Doc Young
Encyclopedia
Alvah Andrew "Doc" Young (December 18, 1881 - August 9, 1942) was a founder of the National Football League
. He was also the owner of NFL's Hammond Pros
from 1920
until 1926
. He was also a respected medical doctor and sports trainer.
. He received his medical degree from Indiana University
's Medical School in Indianapolis in 1905. He then established a general practice in Hammond, Indiana
and married a woman from England
, Lillian Fallowes Young. He also would assist the police, by serving as the leading authority on gunshot wounds. In 1915, he briefly left Hammond for New York City
to take post graduate work at New York University
. During World War I
in 1917-1918, he served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas
.
baseball
and was a lightweight
wrestler in his youth. He also he promoted amateur and semi-pro boxing
matches in Hammond. His greatest love was horse racing; Doc owned a stable of horses and spent several years making the circuit of the leading race tracks. He founded a company called A.A. Young Laboratories that developed a vitamin-calcium supplement for thoroughbreds called Min-O-Lac (Minerals of Milk).
Doc became a supporter of professional football in Indiana. He served as team doctor and trainer for the Hammond Clabby Athletic Club during the 1915-17 period. In 1919, promoter Paul Parduhn established the Hammond Pros for the purpose of competing against the Decatur Staleys and Canton Bulldogs
. The team played its home games in Cub Park (now Wrigley Field
), and one of its stars was George Halas
. It is likely that Dr. Young was a part owner of the franchise.
In 1919 the Pros lost many of their high-priced players. Many of these players later appeared for the Chicago Tigers
. This caused Young to field a new team, but one with fewer stars.
, for the purpose of creating the American Professional Football Association (later known as the National Football League in 1922). Dr. Young's Hammond Pros were charter members of the organization and played in the league from 1920-26. They played three league opponents in 1920 and lost all three games by big scores.
In addition to games, Doc attended the league meetings. In Green Bay, Young got into an argument with Curly Lambeau
over the kind of football the league would use. The Spalding J-5
was watermelon-shaped and perfect for drop kicks. However Lambeau wanted to use a thinner ball better-suited for passing, probably since he was the top passer of his day.
allegeded that several of the NFL's owners attempted to raise the issue of a color barrier in pro football. According to Pollard, Young as well as Frank Nied
and Art Ranney
of the Akron Pros
refused to allow the discussion to take place. They could not understand why a player could not be considered a player without his color being brought into account. Many outstanding black stars such as Pollard, Ink Williams, John Shelbourne, and Sol Butler
appeared with the team during its years in the league.
American Football League (1926)
folded, the NFL pushed most of its small town and traveling team
s out of the league. This ended the Akron Indians, Canton Bulldogs
, and Hammond. Indiana would not have another NFL team until the Indianapolis Colts
would arrive from Baltimore in 1984. Meanwhile Young continued to practice medicine on bothe people and horses. He died of pneumonia while working late, attending a sick horse in the summer of 1942.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was also the owner of NFL's Hammond Pros
Hammond Pros
The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team...
from 1920
1920 NFL season
The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural regular season of the National Football League which was called the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and 1921...
until 1926
1926 NFL season
The 1926 NFL season was the 7th regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine...
. He was also a respected medical doctor and sports trainer.
Early career
Young was born December 18, 1881, in Hamilton County, IndianaHamilton County, Indiana
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 274,569. The county seat is Noblesville....
. He received his medical degree from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
's Medical School in Indianapolis in 1905. He then established a general practice in Hammond, Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
and married a woman from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Lillian Fallowes Young. He also would assist the police, by serving as the leading authority on gunshot wounds. In 1915, he briefly left Hammond for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to take post graduate work at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917-1918, he served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
Sports
Young played semi-proSemi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and was a lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
wrestler in his youth. He also he promoted amateur and semi-pro boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
matches in Hammond. His greatest love was horse racing; Doc owned a stable of horses and spent several years making the circuit of the leading race tracks. He founded a company called A.A. Young Laboratories that developed a vitamin-calcium supplement for thoroughbreds called Min-O-Lac (Minerals of Milk).
Doc became a supporter of professional football in Indiana. He served as team doctor and trainer for the Hammond Clabby Athletic Club during the 1915-17 period. In 1919, promoter Paul Parduhn established the Hammond Pros for the purpose of competing against the Decatur Staleys and Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
. The team played its home games in Cub Park (now Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
), and one of its stars was George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. It is likely that Dr. Young was a part owner of the franchise.
In 1919 the Pros lost many of their high-priced players. Many of these players later appeared for the Chicago Tigers
Chicago Tigers
The Chicago Tigers of the American Professional Football Association played only in the first year of the league and, because of this, have the distinction of being the first official NFL team to fold. They had a record of 2 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie...
. This caused Young to field a new team, but one with fewer stars.
Forming the NFL
On September 17, 1920, Dr. Young represented Hammond at a meeting of the nation's leading pro football team managers held in Canton, OhioCanton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, for the purpose of creating the American Professional Football Association (later known as the National Football League in 1922). Dr. Young's Hammond Pros were charter members of the organization and played in the league from 1920-26. They played three league opponents in 1920 and lost all three games by big scores.
In addition to games, Doc attended the league meetings. In Green Bay, Young got into an argument with Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
over the kind of football the league would use. The Spalding J-5
Spalding (sports equipment)
Spalding is a sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company specializes in the production of balls for many sports, but is most-known for its basketballs...
was watermelon-shaped and perfect for drop kicks. However Lambeau wanted to use a thinner ball better-suited for passing, probably since he was the top passer of his day.
Race and the NFL
In the 1940s, Fritz PollardFritz Pollard
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was the first African American head coach in the National Football League . Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920...
allegeded that several of the NFL's owners attempted to raise the issue of a color barrier in pro football. According to Pollard, Young as well as Frank Nied
Frank Nied
Francis Theodore Nied was a founder of the American Professional Football Association , as well as the owner of the Akron Pros and, as the team became known as in 1926, the Akron Indians.-Purchasing the Indians:In 1920, Neid was a cigar store owner in Akron...
and Art Ranney
Art Ranney
Arthur F. Ranney was a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association , as an owner of the Akron Pros, one of the league's chater teams...
of the Akron Pros
Akron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
refused to allow the discussion to take place. They could not understand why a player could not be considered a player without his color being brought into account. Many outstanding black stars such as Pollard, Ink Williams, John Shelbourne, and Sol Butler
Sol Butler
Edward Solomon Butler was a multi-talented athlete who competed in football as well as track and field. He competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. That year he finished seventh in the long jump competition...
appeared with the team during its years in the league.
End of Pros
After Red Grange'sRed Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
American Football League (1926)
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
folded, the NFL pushed most of its small town and traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
s out of the league. This ended the Akron Indians, Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
, and Hammond. Indiana would not have another NFL team until the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
would arrive from Baltimore in 1984. Meanwhile Young continued to practice medicine on bothe people and horses. He died of pneumonia while working late, attending a sick horse in the summer of 1942.