Edwin Sweetland
Encyclopedia
Edwin Regur Sweetland was a coach and athletic administrator at several American universities. During his coaching career he was head coach of many sports including basketball
, track and field
and crew
, but the majority of for his coaching work was in football
. Though mainly known for football, he left his mark on several other sports. He was the first paid coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
team and the Syracuse University
rowing team.
Sweetland attended Union College
and was graduate of Cornell University
in 1899. A gifted athlete, Sweetland was on the varsity football team at Union and Cornell and the varsity rowing team at Cornell. At Cornell he was coached by Hall of Fame coaches Pop Warner
in football and Charles E. Courtney in rowing.
. He had several brothers and sisters. One of his brothers was Monroe Marsh Sweetland, who founded Delta Chi
fraternity while a law student at Cornell University
. Another brother, Dr. George James Sweetland, was captain of the Union College
football team in 1895 and later the athletic director and head football coach at University of North Dakota
.
degree in agriculture
. At Cornell, he was member of Phi Gamma Delta
and the Sphinx Head Society.
A talented athlete, Sweetland rowed on the varsity crew team, and played tackle on the football team at Cornell. Sweetland was a considered one of the top players in the early years of Big Red football
. The Sun named Sweetland to the second team of the all-time Cornell football team in an article on January 29, 1927.
for Union College along with his brother, George. He transferred to Cornell for the 1895 season where he moved to tackle
under coach Marshall Newell
and helped the school to a 3–4–1 record. That year, Sweetland was part of the line that helped Clint Wyckoff
become Cornell's first College Football All-American
. The following year, Cornell changed coaches replacing Newell with Joseph Beacham
. Sweetland helped the Beacham lead the squad to a record of 5–3–1. In 1897, Glenn "Pop" Warner
took over as head coach. Sweetland could not play for Warner in the 1897 season. During the offseason he went through surgery and his doctors would not allow him to play. When practice started for the 1898 season, Warner had to replace many starters including the previous year's captain, William McKeever. Sweetland returned to the line in 1898. With Sweetland's help, the team won 10 of their first 11 games, setting up a big game for Cornell against national power Penn
in the final game of the season. Sweetland helped Cornell take a 6–0 lead before halftime. He broke through Penn’s line blocking a kick and recovered the ball for a touchdown
, but Penn came back and won by a score of 12–6. With the Penn loss, the team finished the season 10–2, outscoring their opponents by a score of 296–29.
Sweetland planned to the return for the 1899 football season even though he would be graduating. He planned to start his medical training at Cornell. After the 1898 season he became involved in a controversy between two factions on the future direction of the football program that came to the head with the election of captain for the 1899 season. Originally three year starter at left guard, Daniel A. Reed
was elected captain over Sweetland for the 1899 season. A very close election caused a rift in the football team. Reed won by a vote of ten to nine. Later Reed resigned as captain and the team elected Sweetland unanimously. The Cornell Athletic Council refused to ratify the election of Sweetland, stating that their decision was "in the interest of harmony among the various elements who co-operation is necessary for the success of Cornell athletics." The council statement listed two specific reasons. The first was that the Council wanted to purge all leaders of the competing factional rivalries on the team. This included Coach Warner and Tom Fennell
as well as Daniel A. Reed
. All three stated they would not return for the 1899 season. The second reason was a large number of football alumni protested the election of Sweetland as captain. Additionally, a charge was leveled that Sweetland was a professional, not an amateur, since he was paid for playing football for Elmira Athletic Club in the fall of 1897. Sweetland denied the allegation only admitting that he received reimbursement for his expenses but not for playing. After the Athletic Council ruling the team elected fullback
Raymond Starbuck
as team captain.
. In 1897, as a novice rower, Sweetland went out for Cornell rowing team but did not make varsity. Early on he was mentioned as a possible varsity rower at the no. 5 position. He had to go against more experienced rowers including E. J. Savage who rowed varsity in 1896 and Edgar Johnson, who rowed varsity in 1895. Sweetland had trouble throughout the season. First he was thrown out of his boat when he wrecked his shell upon a snag. He also had to spend several days in the hospital due to trouble with his appendicitis. In 1898 he was a substitute on team that finished second in Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Regatta
at Saratoga Lake. The following year he rowed in the No. 5 position that finished third in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta at Poughkeepsie, New York
. In that race, the Cornell crew had the slight advantage holding the outer course but lost to the University of Pennsylvania
coached by Ellis Ward
. The University of Wisconsin–Madison
using a modified English stroke started quickly and held a lead at the mile and half marker but lost the lead to Penn due to bad steering. Penn finished strong using a stroke that depended on leg drive over the catch. This gave the boat a slight amount of checking between strokes. Sweetland and the Cornell crew were unable to catch Penn and finished three and a half lengths behind. They were also unable to catch Wisconsin and finished varsity race in third place.
from Syracuse and LL.B and LL.M from the University of Kentucky.
