John Heiam Obituary, Death – After a brief illness, former football coach and athletics expert John William Heisman died Friday at 28 East Seventieth Street. His age was 66. He was Downtown Athletic Club physical director for six years. Mr. Heisman coached football at top institutions for over 35 years. American Football Coaches Association president in 1923 and 1924. He began the “Heisman shift” and proposed the forward pass to football.
Many current football strategies were invented by him. He coached football, baseball, and basketball at Georgia Tech from 1904 through 1920, creating the “Golden Tornado” teams. His coaching career began at Oberlin College in 1892. At Akron, he coached all sports in 1893. He coached football and baseball at Alabama Polytechnic Institute from 1895 to 1900 and Clemson College from 1900 to 1904. He directed Atlanta Athletic Club athletics in 1908.
President of the Atlanta Baseball Association from 1910 through 1914. At Penn in 1920 and Washington and Jefferson College in 1923, he coached football. Rice Institute, Houston, Texas, was his head football coach and athletic director from 1924 to 1927. In 1888 and 1889, he played for Brown and the Pennsylvania varsity football eleven.
He was born in Cleveland to John M. and Sarah Lehr Heisman. His LL. B. was from Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania in 1892. Mr. Heisman wrote “Principles of Football.” He lectured at weekly football forums at the Downtown Athletic Club last year as physical director. He expects less lateral pass fumbling this year.Mrs. Edith Maora Cole Heisman is his widow. Rhinelander, Wisconsin, will host burial.
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