Edward P. Hurt
Encyclopedia
Edward Paulette Hurt, A.B.
, M.S.
, LL.D., (born February 12, 1900 – March 24, 1989) was the head
football
coach
, the head basketball
coach and the head track
coach at Morgan State College
, in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1929 to 1959. In these sports, Hurt's teams won 33 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(CIAA) championships and produced 2 NFL Hall of Famers
and an Olympic gold medal winner
. Hurt also served as the school's athletic director
from 1958 to 1970. He was inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the HBCU Hall of Fame in 1978.
. He attended Lincoln University
and later graduated from Howard University
with an A.B.
degree in 1921. The slightly muscled, 150-pound Hurt played football
at both schools and was named an All-American at Howard. Hurt also graduated from Columbia University
with a M.S.
degree in physical education. On August 13, 1922, Hurt married G. Beatrice Reid. The newlywed couple had to postpone honeymoon plans as Hurt had also landed a job in Lynchburg, Virginia to start his teaching career.
in Lynchburg, Virginia
in 1921 where he was hired as a mathematics teacher and doubled as an assistant football coach. He became the head coach there in 1925 and served in that capacity until he moved to Baltimore in 1929. During his stay, his football teams posted a 15-11-4 record and his basketball team won 2 CIAA
championships.
to 1938 Hurt coached the Bears to a 54-game streak without a single loss. During his tenure, Morgan's football teams completed 11 seasons undefeated and, in the 1943 season, opponents failed to score a single point against the Bears. Hurt's success as a football coach was in part due to his mathematics background. He would often diagram plays on the backs of envelopes or milk cartons as the games unfolded. Discipline was also a key. During a halftime speech, when his team trailed by two touchdowns, Hurt angrily kick at a wooden crate upon which one of his big tackles was sitting. He kicked it so hard, his foot got stuck, but nobody on the team cracked a smile. Hurt is a member of the HBCU coaches Hall of Fame and two of his players, Len Ford
and Rosey Brown
, have been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. In 1952 Morgan named its then new $1 million gymnasium facility after him.
at Morgan. By the 1950s the Morgan track team was drawing national and international attention. At the 1950 Penn Relays
, Hurt's foursome, Sam LaBeach, Bob Tyler, Bill Brown and George Rhoden
, won the mile relay in 3:13.6, which broke the Penn Relays' record that had stood for 56 years. Hurt's teams won 13 CIAA
Track and Field Championships. Those teams also produced 8 NCAA
champions, 12 AAU
individual champions, 3 NCAA relay champions, 6 AAU relay champions, 1 Olympic
gold-medalist (George Rhoden
), 1 Olympic bronze-medalist (Josh Culbreath
) and 11 individual or relay championships at the Penn Relays
. Hurt was also on the coaching staffs at both the 1959 Pan American Games
and the 1964 Olympic Games
.
. Hurt was survived by his wife Beatrice, one brother and three sisters. In addition to the Hurt Gymnasium, named is his honor in 1952, a scholarship fund was established in the name of Edward and Beatrice Hurt and the "Eddie Hurt Invitational track meet" is held annually at the university.
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...
, M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
, LL.D., (born February 12, 1900 – March 24, 1989) was the head
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
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...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, the head 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....
coach and the head track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach at Morgan State College
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1929 to 1959. In these sports, Hurt's teams won 33 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
(CIAA) championships and produced 2 NFL Hall of Famers
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
and an Olympic gold medal winner
George Rhoden
Competitor for JamaicaVincent George Rhoden is a former Jamaican athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1952....
. Hurt also served as the school's athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
from 1958 to 1970. He was inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the HBCU Hall of Fame in 1978.
Early life
Hurt was born in Brookneal, VirginiaBrookneal, Virginia
Brookneal is an incorporated town in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,259 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He attended Lincoln University
Lincoln University
Lincoln University or University of Lincoln or variations may refer to:in England*University of Lincolnin New Zealand*Lincoln University, New Zealandin the United States*Lincoln University...
and later graduated from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
with an A.B.
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 in 1921. The slightly muscled, 150-pound Hurt played 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...
at both schools and was named an All-American at Howard. Hurt also graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
with a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in physical education. On August 13, 1922, Hurt married G. Beatrice Reid. The newlywed couple had to postpone honeymoon plans as Hurt had also landed a job in Lynchburg, Virginia to start his teaching career.
Coaching career
Hurt's coaching career began at the Virginia Theological Seminary and CollegeVirginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private, historically black university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university currently offers instruction and degrees, primarily in religious studies, including a Doctorate of Ministry program.-History:...
in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
in 1921 where he was hired as a mathematics teacher and doubled as an assistant football coach. He became the head coach there in 1925 and served in that capacity until he moved to Baltimore in 1929. During his stay, his football teams posted a 15-11-4 record and his basketball team won 2 CIAA
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
championships.
