Lewis Manly

Lewis Frederick Manly (April 23, 1903 – November 2, 1970) was an American athlete, sports coach and professor. He was best known for his time as head football coach at Tufts University, a position he served in from 1930 to 1945.

Lewis Manly
Manly at Wooster
Biographical details
Born(1903-04-23)April 23, 1903
Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 1970(1970-11-02) (aged 67)
Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1921–1924Wooster
Basketball
1922–1925Wooster
Track and field
c.1924Wooster
Position(s)Guard, tackle (football)
Guard, center (basketball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1925Tufts (assistant)
1926–1929Tufts (line)
1930–1945Tufts
Basketball
1927–1934Tufts
Head coaching record
Overall60–48–12 (football)
60–41 (basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
  • All-Ohio (1924, football)
  • All-Ohio (1924–25, basketball)

Early life and education

Manly in uniform

Lewis Frederick Manly was born on April 23, 1903, in Erie, Pennsylvania, to William Jared and Harriet (Miller) Manley.[1][2] He grew up in Erie and attended Erie High School.[2] After graduating from there, he enrolled at the College of Wooster in 1921 as an undergraduate.[3] Despite having never played football or interscholastic sports[4] before, he tried out for the football team.[3] "I couldn't have been a very promising looking candidate because they didn't even give me a suit," Manly later recalled.[3] "[At] a small college like that, equipment isn't any too plentiful so I went out to practice in an old pair of pants, a sweater, and some football shoes I managed to borrow. [Freshmen] were used for purposes of scrimmage against the varsity and for putting on enemy formations. I made the team [and] got some very valuable experience in line play that year."[3]

Despite his inexperience, Manly went on to become one of the best linemen of his time and in Wooster history, later being inducted into their athletic hall of fame in 2005.[3] He made the varsity team as a sophomore at guard and soon after became one of the "stars" of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).[3][5]

Standing at 5 ft 11 in tall, and weighing 185 pounds, Manly was switched to tackle as a junior and helped the team compile an undefeated 9–0 record, winning the OAC championship.[3][6] The Kentucky Post and Times-Star named Manly and five others as the key players who led Wooster to the undefeated season.[5] In the voting for the 1923 All-Ohio team, he earned first-team honors from one selector and second-team from three; on the final version of the team he was an honorable mention.[7]

As a senior at Wooster, Manly was moved back to guard and played a key role in their historic upset 7–7 tie against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which remains the last time the Buckeyes ever failed to beat an in-state opponent.[3][8] He was a 1924 All-Ohio selection and was described by a staff writer at The Akron Beacon Journal as "a thoroughly dependable lineman" and "one of the strongest defensive players on his team."[3][9]

Manly also played basketball and track and field for Wooster, although he is best known for his play in football.[3] He was elected team captain in basketball as a sophomore, the first time this had happened since 1917 for any Wooster varsity team.[4][10] Playing guard, he was described by some as one of the fastest at his position in the state.[11] He remained captain as a junior but was shifted to center.[12] As a senior, he was named third-team All-Ohio.[13]

Manly participated in the shot put events for the Wooster track and field team and at the time of his graduation, had received nine total varsity letters, the all-time record at the school.[3]

Coaching career and Tufts University

1925 Tufts Jumbos football coaching staff, featuring (from left to right): Louis McGoldrick, Eddie Casey, Bob Abbott and Manly

After graduating from the College of Wooster, Manly became a teaching fellow at Tufts University in late 1925.[14] He also assisted Tufts Jumbos football coach Eddie Casey that year.[15] Athletic director Clarence P. Houston liked Manly enough to name him line coach in 1926, assisting the new head coach Arthur Sampson.[14][16] In his first year in the position, he developed what The Boston Globe described as "a strong forward wall, probably stronger than any Tufts has had for years. It is heavy, but has a fast, powerful charge."[17]

