1895 Rush–Lake Forest football team

The 1895 Rush–Lake Forest football team was an American football team that represented Rush Medical College and Lake Forest University during the 1895 college football season. The team compiled a 4–6 record, shut out three opponents (while being the recipient of a shutout five times), and was outscored by their opponents by a total of 182 to 67. They are noteworthy in college football for becoming one of, if not the only example of a mid-season consolidation of two distinct football programs into a single team.

1895 Rush–Lake Forest football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–6
Head coach
CaptainMarion Woolsey (left tackle)[1]
1895 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Miami (OH)   –  3 –0 –0
Carthage   –  2 –0 –0
Washington University   –  2 –0 –0
Michigan   –  8 –1 –0
Chicago   –  10 –3 –0
Wittenberg   –  5 –2 –0
Minnesota   –  7 –3 –0
Wisconsin   –  5 –2 –1
Wabash   –  6 –3 –0
Illinois   –  4 –2 –1
Baldwin–Wallace   –  3 –1 –0
Notre Dame   –  3 –1 –0
Northwestern   –  6 –5 –0
Purdue   –  4 –3 –0
Indiana   –  4 –3 –1
Buchtel   –  3 –2 –0
Doane   –  3 –2 –0
Chicago P&S   –  3 –2 –1
Butler   –  2 –2 –0
Cincinnati   –  3 –3 –0
Michigan State Normal   –  3 –3 –0
North Dakota Agricultural   –  1 –1 –0
North Dakota   –  1 –1 –0
Ohio State   –  4 –4 –2
Iowa Agricultural   –  3 –4 –0
Ohio   –  2 –3 –0
Rush-Lake Forest   –  4 –6 –0
Ohio Wesleyan   –  2 –4 –1
Haskell   –  1 –2 –0
Iowa State Normal   –  1 –2 –0
Lake Forest   –  1 –2 –0
Northwestern Law   –  1 –2 –0
Drake   –  1 –4 –0

Before the merger of each school's football program, Rush Medical and Lake Forest both had plans for a regular season and schedule, which included many of the same opponents, such as Chicago, Beloit, Chicago Athletic Association, and the Armour Institute of Technology. The idea of a merger between the two teams was first proposed by G. W. King on or around October 10, 1895, and was quickly adopted on October 12 with the help of J. D. Nary and J. H. Rice.[2] The consolidation of both programs was easier than would otherwise be expected, given that Rush Medical was already affiliated with Lake Forest, the former being an affiliate graduate college of the latter. The plan was for Rush Medical, which had attained several experienced football players from their successful 1894 season, to forgo their men to Lake Forest, in return for the university's superior schedule, which included regional powerhouses Wisconsin, Michigan, and Notre Dame. The law programs of Chicago University and Lake Forest were also combed for possible talent.[3] With the consolidation, the combined team hoped to stand a better chance against the more accomplished Midwestern football programs. Unfortunately, this strategy did not seem to play out for either team, and the Rush–Lake Forest experiment lost the majority of their remaining contests for the 1895 season.[4]

Pre-merger schedules

Rush Medical schedule

The original captain for Rush Medical was Mr. Sager, a longtime fullback for the Chicago Athletic Association, and the coach was Mr. Searie. Many of the men on the Rush Medical roster had previous experience on collegiate and semi-professional teams, which included the Chicago Athletic Association, Purdue, Grinnell, Lake Forest, Washington &Jefferson, Kalamazoo, Minnesota, and Illinois.[5] The team manager was H. C. Parks.[6]

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultSource
October 53:00 p.m.at Chicago Athletic Association
  • CAA Field
  • Corner of 39th Street and Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, IL
L 0–30[7]
October 9West Division High SchoolUnknown [8]
October 12at Chicago
Cancelled [9][10]
November 6at Armour
  • CAA Field
  • Chicago, IL
Cancelled [11]
NorthwesternCancelled [12]
BeloitCancelled [13]
Pittsburgh Athletic ClubCancelled [14]
Boston Athletic AssociationCancelled [15]

Lake Forest schedule

Lake Forest was originally coached by Vic Harding, and kept their captain Marion Woolsey after the merger.[16] The Foresters compiled a 1–2 record, and were outscored 66 to 6 by their opponents. The reason for this confusion lies with the October 12 contest against Wisconsin, as the game was originally recognized as a Lake Forest game (as opposed to Rush–Lake Forest). By October 12 however, Rush Medical football players were already practicing with the Lake Forest eleven, and the team that played against the Badgers was composed of men from both teams, seven from Rush Medical and four from Lake Forest.[17] Lake Forest also does not recognize this contest in their official season records, and so it is safe to retract this contest from Lake Forest's individual schedule.

