Lew Elverson

Lewis Henry Elverson (November 13, 1912 – May 1, 1997) was an American college football player and coach, track and field coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Pennsylvania from 1934 to 1936 and was the head football coach at Swarthmore College for 32 seasons over three stints, starting in 1938 and ending in 1974.

Lew Elverson
Biographical details
Born(1912-11-13)November 13, 1912
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 1997(1997-05-01) (aged 84)
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1934–1936Penn
Position(s)Quarterback, halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1937Swarthmore (freshmen)
1938–1941Swarthmore
1943–1944Atlantic City NAS
1946–1972Swarthmore
1974Swarthmore
Track and field
1951–1978Swarthmore
Head coaching record
Overall102–135–7 (football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 MAC College–Southern Division (1965–1966)

Early years

Elverson attended Toms River High School in Toms River, New Jersey, where he competed for the baseball, basketball, football, and track teams. He also attended the Hun School of Princeton where competed for the football and rowing teams.

Elverson moved on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he played college football at the quarterback and halfback positions for the Penn Quakers from 1934 to 1936 and was captain of the 1936 team that compiled a 7–1 record and was ranked No. 10 in the final AP Poll. He was a member of Penn's "Destiny Backfield" during those years.[1]

Coaching career

Elverson was hired as the freshman football coach at Swarthmore College in August 1937.[2] In May 1938, he was promoted to head football coach at Swarthmore.[3] In 1939, he led Swarthmore to the first undefeated season in school history.[4]

His career at Swarthmore was interrupted by service as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1945.[1] During the war, he coached the Atlantic City Naval Air Station football team in 1943 and 1944.[5][6]

Elverson returned to Swarthmore after the war and served as the school's head football coach for a total of 32 seasons, ending with the 1972 and 1974 seasons.[7] He compiled a record of 96–130–7 as Swarthmore's head football coach.

Elverson served as the coach of Swarthmore's track team from 1951 to 1978 and for several years as the school's athletic director. He was also a professor of physical education at the college.[1]

Later years

Elverson died from congestive heart failure, on May 1, 1997, at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.[1]

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Swarthmore Garnet Tide (Independent) (1938–1941)
1938 Swarthmore 5–1–1
1939 Swarthmore 6–0–1
1940 Swarthmore 5–2
1941 Swarthmore 3–3
Atlantic City Naval Air Station Hellcats/Corsairs (Independent) (1942–1943)
1943 Atlantic City NAS 1–3[n 1]
1944 Atlantic City NAS 5–2
Atlantic City NAS: 6–5
Swarthmore Garnet Tide (Independent) (1946–1957)
1946 Swarthmore 5–3
1947 Swarthmore 4–4
1948 Swarthmore 2–4–1
1949 Swarthmore 2–5–1
1950 Swarthmore 1–6
1951 Swarthmore 2–5
1952 Swarthmore 3–4
1953 Swarthmore 4–3
1954 Swarthmore 3–3–1
1955 Swarthmore 2–6
1956 Swarthmore 3–3–1
1957 Swarthmore 3–4
Swarthmore Garnet Tide (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1958–1972)
1958 Swarthmore 1–71–4T–4th (College–Southern)
1959 Swarthmore 2–51–3NA (College–Southern)
1960 Swarthmore 2–52–35th (College–Southern)
1961 Swarthmore 5–24–2T–2nd (College–Southern)
1962 Swarthmore 5–24–2T–3rd (College–Southern)
1963 Swarthmore 4–34–24th (College–Southern)
1964 Swarthmore 3–43–3T–4th (College–Southern)
1965 Swarthmore 6–16–01st (College–Southern)
1966 Swarthmore 6–0–16–0–11st (College–Southern)
1967 Swarthmore 3–53–5T–4th (College–Southern)
1968 Swarthmore 1–71–6T–8th (College–Southern)
1969 Swarthmore 3–53–58th (College–Southern)
1970 Swarthmore 2–62–610th (Southern)
1971 Swarthmore 0–80–811th (Southern)
1972 Swarthmore 0–71–7[n 2]9th (Southern)
Swarthmore Garnet Tide (Middle Atlantic Conference) (1974)
1974 Swarthmore 0–70–710th (Southern)
Swarthmore: 96–130–741–63–1
Total:102–135–7
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes
  1. Ducky Pond began the 1943 season as head coach of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station team. In October, after the Hellcats' first game, the entire team, aside from Pond, was transferred from Willow Grove Naval Air Station to Atlantic City Naval Air Station. Elverson was elevated to head coach after the transfer. The team finished the season with an overall record of 2–3.[8]
  2. Swarthmore received a forfeit win from Haverford, which counted in the conference standings, but not toward the team's overall record.[9]

References
  1. Andy Wallace (May 3, 1997). "Lew Elverson, 84, winning college coach". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Elverson Named Coach at Swarthmore College". Lancaster Daily Intelligencer Journal. August 20, 1937. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Elverson Gridiron Coach: Former Penn Halfback Named Swarthmore Head Mentor". The New York Times. May 19, 1938. p. 28.
  4. "Swarthmore Grid Coach Is Seeking New Position". The News Journal. December 23, 1939. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Willow Grove Team Shifted To Resort". Courier-Post. October 16, 1943. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Injury Shelves Villanova Star". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 17, 1944. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Winning Not Everything to Elverson: Swarthmore Fans Chuckle". Asbury Park Press. November 6, 1975. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Willow Grove Team Shifted To Resort". The Morning Post. Camden, New Jersey. October 16, 1943. p. 20. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  9. "MAC Standings". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. November 29, 1972. p. 50. Retrieved December 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com open access.
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