While remaining football line coach, Manly as selected as head coach of the Tufts men's basketball team in 1927.[18] He went on to serve in the position through 1934, having "turned out some fine teams," before resigning to focus on football.[14] His overall record as basketball coach was 60–41.[3]

In 1928, the Tufts line had no experienced players.[19] The Boston Globe wrote that, "The task was one to cause anyone worry, yet Lew went right ahead, worked hard with the boys every afternoon, taught them the tricks of the lineman's trade, and produced one of the best, if the lightest, lines that ever represented the brown and blue."[19] The following season, only three lineman returned, but Manly again built a stellar line and helped the Jumbos record their first-ever undefeated season, going 8–0.[3][19] In all but one of their games, the Tufts line was outweighed, often by over 15-20 pounds per player, but despite this they "more than held their own against every team they met."[19] Coach Arthur Sampson described Manly as "one of the finest line coaches in America today."[14]

After Sampson left Tufts in 1930, Manly was named his successor as head coach, despite being only 26 years old.[14][20] In his first season as head, Manly led the Jumbos to an overall record of 5–2.[21] In the following three years, they compiled records of 3–2–2 (1931), 5–1–2 (1932), and 6–2 (1933).[21] In 1934, Manly led Tufts to a perfect 8–0 record, and his team, the only unbeaten, untied team in the east, was named the eastern college football champion.[14][22] Manly, modest and unwilling to accept any glory, gave all the credit to his players for the championship.[14] Afterwards, the players put together their money and had a silver statue built in his honor.[14] In an interview, Manly said that "I appreciate this more than anything else. I don't know why the boys did it, they need their money for other things. It is a wonderful tribute."[14]

By this point in his coaching career, Manly had led the Jumbos to a 27–7–4 record in five seasons.[14] A year after going undefeated, they declined to a 1–5–2 record, before going 3–3–1 the following year and 3–4–1 the year after that.[21] The Jumbos would not have another winning season until 1941, when they went 5–3 under Manly.[21] He had the largest squad in school history in 1943, and the Jumbos went 6–2; previously, due to lack of men, Manly would have to teach players three to four positions.[21][23]

After a 4–1 record in 1945,[21] Manly resigned and was succeeded by Frederick M. Ellis.[24] He finished his 16–season stint at Tufts with an overall record of 60–48–12, which makes him the school's all-time winningest coach.[3]

As Tufts coach, Manly emphasized "fun and preparation."[3] His practices often included games of touch football, kicking contests, and foot races, but did not have tackling dummies or other equipment, with Manly focusing on training and conditioning methods.[3][14] Harry Arlanson, one of his former players, described him as, "as much a scholar on the gridiron as he was in the classroom. He was extremely thorough. He approached the game in a very scholarly way. When we came out to play an opponent, we were prepared."[3]

Manly received a Master of Arts degree from Tufts in 1927.[25] He later worked on receiving a doctorate from Harvard University.[14] He was a professor of economics at Tufts for many years and served for 25 years as chairman of the economics department.[2][3] Manly retired from the Tufts faculty in 1969.[3]

Personal life and death

Manly was married to Susan, a long-time employee at Tufts,[26] and had two children with her.[2] He was a member of the Unitarian Church in Medford, Massachusetts.[2] He died unexpectedly on November 2, 1970, while visiting one of his children in Plattsburgh, New York.[3][27] Manly was 67 at the time of his death, and had retired from Tufts only a year earlier.[3] The Lewis F. Manly Memorial Prize was named in his honor, given to the Tufts undergraduate who "combines a record of academic excellence with superior athletic performance."[28]

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Tufts Jumbos (Independent) (1930–1945)
1930 Tufts 5–2
1931 Tufts 3–2–2
1932 Tufts 5–1–2
1933 Tufts 6–2
1934 Tufts 8–0
1935 Tufts 1–5–2
1936 Tufts 3–3–1
1937 Tufts 3–4–1
1938 Tufts 1–6–1
1939 Tufts 3–4–1
1940 Tufts 4–4
1941 Tufts 5–3
1942 Tufts 2–5–1
1943 Tufts 6–2
1944 Tufts 1–4–1
1945 Tufts 4–1
Tufts: 60–48–12
Total:60–48–12