. In his first season as a head coach, he led the 1899 squad to an 8–2–1 record. That year Hamilton played a then school-record 11 games with one of the two losses coming at the hands of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School
, coached by his former coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner
, and the other loss coming to Sweetland’s former school Cornell. He left for Syracuse University
after the season.
, Sweetland became their first Intercollegiate coach. Chancellor James Roscoe Day
assisted the rowing team that year by persuading Lyman Cornelius Smith
to donate equipment.
In Sweetland’s first year as coach of the rowing team, he was basically starting the rowing team from scratch. He spent good amount of time on basic watermenship and maintaining an even keel
. He started practice in late March and was able to get the team ready for a race against the Francis Club Crew of Cornell in June. A crowd of 3000 showed up at Onondaga Lake to watch the 2 miles (3.2 km) race in which Sweetland's varsity crew lost by six seconds.
In fall of that year, Sweetland began football practice on September 4, 1900 with 10 returning players from the 1899 team. His team finished the season with a 7–2–1 record including victories over Amherst
and Oberlin
. One of his losses was to his former school, Cornell by a score of 6–0. Syracuse coming into the game did have a several of advantages that made their fans optimistic that the Orange could pull out a victory. First the game was being played early in the season, September, 29th. The Orangemen had been practicing for several weeks longer than Cornell. The second benefit was a large crowd of Syracuse rooters attended the game. Even with the game being played at Cornell’s Percy Field, Syracuse rooters filled half the grand stand and part of the bleachers. The third advantage was Cornell’s captain, Raymond Starbuck
, was hurt earlier in practice and could not play. Sweetland’s team started out strong had several opportunities to score. Early in the game, after stopping Cornell on their first possession, Syracuse drove the ball into scoring position at the Cornell’s 15 yard line but could not score. Later, just before half time, Cornell returned a fumble to the Syracuse's seven yard line but Sweetland's defence stopped them from scoring and took over on downs. Then in Syracuse's next possession, Carr, Syracuse's half-back, went through a hole in the Cornell line and ran seventy yards before Cornell’s halfback
A. B. Morrison
caught him to prevent a touchdown. The game remained tied until the about two minutes to play when Cornell's Morrison ran 25 yards for a touchdown. After the game Cornell accused Coach Sweetland's team of rough and dirty play.
Sweetland again coached the rowing team for the 1901 season. The Syracuse crew took part in a regatta on Onondaga Lake on June 7, 1901. Sweetland’s varsity 8 again raced against the Francis Club crew of Cornell and lost by 1/4 of a boat length. They raced in spite of the fact that Sweetland was in the hospital suffering from an attack of typhoid fever
just a few weeks before the race. The season ended with his team rowing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta in Poughkeepsie, New York. This was the first time in school history that Syracuse attend this event. Sweetland's varsity eight finished fifth out of six teams. Cornell finished first, but the Orangemen were able to beat University of Pennsylvania
coached by Ellis Ward
.
Controversy erupted before the start of the 1901 football season. Cornell refused to play Syracuse because of bad feeling about rough play from the year before. They also questioned the amateur
status of the Syracuse team. Syracuse stated that there were rules in force that prevented professional players but admitted that slight violations of the rules were possible. On the issue of rough play the year before, Syracuse investigated and found the accusation to be groundless. The Syracuse General Athletic Committee severed all athletic relations with their upstate New York rivals. The two schools would not play again until 1935. The team finished 7–1 with including victories over Brown
, Columbia
and Amherst and outscored their opponent by 150 to 27. The New York Sun rated them 7th best team in nation.
Sweetland returned for his third year as rowing coach in 1902. Before the season the outlook for Varsity crews at Syracuse look to be good. Coach Sweetland had experience rowers to chose the Varsity crew from. Most members of the 1901 Varsity and Freshmen crews returned for 1902. The team returned to Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta. Before the race Syracuse crew weight dropped to average of less than 155 lb (70.3 kg). Sweetland had to reduced the training before the Regatta. In their second attempt, Syracuse finished fifth out of six teams beating Georgetown
in the Varsity race. Cornell finished first followed by Wisconsin, Columbia and Penn. Even though this was the same place they finished the year before it was consider an improvement. The time of 19 minutes 31 seconds was the fastest time at that distant.
