Walter Rheinschild
Encyclopedia
Walter Meadowfield Rheinschild (September 26, 1884 – October 3, 1960), known also by the nicknames "Rheiny" and "Rhino", was an American football
player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan
in 1904
, 1905
, and 1907
, and was once "rated as the highest salaried amateur athlete in the business." He later coached for Washington State University
in 1908, St. Vincent College (now known as Loyola Marymount University
) in 1909, Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
) in 1913, and Occidental College
in 1917.
in 1884 and raised in Los Angeles, California
. In the 1890s, Rheinschild began playing football for the Boyle Heights Stars in the Boyle Heights
section of Los Angeles. With Rheinschild playing fullback
, the Stars won what the Los Angeles Times called "the 'scrub' championship of this city."
In 1900, Rheinschild enrolled at Los Angeles High School
, where he became "a gridiron hero." In 1901, he played tackle
for the Los Angeles High School football team that tied Belmont High School
for the state championship and defeated several college teams, including the University of Southern California (28–0), Pomona College
(30–0), Occidental College
(32–0), and St. Vincent College (95–0). In 1902, the powerful Los Angeles High School team again defeated college teams, including USC, Occidental, Pomona and Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
). In his senior year in 1903, Rheinschild led Los Angeles High School to the California state championship, culminating in an 11-0 victory over Berkeley High School in the championship game.
Rheinschild also organized the first track team at Los Angeles High School and was elected as the first captain of the track team.
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Rheinschild was one of the most heavily recruited high school football players in the United States in 1904. USC coach Harvey Holmes
recruited him strenuously, and Rheinschild later said that Holmes had offered him $75 a month for his services. At the time, USC was not a major football program, and Rheinschild reportedly wanted "nothing but the big league stuff." The University of Wisconsin made an offer to Rheinschild which he said was $25 higher than USC had offered. Rheinschild recalled, "Twelve hundred looked big to me, but I wanted a winner. Wisconsin had been a joke for many seasons and I couldn't see it." A former coach at Los Angeles High School, Shorty Roach, was a friend of Michigan coach Fielding H. Yost and a Michigan scout on the side. Roach encouraged Rheinschild to consider Michigan, which had not lost a game since 1900. A Wisconsin newspaper described the bidding contest between the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan for his services:
Rheinschild was also visited by "a delegation" from Dartmouth College
seeking "to do business with the California lad." Rheinschild later told the Los Angeles Times that Dartmouth had offered him $2,200 for a year's work on the football team. Rheinschild settled on Fielding Yost's team at Michigan and later told the Times that "he swears by all that is swearable that he never received a cent from his Alma Mater for his athletic contributions." Michigan's athletic director Charles A. Baird
also denied making any offers of financial assistance to Rheinschild. However, when he rejected Dartmouth's offer of $2,200, eastern newspapers insinuated that Rheinschild had signed for "a Ty Cobb
salary at Ann Arbor." It was rumored that Rheinschild was receiving as much as $50,000 a year at Michigan, which if true would be as much as the U.S. President at the time.
In a feature story on Rheinschild, the Los Angeles Times in 1914 summed up the bidding war for Rheinschild this way:
teams of 1904
, 1905
, and 1907
. Rheinschild also threw the shot put
for the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
team alongside world record holder Ralph Rose
, and played catcher on the Michigan Wolverines baseball
team.
When Rheinschild established himself as a starter for Michigan in 1905, the Los Angeles Herald reported on his success as follows:
In late 1905 and early 1906, charges of professionalism were leveled at the major college football programs, including Michigan, leading to calls for reform or even elimination of the sport from college campuses. In response to the controversy, the faculty at Michigan ruled Rheinschild and two other football players, Germany Schulz
and Henry Schulte
, academically ineligible. As a result, Rheinschild missed the 1906 season. Rheinschild's hometown newspaper, the Los Angeles Times described the action as follows: "In 1906 a wave of athletic purity swept over the country and the faculty refused to allow Rheinschild to play, for appearance sake. ... 'Rhiney' assisted Yost with the coaching and did some classroom work for a change."
