Chester J. Roberts
Encyclopedia
Chester Joseph Roberts was an American football
player and coach of football and basketball
in the early 1900s. He was a 1912 graduate of Lawrence College
in Appleton, Wisconsin
where he played football. After graduation he served as a member of the faculty at several colleges in the Midwest
. During this time Roberts served as head football coach at Bethany College
in Bethany, West Virginia
(1914), Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio
(1915), and Platteville Normal College, now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville (1917), compiling a career college football
record of 11–10. He was also the head basketball coach at Bethany (1914–1915) and Miami (1915–1916), tallying a career college basketball
mark of 9–18.
from 1908 to 1912 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree. He did post graduate work at both University of Wisconsin
and the University of Illinois, receiving a master's degree from Wisconsin. In 1913 he married Bessie Bushey of Appleton.
for two years at Lawrence under coach Mark Catlin. In his last year at Lawrence he was part of the 1911 team that won the State Championship. This team's only loss was to Wisconsin
by a score of 15–0. In the rest of the games they outscored their other opponents 100–0. In 1911 Roberts was named to the all-time Lawrence College football team by the local newspaper, the Appleton Evening Crescent.
, Miami University
, Bethany College
, and Platteville Normal College. While serving as the member of the faculty at this college he also served as a coach of several sports.
, Roberts accepted a job at Bethany College
as the Physical Director in 1914. In his only year as football coach he had a record of 3–4. The 1914 football team that Roberts coached lacked experience going into the season. Roberts moved Dougherty to quarterback
from end. The team was led by Rogers at running back
, who was known for broken field running and passing. He also served as basketball coach for the 1914–15 season where his team went 5–9.
in Oxford, Ohio
for the 1915–16 school year. Included in his duties were coaching the football and basketball team. At the time Miami was changing the philosophy of athletics moving to an all-year athletic coach. The man he replaced as head football coach, James C. Donnelly
, took time off from his law practice in Massachusetts
showing up in Oxford just for the football season. Roberts served as head coach of the 1915 Miami University football team. Among his players included Earl Blaik
who would go on to a College Football Hall of Fame
coaching career, Marvin Pierce
, father of Barbra Bush and grandfather of George W. Bush
, and John E. Hull
, who would go on to be a four-star general and Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
. The team finished with a record of 6–2 and a victory over archrival Cincinnati
in the last game of the season. The two losses were to Indiana
of the Big Ten Conference
and Denison, one of Miami biggest rivals at that time. Down 14–0 against Denison, Roberts tried to encourage his team at halftime by offering to buy each player a box of bonbon
s if they won the game. This offer did not motivate the team; but it did shape Earl Blaik's coaching philosophy. Blaik later wrote about this enticement saying that "...in a Spartan game like football the worst possible inducement to a malingering player is, literally or figuratively, any form of sweetness."
now known as the University of Wisconsin–Platteville to teach physical culture. While at Platteville Normal he also coached the football team to a 2–4 record for the 1917 season.
, A. O. Smith
of Milwaukee, and Nash Motors
of Milwaukee. While at the Northern Paper Mills he received a patent for Core-tube cutter. In 1927 He was appointed manager of the industrial division of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. He was in charge of maintaining existing manufacturer and recruiting new manufactures to Milwaukee.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach of football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in the early 1900s. He was a 1912 graduate of Lawrence College
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
in Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
where he played football. After graduation he served as a member of the faculty at several colleges in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. During this time Roberts served as head football coach at Bethany College
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
in Bethany, West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia
Bethany is a town in Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 985 at the 2000 census. The Town of Bethany is home to Bethany College.-History:...
(1914), Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
(1915), and Platteville Normal College, now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville (1917), compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 11–10. He was also the head basketball coach at Bethany (1914–1915) and Miami (1915–1916), tallying a career college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
mark of 9–18.
Early life
Roberts was born in Birnamwood, Wisconsin. He attended Lawrence College in Appleton, WisconsinAppleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
from 1908 to 1912 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. He did post graduate work at both University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and the University of Illinois, receiving a master's degree from Wisconsin. In 1913 he married Bessie Bushey of Appleton.
Playing career
Roberts was an All-State centerCenter (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for two years at Lawrence under coach Mark Catlin. In his last year at Lawrence he was part of the 1911 team that won the State Championship. This team's only loss was to Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
by a score of 15–0. In the rest of the games they outscored their other opponents 100–0. In 1911 Roberts was named to the all-time Lawrence College football team by the local newspaper, the Appleton Evening Crescent.