The 1903 football season under Coach Sweetland saw Syracuse out score their opponents by a combined score of 153 to 87. The team finished the season with a record of 6–2–1. Wins included shutouts against Colgate and Amherst and disappointing lopsided losses to Army
and Yale
.
Before the 1903 rowing season, the Athletic Council replaced Sweetland with James A. Ten Eyck
as rowing coach. Sweetland had demanded a higher salary to coach the rowing team. When his demands were not met he resigned from all athletic work at Syracuse. The rowing team threaten a revolt but no major action was taken. Even though they replaced him at rowing coach some in the council tried retain him as football coach for the 1904 season. They were unsuccessful, with the full council deciding to go a different direction. In the end Sweetland coached football for three years at Syracuse with a combined record of 20–5-2.
After leaving Hamilton, Sweetland considered an offer to be assistant rowing coach under his former mentor Coach Courtney at Cornell for the 1904 season. Courtney wanted Sweetland to replace F. D. Colson
who moved on to become coach at Harvard. While negotiation were still pending, the Rowing Committee of the Cornell Athletic Council announced that they hired C. A. Lueder
to the position. This caused a power struggle between Courtney and the Athletic Council for control of the rowing program. The conflict was resolved when the Rowing Committee canceled the job offer to Lueder. In addition, the Athletic Council limited their interference with the rowing team by giving Coach Courtney the power to pick member of the crew and designate the oarsmen position. However, Sweetland did not become Courtney's assistant because in the time it took resolve the conflict, he was offered and accepted the position as head football coach at Ohio State University
. With Sweetland out of the picture, Courtney hired Lueder as his assistant rowing coach.
. In his first year, he led the Buckeyes
to a 6–5 record. Of the five losses only one was an Ohio Athletic Conference
rival, a close 4–2 decision to Oberlin
. Expectations were high for the 1904 team. The athletic association to purchased 1,500 additional bleacher seats for the east side of University Field
, but, the team fell way short of all expectations and the expected crowds never materialized. Even with the disappointing season Sweetland's team did accomplished a first in Ohio State football history. It was the first Buckeye team to cross the goal line against University of Michigan
. The touchdown was scored by the Buckeye's when Bill Marquardt returned a fumble fifty yards. The next year he and the Buckeyes improved to 8–2–2. This team did not give up any points in Ohio Athletic Conference games. They did have a 0–0 tie to Case Institute of Technology. Case won the conference due to the fact they played and won two more games in conference than the Buckeyes. The two losses that season were to future Big Ten Conference
rivals University of Michigan
(40–0) and Indiana University
(11–0). Sweetland finished with a combined record of 14–7–2 in his two years as the Buckeyes head man. Sweetland also coached the Buckeye’s track and field team. With a victory over Oberlin in a dual meet by a score of 52–33 the Buckeyes won the state championship for 1905.
where he coached the track team. The team was successful in wining both triangular meets they entered including one against nearby rivals Hamilton and Rochester. He was then named head football coach for the 1908 season. Going into the season the team prospects were considered poor. Nine of the top 17 players from the previous season did not return including standouts Milton Proctor, Theodore Sprague, Joseph Kronenburg, and Arthur Clark. The only experience lineman, Evan Boardman, caught pneumonia before the season and missed several practices. The University’s athletic department was not able to provide a training table for the team because of lack of funds. Sweetland also had to deal with a tough schedule that included Cornell, Brown, Army and Syracuse. Even with those obstacles Sweetland was able to guide Colgate to a winning record in his only season as the thirteenth coach of the Raiders. After getting shut out in three of the first four games of the season, the Raiders were able to turn the season around with a strong finish. The offense out-scored, Union, Syracuse and Hamilton by 53–4 in the last three games to secure a winning record. Though Sweetland was able to beat his former employer, Syracuse, he lost to his alma mater, Cornell, by a score of 9–0.
(known as Kentucky State University at the time) in the fall of 1909. Kentucky was able to hire him due to a financially successfully 1908 Thanksgiving game versus in state rival Centre College, This game allowed them afford “eastern” coach to lead the football team.
During the 1909 season the Wildcats scored several notable victories including a 6–2 over the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. The head of the military department at Kentucky, Commandant Corbusier, stated that the team “"fought like Wildcats." Shortly after this, "Wildcats" became synonymous with the University and would eventually become the official nickname.
Other victories that year included a shutout victory over University of Tennessee Volunteers and a blow out of cross town rival Transylvania College. The team finished the season with a 15–6 victory over Centre before 6,-000 fans to win the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association (KIAA) state title. The Sweetland-led Wildcats finished the year at 9–1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 261 to 29 with the only blemish being a 15–6 loss to North Carolina A&M. The gridiron success was more remarkable considering Sweetland became ill during the season and was feared that he could not continue to coach the football team. The local newspaper went so far to report that a replacement was selected.