Rheinschild returned to the football team in 1907. Playing at tackle and occasionally at fullback, he scored three touchdowns in Michigan's victory over Michigan Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University
) in October 1907. He also scored touchdowns against Wabash College
and Ohio State
in 1907. At the end of the 1907 season, Rheinschild was one of two Michigan players selected by Fielding H. Yost for the All-American team he selected for the North American Press Syndicate. He was also selected as an All-Western tackle by Walter Eckersall
, who wrote that Rheinschild "has no equal at tackle." Eckersall continued:
Rheinschild graduated from the University of Michigan in 1908 with a law degree.
. After the Olympics, Rheinschild traveled to Paris, where he claimed to have "taught the 'frog-eaters' how to box for a few months." Upon returning to the United States, he got a job "escorting a flock of prisoners across the continent to Mare Island
" in Northern California.
In the fall of 1908, Rheinschild served as head football coach for the Washington State University Cougars
in Pullman, Washington
. In his first and only season as coach at Washington State, his football team compiled a record of 4 wins, 0 losses, and 2 ties.
When the University of Washington
claimed to be the football champions of the Northwest, Rheinschild, whose team played Washington to a tie, disputed the claim and challenged them to a rematch in Pullman
. Rheinschild added, "Can Washington lay claim to the championship over W.S.C. when we played them to a standstill on their own grounds, held them to a 6 to 6 score and were outplaying them in the last 10 minutes of the game, so that nothing but the expiration of time prevented us from scoring a touchdown?"
In 1909, Rheinschild returned to Los Angeles to become head football coach at St. Vincent College (now known as Loyola Marymount University
). He led St. Vincent's to an undefeated season and the football championship of Southern California in his one year as head coach. The Los Angeles Times praised Rheinschild's efforts in turning the St. Vincent team into champions:
In 1910, St. Vincent College withdrew from participation in Southern California intercollegiate athletics, opting to confine athletics to the Catholic student body.
In 1913, Rheinschild was hired as the football coach at Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
) in Pasadena, California
, where he was paid $40 per game—the largest salary ever paid to a football coach in Southern California. He continued coaching in the 1910s as the football coach of the Los Angeles Athletic Club
.
In 1915, Rheinschild was offered coaching positions at both the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. In April 1916, Rheinschild was hired as the football coach at Occidental College
, replacing Joseph Pipal
. Rheinschild coached at Occidental through the 1917 season.
On Christmas Day 1917, Rheinschild coached and played for a college all-star football team in a match against athletes from the San Pedro Submarine Base.
in Los Angeles; following the ceremony, they couple was given a box at the Orpheum Theatre where a spot light was thrown on them between acts as "the orchestra struck up a wedding march" for the embarrassed couple.
After stepping down as the coach at St. Vincent College in 1910, Rheinschild established a law practice in the Security Building, then the tallest building in Los Angeles, located in the heart of the city's Spring Street Financial District
. He continued with his legal practice between and after his stints as a football coach.
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In April 1919, Rheinschild was tried and found not guilty of complicity in an automobile theft; Rheinschild had been accused of hiding the automobile after it was stolen by another person. In September 1919, Rheinschild was suspended from the practice of law for 18 months after being accused of unethical conduct in representing both parties in a loan transaction. The Los Angeles Times reported that "tears of mortification" came into his eyes when the suspension was announced, and "his young and attractive wife ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck and tenderly kissed him." Two weeks later, the same judge reversed the suspension. The following month, a different judge ordered Rheinschild disbarred, stating that the action was needed to set an example for other lawyers to restrain from similar conflicts of interest.
As of 1934, Rheinschild was the president of Corona Oil Company, Ltd., which was then drilling for oil in "the old Rancho LaSierra
" in Riverside County, California
.
