Paul Schwegler

Schwegler attended the University of Washington where he played as a tackle for the Huskies football program for the 1929–1931 seasons and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.[5] He served as captain of the 1931 football team.[lower-alpha 1] Schwegler was recognized as a standout player despite Washington compiling an overall 12–13–2 record during his three seasons.[6] He was named by some selectors to the 1929 College Football All-America Team and 1931 College Football All-America Team, and was a selection to the All-Pacific Coast football team three times.

At the end of his college career, Schwegler played in the January 1932 edition of the East–West Shrine Game.[6] In 1934, he played for the Stanford Braves, a team in the Pacific Pro Football League, an early professional league.[7] He also coached three youth teams, for players aged 12–14, during that season.[8] Schwegler returned in 1935 to play for the Hollywood Braves; the league that year was known as the American Legion League.[9]

In February 1937, Schwegler made sports headlines by suggesting that college football players should stage a sitdown strike until getting paid to play.[10]

Schwegler was inducted to several halls of fame: the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967,[6] the Husky Hall of Fame at the University of Washington in 1983,[11] and the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Schwegler's athletic experience helped to launch a modest acting career in Hollywood during the 1930s. His film appearances include:

• The All American (1932), with various other football players[12]
• 365 Nights in Hollywood (1934), in a brief appearances as Tarzan[13]
• Bright Eyes (1934), with fellow football player Fred Crawford; film starred Shirley Temple[14]
• Fighting Youth (1935), with various other football players[15]
• Modern Times (1936), with fellow football players Nate Barragar and Ernie Smith; in a scene where Charlie Chaplin is a waiter[16]

Schwegler accompanied Hollywood director Tay Garnett on a work voyage that began in November 1935 from Los Angeles, crossing the Pacific through Asia and on to Europe.[17] Stops included Honolulu, Guam, Manila, Singapore, Colombo, India, Arabia, Egypt, and Spain.[18] Undertaken to film locations for use as backdrops in movies, the yacht and its crew reached the U.S. east coast in October 1936.[19] Articles that Schwegler wrote about the voyage were published in The Birmingham News in January 1937,[20] and the June 1937 edition of Pacific Motor Boat magazine.[21] By August 1938, Schwegler was no longer working with Garnett, having gone into the music publishing business with a partner.[22]

In September 1938, Schwegler wed Eda Hellman in Reno, Nevada.[23] A daughter was born to the couple in May 1942.[24] In June 1942, Schwegler joined the United States Navy as a chief specialist to assist with military recruitment in the Los Angeles area;[25] he served until October 1945.[26]

As of February 1950, Schwegler was working as the public relations director of a wine company.[27] By 1958, he was the sales manager of a film processing company.[28][29] He was frequently mentioned in Los Angeles-area newspapers for activities such as organizing blood drives.[30]

Schwegler died in December 1980 at his residence in Newport Beach, California; he was survived by his wife and a daughter.[31]