In the fall of 1909 the faculty athletic senate voted to abolish the men's basketball at Kentucky due to a poor record and an overcrowded gym. As a reaction to this, the University of Kentucky students presented the board of trustees with a solution to the overcrowding. The plan was for a wooden floor and new lighting to be installed in the Armory
. To address the poor record of the past teams Sweetland was named coach. This made him first paid coach in Kentucky’s basketball history. Before this time the team only had managers. In his first year the basketball team finished 4–8. R. E. Spahr assumed coaching duties during the season when Sweetland once again became ill.
Sweetland had recovered from his Illness to coach the 1910 football season. The season went well for the Wildcats as they won the first seven straight victories. Among their victims were the North Carolina
, Tennessee
and Tulane
. The last two games of the season did not go the Wildcats way. Team traveled to St. Louis University in the eighth game and was shut out by a score of 9–0. Centre College
beat Kentucky on Thanksgiving Day in the last game of the season by a score of 12–6. Sweetland's team had several costly fumbles to allow Centre to claim the State title. This game was marred by several controversies. The first was before the game A. H. Throckmorton of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association (KIAA) ruled that several of Centre College players were not eligible to play because their educational background did not meet the minimum requirement set out by the KIAA. Centre played the players that KIAA stated that were ineligible in the game anyway. It did so since both Kentucky and Centre were also members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(SIAA) who had not ruled on the players' eligibility. The second was due to a verbal argument before the game that escalated to a point that Centre stated it was fearful of UK's actions and also stated it would never play Kentucky again.
At the end of the season Sweetland's health once again began to fail. He submitted his resignation and accepted what he hoped would be a “less stressful job” as the University of Wisconsin–Madison
rowing coach. By mid January, Sweetland, had to send word to University of Wisconsin–Madison Athletic Director George W. Ehler that he will be unable to continue his duties due to his ongoing illness.
in Oxford, Ohio
for the 1911 season. He replaced Harold Iddings
, who ended up replacing Sweetland as head basketball coach at UK. After scoring a 46–0 victory over Wilmington, Miami’s offense only scored 11 points and finished the season 2–4–2. One of his team's losses was to his former employer, the University of Kentucky
by the score of 12–0. He returned to coach the Wildcats for the 1912 season. He was the last head coach to leave Miami with a losing record until 1989 when Tim Rose
's contract was not renewed.
Sweetland returned to the University of Kentucky in 1912 as part of an overall revamping of athletic programs by University President Henry Stites Barker
. Barker created a position of Athletic Director to oversee all athletics and physical education. The position had the faculty status of a department chair. Baker hired Sweetland to fill this position, which included that he serve as both head coach of the football and basketball team.
The second edition of Sweetland basketball team at Kentucky was more successful than his first. His second stint as head basketball coach went better than his first. The Wildcats posted an undefeated season with a record of 9–0.
Even with the success on the hard court Sweetland's return was marred by several problems and troubles. Sweetland had to deal with disciplinary action by KIAA who had been investigating the use of ineligible athletes. Sweetland announced that Kentucky would leave the KIAA after the end of the academic year. Even with this announcement the KIAA suspended the Wildcats for one year. This caused Sweetland several problems including putting together a schedule for the 1912 football season. Most games had to be filled with schools from outside the state with emphasis put on games with fellow SIAA schools. Rumors that the KIAA had informed the SIAA of its findings plus strong criticism from the faculty council, most notably the dean of the engineering department, Paul Anderson were ongoing issues that Sweetland had to deal with.
The 1912 Wildcats posted a 7–2 record, losing only to Sweetland's former school, Miami University
, by a score of 13–8 and VMI
by a score of 3-2. During the season, Sweetland had to fire his assistant coach Richard S. Webb after he took several team members to a Knoxville Red-light district
after the football game versus the University of Tennessee.
Near the end of the season a fire broke out in the on-campus office of Athletic Department critic Paul Anderson. The fire caused little damage to the building but destroyed several items in the office. Originally it was reported as an electrical fire but latter changed to arson. This was reinforced by discovery of several items from Anderson’s office near the football field. In early December Sweetland, along with six students with ties to the athletic department, were arrested for starting the fire. The warrants for arrest were sworn to by Captain Richard Webb. As well as being a former Kentucky football coach and captain of the 1910 Wildcat football team, Webb was from a prominent Lexington family as well as being an officer of the court. Sweetland and Webb had been close friends and business partners but their friendship had deteriorated.