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultSource
September 283:00 p.m.George WilliamsLake Forest, ILW 6–0[18]
October 5at Chicago
L 0–52[19]
October 9at Armour
  • CAA Field
  • Chicago, IL
L 0–14[20]
November 23GrinnellCancelled [21]

[22]

Rush–Lake Forest schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 12at Wisconsin
L 5–26[23][24]
October 193:30 p.m.at Illinois Cycling Club
W 10–6[25][26]
October 224:20 p.m.at Chicago Athletic Association
  • CAA Field
  • Chicago, IL
L 0–30[27][28]
October 26at Michigan
L 0–40400[29]
October 28at Michigan Military AcademyDetroit, MIW 16–0[30]
October 313:30 p.m.at Northwestern
L 0–242,000[31][32][33][34]
November 2at Illinois
L 0–38[35]
November 14at Notre DameSouth Bend, INCancelled [36][37]
November 16at WabashCrawfordsville, INW 26–0[38]
November 22Carroll (WI)Chicago, ILW 10–0[39]
November 23Monmouth (IL)Cancelled [40]
November 25Knox (IL)Cancelled [41]
November 28vs. BeloitElgin, ILL 0–18600[42][43]

Rush–Lake Forest second team schedule

As part of the consolidation on October 12, a second team was formed to practice against the Varsity team in between match days. The seconds were captained by Mr. Stoops, a left tackle, and compiled (at least) a 0–2 record against regional academy teams and other collegiate secondaries.

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 17Armour secondsChicago, ILL 14–16 or 12–16[44][45]
October 23Evanston AcademyUnknown [46]
November 2at Morgan Park AcademyMorgan Park, ILL 0–34[47]

References
  1. "Getting Football Team Together". Chicago Tribune. September 11, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  2. "These May Consolidate". Chicago Tribune. October 12, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  3. "Sports at Rush, Lake Forest". Chicago Tribune. October 16, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "2 Oct 1895, 7 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  6. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. "Local". The Inter Ocean. October 7, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  8. "West Division Will Play Outside". The Inter Ocean. September 26, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  9. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  10. "Changed Their Minds". The Inter Ocean. October 13, 1895. p. 11. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  11. "Old Traditions Will Have To Go". Chicago Tribune. September 23, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  12. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  13. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  14. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  15. "Sports at Rush,1895". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  16. "Lake Forest Eleven Hard At Work". Chicago Tribune. September 30, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "Victory For Lake Forest". The Inter Ocean. September 29, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  19. "Local". The Inter Ocean. October 7, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  20. "Techs Win The Game". Chicago Tribune. October 10, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  21. "Getting Football Team Together". Chicago Tribune. September 11, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  22. "1895 Schedule/Results". Lake Forest College Athletics. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  23. "Getting Football Team Together". Chicago Tribune. September 11, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  24. "These May Consolidate". Chicago Tribune. October 12, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  25. "Lake Forest to Play the Bikes". Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  26. "BICYCLISTS PLAY HARD FOOTBALL". Chicago Tribune. October 20, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  27. "Will Try It Again". The Inter Ocean. October 22, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  28. "VERY BAD FOOTBALL". The Inter Ocean. October 23, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  29. "Michigan's Fourth Shut-Out". The Inter Ocean. October 27, 1895. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  30. "Easily Won By The Chicago Men". The Inter Ocean. October 29, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  31. "Team Hard at Work-Games Being Arranged". The Inter Ocean. October 28, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  32. ""University Day" At Northwestern". Chicago Tribune. October 31, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  33. "Evanstonians Again Victors". The Inter Ocean. November 1, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  34. "Welcomed by the President". The Inter Ocean. November 1, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  35. "Illinois, 38; Lake Forest, 0". The Inter Ocean. November 3, 1895. p. 9. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  36. "Coach Hadden Is Here". The South Bend Tribune. November 11, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  37. "Disappointed Notre Dame". The South Bend Tribune. November 14, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  38. "Lake Forest Wins from Wabash". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  39. "Lake Forest Wins from Carroll". Chicago Tribune. November 23, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  40. "What Is Going On At Lake Forest". The Inter Ocean. November 13, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  41. "What Is Going On At Lake Forest". The Inter Ocean. November 13, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  42. "What Is Going On At Lake Forest". The Inter Ocean. November 13, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  43. "Beloit, 18; Rush–Lake Forest, 0". The Inter Ocean. November 29, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  44. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  45. "Armour's Kicking Wins The Game". Chicago Tribune. October 18, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  46. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  47. "Morgan Park Academy A Winner". Chicago Tribune. November 3, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
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