In 1942, Rheinschild was a prosecution witness against Bugsy Siegel
on charges of murdering Harry "Big Greenie" Greenberg
; Rheinschild testified he had seen Siegel near Greenberg's house on many occasions in the weeks prior to the murder.
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 and coach. He played 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...
in 1904
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
, 1905
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
, and 1907
1907 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1907 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1907 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field...
, and was once "rated as the highest salaried amateur athlete in the business." He later coached for Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in 1908, St. Vincent College (now known as Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
) in 1909, Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
) in 1913, and Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
in 1917.
Early years
Rheinschild was born in Lawrence, KansasLawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1884 and raised in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. In the 1890s, Rheinschild began playing football for the Boyle Heights Stars in the Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California
Boyle Heights is a neighborhood east of Downtown Los Angeles on the East Side of Los Angeles. For much of the twentieth century, Boyle Heights was a gateway for new immigrants. This resulted in diverse demographics, including Jewish American, Japanese American and Mexican American populations,...
section of Los Angeles. With Rheinschild playing 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...
, the Stars won what the Los Angeles Times called "the 'scrub' championship of this city."
In 1900, Rheinschild enrolled at Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
, where he became "a gridiron hero." In 1901, he played 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....
for the Los Angeles High School football team that tied Belmont High School
Belmont High School (Los Angeles, California)
Belmont Senior High School is a public high school located at 1575 West 2nd Street in the Westlake community of Los Angeles, California. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:...
for the state championship and defeated several college teams, including the University of Southern California (28–0), Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
(30–0), Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
(32–0), and St. Vincent College (95–0). In 1902, the powerful Los Angeles High School team again defeated college teams, including USC, Occidental, Pomona and Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
). In his senior year in 1903, Rheinschild led Los Angeles High School to the California state championship, culminating in an 11-0 victory over Berkeley High School in the championship game.
Rheinschild also organized the first track team at Los Angeles High School and was elected as the first captain of the track team.
Bidding for Rheinschild's services
Harvey Holmes
Harvey R. Holmes was an American college football coach at the University of Utah , the University of Southern California , and the Academy of Idaho ....
recruited him strenuously, and Rheinschild later said that Holmes had offered him $75 a month for his services. At the time, USC was not a major football program, and Rheinschild reportedly wanted "nothing but the big league stuff." The University of Wisconsin made an offer to Rheinschild which he said was $25 higher than USC had offered. Rheinschild recalled, "Twelve hundred looked big to me, but I wanted a winner. Wisconsin had been a joke for many seasons and I couldn't see it." A former coach at Los Angeles High School, Shorty Roach, was a friend of Michigan coach Fielding H. Yost and a Michigan scout on the side. Roach encouraged Rheinschild to consider Michigan, which had not lost a game since 1900. A Wisconsin newspaper described the bidding contest between the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan for his services:
"Walter Rheinschild, one of the best academic foot ball players in Southern California, is the object of spirited bidding by foot ball managers at Wisconsin and Michigan universities. Rheinschild was a star tackle on last year's local high school team. He weighs 190 pounds. He declares openly that Manager Baird of Michigan offered to pay all his expenses during the season and finally offered him remunerative employment. Wisconsin, he says, offered him all traveling expenses and $60 a month for two hours work a day at the state capital. Rheinschild leaves tomorrow for the east. If Michigan equals Wisconsin's offer he will go to Ann Arbor, if not, to Madison. At Kansas City he expects to receive Baird's highest offer."
Rheinschild was also visited by "a delegation" from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
seeking "to do business with the California lad." Rheinschild later told the Los Angeles Times that Dartmouth had offered him $2,200 for a year's work on the football team. Rheinschild settled on Fielding Yost's team at Michigan and later told the Times that "he swears by all that is swearable that he never received a cent from his Alma Mater for his athletic contributions." Michigan's athletic director Charles A. Baird
Charles A. Baird
Charles A. Baird was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athletic director from 1898 to 1909. During his time as Michigan's athletic director, he was...
also denied making any offers of financial assistance to Rheinschild. However, when he rejected Dartmouth's offer of $2,200, eastern newspapers insinuated that Rheinschild had signed for "a Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
salary at Ann Arbor." It was rumored that Rheinschild was receiving as much as $50,000 a year at Michigan, which if true would be as much as the U.S. President at the time.