The case took an unexpected turn when the investigation by the State Fire Marshall, Police and District Attorney changed its focus from Sweetland to Richard Webb. Webb hired a prominent legal team which included Henry S. Breckinridge. During the preliminary trial Webb’s defense attorneys tried to paint Sweetland mentally unstable and tried to switch suspicion to Sweetland. At the end of the preliminary trail the judge ruled that probable cause existed to hold Webb on the charge of arson.
At the trial Webb’s defense team dropped the tactic of switching blame to Sweetland. Instead they focused on discrediting the testimony of Thomas Baker who had confessed to a charge of arson and implicated Webb as his accomplice. They also had several family members provide an alibi for Webb and were successful in having the fingerprint evidence thrown out. During final arguments the defense team argued that the prosecution had failed to Webb’s motive. In the end the jury only took 45 minutes to reach a not guilty verdict.
Early in 1913, before the Webb arson case went to trial, Edwin Sweetland resigned his duties as coach and athletic administrator. The UK athletic department announced that he “could not be induced to stay.” As the football coach of the Wildcats, Sweetland compiled a 23–5 mark in three seasons.
for the 1913 season. After starting the season with two convincing wins over Davis & Elkins College and Waynesburg
the Mountaineer stumbled the rest of the way to a 3–4–2 record. This did not sit well with West Virginia fans and alumni. “When WVU lost to (West Virginia) Wesleyan for the second straight season, 21–0, outraged alumni called for the hiring of a nationally known coach.”
in New Orleans, Louisiana
. Shortly before Sweetland was supposed to leave for New Orleans, he almost reneged of his commitment to coach Tulane. This was due to the slow recovery of a broken ankle caused by a stray foul ball
while at a park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. The Tulane administration successfully persuaded Sweetland that the college needed his coaching experience. In his only year as the head coach for the Green Wave, Sweetland, had a record of 3–3–1. The highlight of the season was an 82–0 victory over Centenary and a 0–0 tie with archrival LSU
in the season finale. In addition to coaching football, Sweetland also coached the basketball and track teams during the 1914-15 academic year.
. He took over the team in 1915 and coached it to a 4–2 record. The biggest win was a 13–7 victory over nearby Syracuse University’s freshman team. Under Sweetland leadership Saxons won regularly, posting a 17–5 record during his four years as coach. In 1917 he led Alfred to the school’s first unbeaten and untied season.
Sweetland also was involved in Dryden, New York
and Tompkins County politics. Sweetland was a prominent member of the local Democratic Party
. He served his community by holding numerous town offices including serving as member of the local draft board. In 1937 he was named "Superintendent of Sheep and Swine" of the New York State Fair
succeeding E. S. Hill of Freeville, New York
. He also served as Supervisor of the Town of Dryden from 1938 to 1944 In his political career he had to overcome being a Democrat in an overwhelming Republican
county. The local voter rolls when he was elected Supervisor, shows that Republican outnumbered Democrats by close to a 2.5 to one margin in Tompkins County and a 3 to 1 margin in his hometown of Dryden.
game when he was hit by a foul ball while working for the Pittsburgh Playground Association. Mrs. Sweetland was born in Armagh, Ireland
and emigrated with her family when she was five years old. After secretly being married in a small town in Ohio
, the couple spent a short time at Sweetland home in Dryden, New York before heading to New Orleans for his job as head football coach of Tulane University. They returned to Dryden after his only season as Tulane football coach. They had one child named Edwin R. Sweetland Jr. Mrs. Sweetland died in 1930 at Memorial Hospital in Ithaca, New York.
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...
, track and field
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...
and crew
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, but the majority of for his coaching work was in football
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...
. Though mainly known for football, he left his mark on several other sports. He was the first paid coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
team and the Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
rowing team.
Sweetland attended Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
and was graduate of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1899. A gifted athlete, Sweetland was on the varsity football team at Union and Cornell and the varsity rowing team at Cornell. At Cornell he was coached by Hall of Fame coaches Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
in football and Charles E. Courtney in rowing.
Early life and family
Sweetland was born to George Sweetland and Hannah Marsh Sweetland on January 10, 1875 in Dryden, New YorkDryden (town), New York
Dryden is a town in Tompkins County, New York, USA. The population was 13,532 at the 2000 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Dryden and one named Freeville...
. He had several brothers and sisters. One of his brothers was Monroe Marsh Sweetland, who founded Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
fraternity while a law student at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Another brother, Dr. George James Sweetland, was captain of the Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
football team in 1895 and later the athletic director and head football coach at University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
.
College
After attending Union College for one year, Sweetland transferred to Cornell University, where he graduated in 1899 with a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. At Cornell, he was member of Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
and the Sphinx Head Society.