References

  1. Who Was Who in America, 1969-1973. Vol. 5. Marquis Who's Who. 1974. p. 456. ISBN 978-0-8379-0205-0.
  2. "Lewis F. Manly". The Times Argus. November 3, 1970. p. 2 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. "Lewis F Manly - Class of 1925". shootermcgavin.com.
  4. "Sophomore Elected Captain of Wooster". The Daily Sentinel-Tribune. May 28, 1923. p. 3 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "They've Helped Keep Wooster's At Top". The Kentucky Post and Times-Star. October 26, 1923. p. 34 via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. "2019 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Record Book" (PDF). Ohio Athletic Conference. 2019. p. 42.
  7. Quick (December 1, 1923). "Ohio Coaches Select Annual All-Ohio Mythical Team for Beacon Journal". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 12 via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. Gutridge, Matt (June 3, 2016). "100 Teams in 100 Days: 1924 Buckeyes Try to End Losing Ways, Wooster Earns a Tie & Illibuck is Born". ElevenWarriors.com.
  9. Quick (November 24, 1924). "Guards On 1924 Mythical All-Ohio Team Will Be Above Standard Of Other Years". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 20 via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. "Manly Wooster Leader". Pittsburgh Daily Post. May 17, 1923. p. 19 via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. "Wooster's Center Is Great Athlete". The Kentucky Post and Times-Star. December 25, 1923. p. 9 via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. "Wooster Plays Twice At Home". News-Journal. February 5, 1924. p. 8 via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. Reid, Jack (March 8, 1925). "Three All-Ohio Teams Named". Springfield News-Sun. p. 17 via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. Black, Herbert (December 14, 1934). "Manly, Grid Coach Extraordinary". The Boston Globe. p. 25 via Newspapers.com. open access
  15. "Tufts Eleven To Practice By Electric Light At Oval". The Boston Globe. September 28, 1925. p. 16 via Newspapers.com. open access
  16. "Tufts' New Coach Meets Candidates". The Boston Globe. April 30, 1926. p. 23 via Newspapers.com. open access
  17. "Tufts At Full Strength For Game With Harvard". The Boston Globe. October 29, 1926. p. 33 via Newspapers.com. open access
  18. "Ellis Not To Play Basket Ball At Tufts Until After Midyear". The Boston Globe. November 29, 1927. p. 22 via Newspapers.com. open access
  19. "Big Factor In Success Of Tufts College Teams". The Boston Globe. November 30, 1929. p. 10 via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. "Manly And Sampson Are Widely Different". The Boston Globe. February 18, 1930. p. 24 via Newspapers.com. open access
  21. "Tufts University Jumbos Football Program Records". Tufts Jumbos.
  22. "The Monday After". The Boston Globe. November 5, 1934. p. 8 via Newspapers.com. open access
  23. "Bright Tufts Plans Turn to Darker Hue". The Central New Jersey Home News. Associated Press. September 23, 1943. p. 14 via Newspapers.com. open access
  24. "'Fish' Ellis Succeeds Manly as Football Coach at Tufts". The Boston Globe. April 10, 1946. p. 18 via Newspapers.com. open access
  25. "71st Commencement Of Tufts College Today". The Boston Globe. June 20, 1927. p. 11 via Newspapers.com. open access
  26. Fadel, Leila (January 6, 2003). "Susan Manly, 95, Longtime Tufts Employee, Volunteer". The Boston Globe. p. C9. ProQuest 405499093 via ProQuest.
  27. "Lewis F. Manly". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 4, 1970. p. 50. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 117812150 via ProQuest.
  28. "Tufts graduate". Globe Gazette. June 10, 2002. p. 9 via Newspapers.com. open access
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