In a feature story on Rheinschild, the Los Angeles Times in 1914 summed up the bidding war for Rheinschild this way:
"He used to be the great 'Rhiney,' and was known from coast to coast as one of the most eminent gridiron warriors ever enticed under the Michigan colors. At one time, 'Rhiney' was rated as the highest salaried amateur athlete in the business, and he had standing offers from a number of those colleges where football reigns, of sweet sums for his services."
University of Michigan
Rheinschild enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1904 and played for Fielding H. Yost's Michigan Wolverines footballMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
teams of 1904
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
, 1905
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
, and 1907
1907 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1907 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1907 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field...
. Rheinschild also threw the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
for the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
team alongside world record holder Ralph Rose
Ralph Rose
Ralph Waldo Rose was an American track and field athlete.He was born in Healdsburg, California....
, and played catcher on 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.
When Rheinschild established himself as a starter for Michigan in 1905, the Los Angeles Herald reported on his success as follows:
"Walter Reinschild, formerly a star player of the Los Angeles high school football team, is making good with the University of Michigan squad this year. He played right tackle in the game against Vanderbilt university last Saturday and made consistent gains when given the ball. According to reports of the game Reinschild hit the opposing line low and hard and his work was a factor in winning a decisive victory for 'Hurry Up' Yost's team. It looks as though Reinschild would be a fixture on the team."
In late 1905 and early 1906, charges of professionalism were leveled at the major college football programs, including Michigan, leading to calls for reform or even elimination of the sport from college campuses. In response to the controversy, the faculty at Michigan ruled Rheinschild and two other football players, Germany Schulz
Germany Schulz
Adolph George "Germany" Schulz was an All-American American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1904 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1908. While playing at Michigan, Schulz is credited with having invented the spiral snap and with developing the practice of standing behind the...
and Henry Schulte
Henry Schulte
Henry Frank Schulte was an American football player and coach and also a college track and field coach...
, academically ineligible. As a result, Rheinschild missed the 1906 season. Rheinschild's hometown newspaper, the Los Angeles Times described the action as follows: "In 1906 a wave of athletic purity swept over the country and the faculty refused to allow Rheinschild to play, for appearance sake. ... 'Rhiney' assisted Yost with the coaching and did some classroom work for a change."
Rheinschild returned to the football team in 1907. Playing at tackle and occasionally at fullback, he scored three touchdowns in Michigan's victory over Michigan Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
) in October 1907. He also scored touchdowns against Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
and Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
in 1907. At the end of the 1907 season, Rheinschild was one of two Michigan players selected by Fielding H. Yost for the All-American team he selected for the North American Press Syndicate. He was also selected as an All-Western tackle 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:...
, who wrote that Rheinschild "has no equal at tackle." Eckersall continued:
"Rheinschild of Michigan played close to the top this year, and his work in the Pennsylvania game would have given him even without his work in the other games. It was the best of any tackle on the field, and clearly indicated his caliber. One of his points is getting down the field under kicks. He often beat his ends down, and was sure and deadly in his tackle. He was not made use of sufficiently in offense to get his value in that respect. He was able to lunge from his position with extreme rapidity, to assist either the offense or defense. His play was, if anything less showy than in former years, but fully as effective, and this was clearly demonstrated all year."
Rheinschild graduated from the University of Michigan in 1908 with a law degree.
Coaching career
After receiving his law degree, Rheinschild went to London where he competed for the Illinois Athletic Club in the 1908 Summer Olympics1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
. After the Olympics, Rheinschild traveled to Paris, where he claimed to have "taught the 'frog-eaters' how to box for a few months." Upon returning to the United States, he got a job "escorting a flock of prisoners across the continent to Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
" in Northern California.