A talented athlete, Sweetland rowed on the varsity crew team, and played tackle on the football team at Cornell. Sweetland was a considered one of the top players in the early years of Big Red football
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
. The Sun named Sweetland to the second team of the all-time Cornell football team in an article on January 29, 1927.
Football career
Sweetland began his college football career in 1894. "Sweet" as he was nicknamed, played guardGuard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for Union College along with his brother, George. He transferred to Cornell for the 1895 season where he moved to tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
under coach Marshall Newell
Marshall Newell
Marshall "Ma" Newell was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.-Early years:...
and helped the school to a 3–4–1 record. That year, Sweetland was part of the line that helped Clint Wyckoff
Clint Wyckoff
Clinton Randolph "Clint" Wyckoff was an American football player, and the first Consensus All-American not from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, or Penn. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970....
become Cornell's first College Football All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
. The following year, Cornell changed coaches replacing Newell with Joseph Beacham
Joseph Beacham
-External links:...
. Sweetland helped the Beacham lead the squad to a record of 5–3–1. In 1897, Glenn "Pop" Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
took over as head coach. Sweetland could not play for Warner in the 1897 season. During the offseason he went through surgery and his doctors would not allow him to play. When practice started for the 1898 season, Warner had to replace many starters including the previous year's captain, William McKeever. Sweetland returned to the line in 1898. With Sweetland's help, the team won 10 of their first 11 games, setting up a big game for Cornell against national power Penn
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
in the final game of the season. Sweetland helped Cornell take a 6–0 lead before halftime. He broke through Penn’s line blocking a kick and recovered the ball for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, but Penn came back and won by a score of 12–6. With the Penn loss, the team finished the season 10–2, outscoring their opponents by a score of 296–29.
Sweetland planned to the return for the 1899 football season even though he would be graduating. He planned to start his medical training at Cornell. After the 1898 season he became involved in a controversy between two factions on the future direction of the football program that came to the head with the election of captain for the 1899 season. Originally three year starter at left guard, Daniel A. Reed
Daniel A. Reed
-External links:...
was elected captain over Sweetland for the 1899 season. A very close election caused a rift in the football team. Reed won by a vote of ten to nine. Later Reed resigned as captain and the team elected Sweetland unanimously. The Cornell Athletic Council refused to ratify the election of Sweetland, stating that their decision was "in the interest of harmony among the various elements who co-operation is necessary for the success of Cornell athletics." The council statement listed two specific reasons. The first was that the Council wanted to purge all leaders of the competing factional rivalries on the team. This included Coach Warner and Tom Fennell
Tom Fennell
-External links:...
as well as Daniel A. Reed
Daniel A. Reed
-External links:...
. All three stated they would not return for the 1899 season. The second reason was a large number of football alumni protested the election of Sweetland as captain. Additionally, a charge was leveled that Sweetland was a professional, not an amateur, since he was paid for playing football for Elmira Athletic Club in the fall of 1897. Sweetland denied the allegation only admitting that he received reimbursement for his expenses but not for playing. After the Athletic Council ruling the team elected fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Raymond Starbuck
Raymond Starbuck
Raymond D. Starbuck was an American football player and coach and railroad executive.Born in Fort Ann, New York, and raised in Glen Falls, New York, Starbuck attended Cornell University. He played fullback on the varsity football team in 1899 and 1900. He was captain of the football team in 1899...
as team captain.
Varsity rower
Sweetland was a member of the varsity crew at Cornell in 1898 and 1899 under Coach Charles E. CourtneyCharles E. Courtney
Charles Edward Courtney was an American rower and rowing coach from Union Springs, New York. A carpenter by trade, Courtney was a nationally known amateur rower. Courtney never lost a race as an amateur and finished a total of 88 victories.In 1877, he moved from an amateur to a professional rower,...
. In 1897, as a novice rower, Sweetland went out for Cornell rowing team but did not make varsity. Early on he was mentioned as a possible varsity rower at the no. 5 position. He had to go against more experienced rowers including E. J. Savage who rowed varsity in 1896 and Edgar Johnson, who rowed varsity in 1895. Sweetland had trouble throughout the season. First he was thrown out of his boat when he wrecked his shell upon a snag. He also had to spend several days in the hospital due to trouble with his appendicitis. In 1898 he was a substitute on team that finished second in Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
Regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
at Saratoga Lake. The following year he rowed in the No. 5 position that finished third in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta at Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
. In that race, the Cornell crew had the slight advantage holding the outer course but lost to the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
coached by Ellis Ward
Ellis Ward
Ellis Ward was an American rower and coach best known for his time as the coach of the University of Pennsylvania rowing team...
