Mack Tharpe

Mercer McCall "Mack" Tharpe (July 12, 1903 – February 21, 1945) was a college football player and coach, bomber pilot, and insurance salesman.[1] He was killed in action during the Second World War.[2]

Mack Tharpe
Tharpe in 1925
Biographical details
Born(1903-07-12)July 12, 1903
Moultrie, Georgia, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 1945(1945-02-21) (aged 41)
North Pacific Ocean, off Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japanese Empire
Alma materGeorgia Institute of Technology
Playing career
1925–1926Georgia Tech
Position(s)T
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1928-1941Georgia Tech (assistant)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
All-Southern (1926)
Tech Athletic Hall of Fame

Georgia Tech

Tharpe was a prominent tackle for William Alexander's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, selected All-Southern in 1926.[3]

He returned to his alma mater to coach in 1928, promoted to line coach in 1934.[1] In 1931, he sought a scouting report on North Carolina, and Robert Neyland had Bobby Dodd explain the defense to him.[4]

Along with Alexander he is the namesake of the Alexander-Tharpe fund.[5] Tharpe was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1961.[6]

References
  1. "Bobby Dodd and Mack Tharpe". Georgia Tech Library. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. Sugiura, Ken (May 25, 2015). "Remembering Mack Tharpe, a fallen Tech war hero". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. "Alabama Places 4 Men On Newspaper All-Southern Team". The Kingsport Times. November 28, 1926.
  4. Brimmer, Adam Van; Rice, Homer (October 2011). 100 Things Yellow Jackets Fans Should Know and do Before They die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781617495748.
  5. "Alexander-Tharpe Fund".
  6. "Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
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