Coaching career
After graduation from Lawrence, Roberts became an instructor at several colleges including Simpson CollegeSimpson College
Simpson College is a four-year, coeducational liberal arts institution situated in Indianola, Iowa, USA, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Simpson, which has been fully accredited by North Central Association since 1913, is a small school with approximately 1,400 full-time students...
, Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
, Bethany College
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
, and Platteville Normal College. While serving as the member of the faculty at this college he also served as a coach of several sports.
Bethany College
After spending the 1912–13 academic year as an instructor physics and mathematics as well as an assistant coach at Simpson CollegeSimpson College
Simpson College is a four-year, coeducational liberal arts institution situated in Indianola, Iowa, USA, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Simpson, which has been fully accredited by North Central Association since 1913, is a small school with approximately 1,400 full-time students...
, Roberts accepted a job at Bethany College
Bethany College (West Virginia)
Bethany College is a private liberal arts college located in Bethany, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the oldest institution of Higher Education in West Virginia.-Location:...
as the Physical Director in 1914. In his only year as football coach he had a record of 3–4. The 1914 football team that Roberts coached lacked experience going into the season. Roberts moved Dougherty to quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
from end. The team was led by Rogers at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, who was known for broken field running and passing. He also served as basketball coach for the 1914–15 season where his team went 5–9.
Miami University
In 1915 Roberts was named an Assistant Professor of Physical Training at Miami UniversityMiami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
for the 1915–16 school year. Included in his duties were coaching the football and basketball team. At the time Miami was changing the philosophy of athletics moving to an all-year athletic coach. The man he replaced as head football coach, James C. Donnelly
James C. Donnelly
-External links:...
, took time off from his law practice in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
showing up in Oxford just for the football season. Roberts served as head coach of the 1915 Miami University football team. Among his players included Earl Blaik
Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958, compiling a career college...
who would go on to a College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coaching career, Marvin Pierce
Marvin Pierce
Marvin Pierce was president of McCall Corporation, the publisher of the popular women's magazines Redbook and McCall's.-Biography:...
, father of Barbra Bush and grandfather of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and John E. Hull
John E. Hull
General John Edwin Hull was a U.S. Army general, former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, commanded Far East Command from 1953–1955 and the U.S. Army, Pacific from 1948-1949. He served in both world wars and was a contemporary of General George Marshall and General Omar Bradley...
, who would go on to be a four-star general and Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
. The team finished with a record of 6–2 and a victory over archrival Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
in the last game of the season. The two losses were to Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Denison, one of Miami biggest rivals at that time. Down 14–0 against Denison, Roberts tried to encourage his team at halftime by offering to buy each player a box of bonbon
Bonbon
The name bonbon refers to any of several types of sweets, especially small candies enrobed in chocolate.The first reports of bonbons come from the 17th century, when they were made at the French royal court. Their name arose from infantile reduplication of the word bon, meaning 'good'...
s if they won the game. This offer did not motivate the team; but it did shape Earl Blaik's coaching philosophy. Blaik later wrote about this enticement saying that "...in a Spartan game like football the worst possible inducement to a malingering player is, literally or figuratively, any form of sweetness."
Platteville Normal College
After the 1915–1916 academic year Roberts moved from Miami to Platteville Normal College in Platteville, WisconsinPlatteville, Wisconsin
Platteville is the largest city in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin. The population was 11,224 at the 2010 census, growing 12% since the 2000 Census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville...
now known as the University of Wisconsin–Platteville to teach physical culture. While at Platteville Normal he also coached the football team to a 2–4 record for the 1917 season.
After coaching
After his coaching career employed by several companies in the paper and automobile industries in Wisconsin including Tuttle Press Co. in Appleton, Northern Paper Mills of Green Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith Water Products Company, a division of A. O. Smith Corporation , headquartered in Ashland City, Tennessee, is a manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial water heaters and boilers.-History:...
of Milwaukee, and Nash Motors
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
of Milwaukee. While at the Northern Paper Mills he received a patent for Core-tube cutter. In 1927 He was appointed manager of the industrial division of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. He was in charge of maintaining existing manufacturer and recruiting new manufactures to Milwaukee.
Football
External links
- Chester J. Roberts at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com