. The University of Wisconsin–Madison
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...
using a modified English stroke started quickly and held a lead at the mile and half marker but lost the lead to Penn due to bad steering. Penn finished strong using a stroke that depended on leg drive over the catch. This gave the boat a slight amount of checking between strokes. Sweetland and the Cornell crew were unable to catch Penn and finished three and a half lengths behind. They were also unable to catch Wisconsin and finished varsity race in third place.
College coaching career
Sweetland started coaching football the fall after he graduated from Cornell. He would coach college sports for the next twenty years with all but two as a head coach. As a football coach he finished with a record of 100–41–10. His coaching career allowed Sweetland earn several advance degrees at the schools he coached, including a Ph.M. in SociologySociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Syracuse and LL.B and LL.M from the University of Kentucky.
Hamilton
After graduation, Sweetland took his first coaching job as the head football coach at Hamilton College in nearby Clinton, New YorkClinton, Oneida County, New York
Clinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, a royal governor of the colony of New York....
. In his first season as a head coach, he led the 1899 squad to an 8–2–1 record. That year Hamilton played a then school-record 11 games with one of the two losses coming at the hands of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
, coached by his former coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
, and the other loss coming to Sweetland’s former school Cornell. He left for Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
after the season.
Syracuse
On January 3, 1900 Sweetland was picked to be the head coach for the Syracuse University football team. A month later, on February 6, 1900, Sweetland agreed to also become Syracuse's rowing coach. Even though rowing had some history at the university since 1873, including hosting professional crew races on Onondaga LakeOnondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
, Sweetland became their first Intercollegiate coach. Chancellor James Roscoe Day
James Roscoe Day
James Roscoe Day was an American educator.-Biography:He was born in Whitneyville, Maine on June 7, 1845. He studied at Bowdoin College, and was in 1872 ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church...
assisted the rowing team that year by persuading Lyman Cornelius Smith
Lyman Cornelius Smith
Lyman Cornelius Smith was an inventor and industrialist. Although his family manufactured guns, they are not the 'Smith' from Smith and Wesson. They founded Ithaca Gun Company. Smith later went on to found the Smith-Corona Typewriter Company...
to donate equipment.
In Sweetland’s first year as coach of the rowing team, he was basically starting the rowing team from scratch. He spent good amount of time on basic watermenship and maintaining an even keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
. He started practice in late March and was able to get the team ready for a race against the Francis Club Crew of Cornell in June. A crowd of 3000 showed up at Onondaga Lake to watch the 2 miles (3.2 km) race in which Sweetland's varsity crew lost by six seconds.
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and Oberlin
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. One of his losses was to his former school, Cornell by a score of 6–0. Syracuse coming into the game did have a several of advantages that made their fans optimistic that the Orange could pull out a victory. First the game was being played early in the season, September, 29th. The Orangemen had been practicing for several weeks longer than Cornell. The second benefit was a large crowd of Syracuse rooters attended the game. Even with the game being played at Cornell’s Percy Field, Syracuse rooters filled half the grand stand and part of the bleachers. The third advantage was Cornell’s captain, Raymond Starbuck
Raymond Starbuck
Raymond D. Starbuck was an American football player and coach and railroad executive.Born in Fort Ann, New York, and raised in Glen Falls, New York, Starbuck attended Cornell University. He played fullback on the varsity football team in 1899 and 1900. He was captain of the football team in 1899...
, was hurt earlier in practice and could not play. Sweetland’s team started out strong had several opportunities to score. Early in the game, after stopping Cornell on their first possession, Syracuse drove the ball into scoring position at the Cornell’s 15 yard line but could not score. Later, just before half time, Cornell returned a fumble to the Syracuse's seven yard line but Sweetland's defence stopped them from scoring and took over on downs. Then in Syracuse's next possession, Carr, Syracuse's half-back, went through a hole in the Cornell line and ran seventy yards before Cornell’s halfback
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...
A. B. Morrison
A. B. Morrison, Jr.
Dr. Archibald B. Morrison, Jr. is a former head coach of the Virginia Tech college football program. He served as head coach for the 1901 season where his team produced a record of six wins and a single loss.-Virginia Tech:...
caught him to prevent a touchdown. The game remained tied until the about two minutes to play when Cornell's Morrison ran 25 yards for a touchdown. After the game Cornell accused Coach Sweetland's team of rough and dirty play.