In the fall of 1908, Rheinschild served as head football coach for the Washington State University Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
in Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
. In his first and only season as coach at Washington State, his football team compiled a record of 4 wins, 0 losses, and 2 ties.
When the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
claimed to be the football champions of the Northwest, Rheinschild, whose team played Washington to a tie, disputed the claim and challenged them to a rematch in Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
. Rheinschild added, "Can Washington lay claim to the championship over W.S.C. when we played them to a standstill on their own grounds, held them to a 6 to 6 score and were outplaying them in the last 10 minutes of the game, so that nothing but the expiration of time prevented us from scoring a touchdown?"
In 1909, Rheinschild returned to Los Angeles to become head football coach at St. Vincent College (now known as Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
). He led St. Vincent's to an undefeated season and the football championship of Southern California in his one year as head coach. The Los Angeles Times praised Rheinschild's efforts in turning the St. Vincent team into champions:
"Rheinschild has accomplished wonders with a squad which at the outset of the season appeared to be mediocre to an unusual degree. The Saints' athletic authorities are more than pleased with the success of 'Rheiny.' They expected the coach to clean up the Saint athletics and get a start for next year. 'Rheiny' did considerably more. He developed the strongest team the Saints ever had. And the eleven played clean ball too."
In 1910, St. Vincent College withdrew from participation in Southern California intercollegiate athletics, opting to confine athletics to the Catholic student body.
In 1913, Rheinschild was hired as the football coach at Throop College (now known as California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
) in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, where he was paid $40 per game—the largest salary ever paid to a football coach in Southern California. He continued coaching in the 1910s as the football coach of the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
.
In 1915, Rheinschild was offered coaching positions at both the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. In April 1916, Rheinschild was hired as the football coach at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, replacing Joseph Pipal
Joseph Pipal
Joseph Amos Pipal was an American football, basketball, and track and field coach in the United States...
. Rheinschild coached at Occidental through the 1917 season.
On Christmas Day 1917, Rheinschild coached and played for a college all-star football team in a match against athletes from the San Pedro Submarine Base.
Family and legal/business career
Rheinschild was married in February 1909 to Enid Daniels at the Scottish Rite CathedralScottish Rite Cathedral
Scottish Rite Cathedral and Scottish Rite Temple are names commonly applied to buildings used by Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, a body associated with Freemasonry...
in Los Angeles; following the ceremony, they couple was given a box at the Orpheum Theatre where a spot light was thrown on them between acts as "the orchestra struck up a wedding march" for the embarrassed couple.
After stepping down as the coach at St. Vincent College in 1910, Rheinschild established a law practice in the Security Building, then the tallest building in Los Angeles, located in the heart of the city's Spring Street Financial District
Spring Street Financial District
The Spring Street Financial District, sometimes referred to as the Wall Street of the West, is a historic district in Downtown Los Angeles. The historic district includes 23 financial structures, including the city's first skyscraper, and three hotels all located along a stretch of South Spring...
. He continued with his legal practice between and after his stints as a football coach.
As of 1934, Rheinschild was the president of Corona Oil Company, Ltd., which was then drilling for oil in "the old Rancho LaSierra
Rancho La Sierra (Yorba)
Rancho La Sierra was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California, United States. In 1846 governor Pio Pico issued the grant to Bernardo Yorba...
" in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.
In 1942, Rheinschild was a prosecution witness against Bugsy Siegel
Bugsy Siegel
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was an American gangster who was involved with the Genovese crime family...
on charges of murdering Harry "Big Greenie" Greenberg
Harry Greenberg
Harry Schachter or Harry "Big Greenie" Greenberg was an associate and childhood friend of Bugsy Siegel, and an employee of both Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky. On November 22, 1939, Greenberg was murdered by Bugsy Siegel and his brother-in-law, Whitey Krakower...
; Rheinschild testified he had seen Siegel near Greenberg's house on many occasions in the weeks prior to the murder.