Morgan football
Hurt took over the Morgan Bears football team in 1929. The next year his teams won the first of the 14 CIAA championships they would win with him at the helm. More importantly, Hurt built a program that allowed black athletes to showcase their talents where such a venue had been non-existent before. From 1931to 1938 Hurt coached the Bears to a 54-game streak without a single loss. During his tenure, Morgan's football teams completed 11 seasons undefeated and, in the 1943 season, opponents failed to score a single point against the Bears. Hurt's success as a football coach was in part due to his mathematics background. He would often diagram plays on the backs of envelopes or milk cartons as the games unfolded. Discipline was also a key. During a halftime speech, when his team trailed by two touchdowns, Hurt angrily kick at a wooden crate upon which one of his big tackles was sitting. He kicked it so hard, his foot got stuck, but nobody on the team cracked a smile. Hurt is a member of the HBCU coaches Hall of Fame and two of his players, Len Ford
Len Ford
Leonard Guy Ford, Jr. was an American football defensive end. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference...
and Rosey Brown
Rosey Brown
Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown, Jr. was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants from 1953 to 1965....
, have been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. In 1952 Morgan named its then new $1 million gymnasium facility after him.
Track
From 1929 to 1970, Hurt also coached the track teamTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at Morgan. By the 1950s the Morgan track team was drawing national and international attention. At the 1950 Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Hurt's foursome, Sam LaBeach, Bob Tyler, Bill Brown and George Rhoden
George Rhoden
Competitor for JamaicaVincent George Rhoden is a former Jamaican athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1952....
, won the mile relay in 3:13.6, which broke the Penn Relays' record that had stood for 56 years. Hurt's teams won 13 CIAA
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
Track and Field Championships. Those teams also produced 8 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
champions, 12 AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
individual champions, 3 NCAA relay champions, 6 AAU relay champions, 1 Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold-medalist (George Rhoden
George Rhoden
Competitor for JamaicaVincent George Rhoden is a former Jamaican athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1952....
), 1 Olympic bronze-medalist (Josh Culbreath
Josh Culbreath
Joshua Culbreath was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 meter hurdles — the national outdoor champion from 1953 to 1955; three-time winner of the event in the Penn Relays in the same years, and Olympic bronze medal winner in 1956, while he was serving in the U.S...
) and 11 individual or relay championships at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. Hurt was also on the coaching staffs at both the 1959 Pan American Games
1959 Pan American Games
The 3rd Pan American Games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90°F heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The first Pan American Games held in North America, they were originally scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, but the U.S. Congress’s decision to cut $5,000,000 in federal...
and the 1964 Olympic Games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
.
Basketball
Hurt coached the Morgan State University basketball team from 1929 to 1947, winning 4 CIAA championships. Three of those championships came consecutively in 1931, 1932 and 1933. From 1930 to 1947 Hurt coached the Morgan cagers to a 143-57 record, with the 1930, 1932, 1935 and 1945 teams going undefeated.Death and legacy
Hurt died on March 24, 1989. His memorial service was held one week later on the campus of Morgan State University. His interment was completed at the Arbutus Memorial Park in southwest Baltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. Hurt was survived by his wife Beatrice, one brother and three sisters. In addition to the Hurt Gymnasium, named is his honor in 1952, a scholarship fund was established in the name of Edward and Beatrice Hurt and the "Eddie Hurt Invitational track meet" is held annually at the university.
Awards and honors
- 1949-named Coach of the year, 1949, Washington Pigskin Club
- 1950-named to the Outstanding Coaches of All-Time List by the University of Texas
- 1950-Coach of the Year, 1950 Track and Field News
- 1952-Morgan State University gymnasium(pictured) named in his honor
- 1959-U.S Coach, Pan-American games
- Member, United States Olympic CommitteeUnited States Olympic CommitteeThe United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
1960-1972 - 1964-awarded United States Olympic CommitteeUnited States Olympic CommitteeThe United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
service award - 1964-Coach, U.S Olympic track team
- 1972-elected to the Morgan State University Athletic Hall of Fame
- 1975-inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame in
- 1978-inducted into the HBCU Hall of Fame
- 2004-inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches AssociationU.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches AssociationThe U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based professional association representing men's and women's cross country and track & field coaches in the United States. The organization has about 8,000 members...
(USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame
Football
| Year | Wins | Losses | Ties | Highlites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1930 | 8 | 1 | CIAA Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II... Champions |
|
| 1931 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1932 | 7 | 0 | 1 | CIAA Champions, undefeated |
| 1933 | 9 | 0 | CIAA Champions, undefeated | |
| 1934 | 5 | 0 | 3 | CIAA Champions, 8 shutouts |
| 1935 | 8 | 0 | CIAA Champions, undefeated | |
| 1936 | 6 | 0 | 2 | undefeated |
| 1937 | 7 | 0 | CIAA Champions, undefeated | |
| 1938 | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1939 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1940 | 7 | 0 | 1 | CIAA Champions, undefeated |
| 1941 | 6 | 1 | 0 | CIAA Champions |
| 1942 | 6 | 1 | 1 | CIAA Champions |
| 1943 | 5 | 0 | CIAA Champions, 5 shutouts | |
| 1944 | 6 | 1 | CIAA Champions | |
| 1945 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1946 | 8 | 0 | CIAA Champions, undefeated | |
| 1947 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1948 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 1949 | 8 | 0 | CIAA Champions, undefeated | |
| 1950 | 6 | 0 | 2 | undefeated |
| 1951 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1952 | 7 | 5 | ||
| 1953 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1954 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 1955 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1956 | 5 | 3 | 1 | CIAA Champions |
| 1957 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1958 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 1959 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |
| CAREER TOTAL | 173 | 54 | 18 | 14 CIAA championships |