Vic Halligan
Encyclopedia
Victor H. Halligan was an American football
player. He played for the University of Nebraska from 1912 to 1914 and was the first All-American football player to be selected from the Nebraska Cornhuskers football
team.
, the son of John J. Halligan and Carrie (Swenson) Halligan. He graduated from North Platte High School
before enrolling at the University of Nebraska.
fraternity. As a sophomore in 1912, he played at the fullback
position and helped lead Nebraska to a 7–1 record. As a junior, Halligan was moved to the left tackle
position and was one of the stars of Jumbo Stiehm
's 1913 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
that won the Missouri Valley Conference
championship and defeated the University of Minnesota
to cap an undefeated 8–0 season. At the end of the 1913 season, Halligan was chosen as the captain of Nebraska's 1914 team. As a senior, Halligan again played at the left tackle position and led the 1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
to its second consecutive undefeated season with a record of 7–0–1. In Halligan's three seasons at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers put together a 14-game win streak and compiled a three-year record of 22–1–1. At the conclusion of the 1914 football season, Halligan became Nebraska's first All-American football player. He was selected as a first-team All-American by Frank G. Menke
, sporting editor of the International News Service
, the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, and The Michigan Daily, a second-team All-American by Walter Eckersall
of the Chicago Tribune
and a third-team All-American by Walter Camp
for Collier's Weekly
. The University of Nebraska yearbook for the Class of 1915 noted Halligan's contributions to the football team: "The premier punter of the West, A master of the forward pass, A tackler equal to the best."
In 1915, Walter Camp again selected Halligan as a third-team All-American, though Halligan had already graduated and become a coach by the fall of 1915. Camp's error in choosing Halligan in 1915 was fodder for Western critics who complained that Camp made his selections without knowing the Western teams and players. The Milwaukee Journal in December 1915 wrote:
Halligan was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
, he served in the U.S. Army field artillery. After the war, Halligan returned to North Platte, Nebraska
, where he began a law practice. From 1919 to 1937, he practiced with the firm of Halligan, Beatty & Halligan. He became senior partner of law firm of McIntosh & Halligan in 1937 and retired in 1965.
and served as the local organization's exalted ruler. He was also active in the American Legion
and represented the State of Nebraska as a delegate to the American Legion convention in St. Louis. In his later years, he donated land on the north side of Interstate 80 east of Highway 83 that was used in the formation of Mid-Plains Community College. His hobbies included golf, hunting, and football.
in 1973 at age 80 and was buried at the North Platte Cemetery.
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...
player. He played for the University of Nebraska from 1912 to 1914 and was the first All-American football player to be selected from the Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
team.
Early years
Halligan was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, the son of John J. Halligan and Carrie (Swenson) Halligan. He graduated from North Platte High School
North Platte High School (Nebraska)
North Platte High School is a public secondary school in North Platte, Nebraska. In 2001, the North Platte Dawgs' football team went to the 2001 Nebraska State Championship but lost 28-14.-Notable alumni:...
before enrolling at the University of Nebraska.
University of Nebraska
At the University of Nebraska, Halligan played at the left tackle and fullback back positions for the University of Nebraska football team from 1912 to 1914. He was also a member of the Phi Delta ThetaPhi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity. As a sophomore in 1912, he played at the fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
position and helped lead Nebraska to a 7–1 record. As a junior, Halligan was moved to the left tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
position and was one of the stars of Jumbo Stiehm
Ewald O. Stiehm
-External links:* * at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
's 1913 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
1913 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1913 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1913 college football season. The team was coached by Ewald O. Stiehm and played their home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska....
that won the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
championship and defeated the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
to cap an undefeated 8–0 season. At the end of the 1913 season, Halligan was chosen as the captain of Nebraska's 1914 team. As a senior, Halligan again played at the left tackle position and led the 1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1914 college football season. The team was coached by Ewald O...
to its second consecutive undefeated season with a record of 7–0–1. In Halligan's three seasons at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers put together a 14-game win streak and compiled a three-year record of 22–1–1. At the conclusion of the 1914 football season, Halligan became Nebraska's first All-American football player. He was selected as a first-team All-American by Frank G. Menke
Frank G. Menke
Frank Grant Menke was an American newspaper reporter, author, and sports historian. He wrote for the Hearst Newspapers from 1912 to 1932 and his articles appeared daily in 300 newspapers across the country. He was billed by the Hearst syndicate as "America's Foremost Sport Writer"...
, sporting editor of the International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
, the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, and The Michigan Daily, a second-team All-American by Walter Eckersall
Walter Eckersall
Walter "Eckie" Eckersall was an American football player, official, and sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.-Early life:...
of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and a third-team All-American by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
for Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
. The University of Nebraska yearbook for the Class of 1915 noted Halligan's contributions to the football team: "The premier punter of the West, A master of the forward pass, A tackler equal to the best."
In 1915, Walter Camp again selected Halligan as a third-team All-American, though Halligan had already graduated and become a coach by the fall of 1915. Camp's error in choosing Halligan in 1915 was fodder for Western critics who complained that Camp made his selections without knowing the Western teams and players. The Milwaukee Journal in December 1915 wrote:
"This season, ... Camp picked Halligan of Nebraska for a tackle position on his third team. One would naturally think, then, that Halligan had been a bearcat -- some football player. But, it happens that Halligan graduated last June. ... He was a coach this season. Pretty good joke on Walter, eh, picking a coach as one of the star players of the country? Also, do you wonder why some folk don't put much stock in all-America teams?"
Halligan was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
Legal career and military service
Halligan graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1915 and a law degree in 1917. During 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...
, he served in the U.S. Army field artillery. After the war, Halligan returned to North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River...
, where he began a law practice. From 1919 to 1937, he practiced with the firm of Halligan, Beatty & Halligan. He became senior partner of law firm of McIntosh & Halligan in 1937 and retired in 1965.
Philanthropy and community activities
Halligan was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of ElksBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
and served as the local organization's exalted ruler. He was also active in the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and represented the State of Nebraska as a delegate to the American Legion convention in St. Louis. In his later years, he donated land on the north side of Interstate 80 east of Highway 83 that was used in the formation of Mid-Plains Community College. His hobbies included golf, hunting, and football.
Family and death
He married Louise Ottenstein in May 1920 at North Platte, Nebraska. The couple had two daughters, Marcia Ann and Jean Lucile. He died in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in 1973 at age 80 and was buried at the North Platte Cemetery.