Class with a bachelor of arts degree. While at Michigan, he was also a member of Chi Psi, Griffins, Druids and Sphinx.
Military service
With the United States' entry into World War IWorld 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...
, Roehm entered the military in 1917. He served with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
305th Infantry, where he was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. He saw combat action with Company E at Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
and Vesle
Vesle
The Vesle is the river on which the city of Reims stands. It is a fourth order river of France and a left-bank tributary of the Aisne River. It is 140 kilometres long, rises in the département of Marne through which it flows most of its course.-Geography:...
.
Business career
After the war, Roehm returned to Detroit and became affiliated with Roehm & Davison. The company had been founded in 1901 by Roehm's grandfather, Herman Roehm. The company became a leading supplier of parts to the city's growing automobile industry and advertised as "mfrs. and jobbers top fabrics, curtain fasteners, celluloid, buttons and tacks, leather, carpet, bows, hair, webbing, etc." Roehm's father, Сharles М. Roehm, was Herman Roehm's son and served as the company's president and general manager. In the 1920s, Roehm became the secretary and treasurer of the company in the 1920s. In 1929, the company was taken over by Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.Jones and Laughlin Steel Company
The earliest foundations of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company were the American Iron Company, founded in 1851 by Bernard Lauth, and B. F. Jones founded in 1852a few miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. Lauth's interest was bought in 1854 by James H. Laughlin...
Roehm at that point became employed by Jones & Laughlin as the assistant manager and, starting in 1938, manager of the company's Detroit warehouse operation.
Rohem died in October 1958 in Detroit.