Sweetland again coached the rowing team for the 1901 season. The Syracuse crew took part in a regatta on Onondaga Lake on June 7, 1901. Sweetland’s varsity 8 again raced against the Francis Club crew of Cornell and lost by 1/4 of a boat length. They raced in spite of the fact that Sweetland was in the hospital suffering from an attack of typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
just a few weeks before the race. The season ended with his team rowing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta in Poughkeepsie, New York. This was the first time in school history that Syracuse attend this event. Sweetland's varsity eight finished fifth out of six teams. Cornell finished first, but the Orangemen were able to beat University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
coached by Ellis Ward
Ellis Ward
Ellis Ward was an American rower and coach best known for his time as the coach of the University of Pennsylvania rowing team...
.
Controversy erupted before the start of the 1901 football season. Cornell refused to play Syracuse because of bad feeling about rough play from the year before. They also questioned the amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
status of the Syracuse team. Syracuse stated that there were rules in force that prevented professional players but admitted that slight violations of the rules were possible. On the issue of rough play the year before, Syracuse investigated and found the accusation to be groundless. The Syracuse General Athletic Committee severed all athletic relations with their upstate New York rivals. The two schools would not play again until 1935. The team finished 7–1 with including victories over Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Columbia
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...
and Amherst and outscored their opponent by 150 to 27. The New York Sun rated them 7th best team in nation.
Sweetland returned for his third year as rowing coach in 1902. Before the season the outlook for Varsity crews at Syracuse look to be good. Coach Sweetland had experience rowers to chose the Varsity crew from. Most members of the 1901 Varsity and Freshmen crews returned for 1902. The team returned to Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta. Before the race Syracuse crew weight dropped to average of less than 155 lb (70.3 kg). Sweetland had to reduced the training before the Regatta. In their second attempt, Syracuse finished fifth out of six teams beating Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in the Varsity race. Cornell finished first followed by Wisconsin, Columbia and Penn. Even though this was the same place they finished the year before it was consider an improvement. The time of 19 minutes 31 seconds was the fastest time at that distant.
The 1903 football season under Coach Sweetland saw Syracuse out score their opponents by a combined score of 153 to 87. The team finished the season with a record of 6–2–1. Wins included shutouts against Colgate and Amherst and disappointing lopsided losses to Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Before the 1903 rowing season, the Athletic Council replaced Sweetland with James A. Ten Eyck
James A. Ten Eyck
James A. Ten Eyck was a crew coach at United States Naval Academy and Syracuse University. He was born in Tompkins Cove, New York and is the father of Edward H. "Ned" Ten Eyck, who coached crew for the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1907 to 1910, and took over coaching duties at Syracuse...
as rowing coach. Sweetland had demanded a higher salary to coach the rowing team. When his demands were not met he resigned from all athletic work at Syracuse. The rowing team threaten a revolt but no major action was taken. Even though they replaced him at rowing coach some in the council tried retain him as football coach for the 1904 season. They were unsuccessful, with the full council deciding to go a different direction. In the end Sweetland coached football for three years at Syracuse with a combined record of 20–5-2.
Return to Hamilton
Sweetland returned to Hamilton to coach the 1903 football team to a 6–3 record. During that season Hamilton football team ran in to financial troubles and was unable to meet the financial offers from other institutions for Sweetland services and he left after the season. In statement released to the alumni, Hamilton stressed Sweetland unselfishness and dedication to the team. The release went on to state that "...his conduct on the football field, both in action and speech he was a perfect gentleman, and for this he was heartily admired by faculty and students."Courtney and Cornell Athletic Council
F. D. Colson
Frederick D. Colson was a nationally known American amateur rower, rowing coach and lawyer. As a student at Cornell University he rowed for Coach Charles E. Courtney in several of the Cornell Navy’s most noted races. During his coaching career he was Courtney’s top assistant coach at Cornell as...
who moved on to become coach at Harvard. While negotiation were still pending, the Rowing Committee of the Cornell Athletic Council announced that they hired C. A. Lueder
C. A. Lueder
-External links:...
to the position. This caused a power struggle between Courtney and the Athletic Council for control of the rowing program. The conflict was resolved when the Rowing Committee canceled the job offer to Lueder. In addition, the Athletic Council limited their interference with the rowing team by giving Coach Courtney the power to pick member of the crew and designate the oarsmen position. However, Sweetland did not become Courtney's assistant because in the time it took resolve the conflict, he was offered and accepted the position as head football coach at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. With Sweetland out of the picture, Courtney hired Lueder as his assistant rowing coach.
Ohio State
In 1904, Sweetland became the head football at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. In his first year, he led the Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
to a 6–5 record. Of the five losses only one was an Ohio Athletic Conference
Ohio Athletic Conference
The Ohio Athletic Conference was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. It competes in the NCAA's Division III. Through the years, 31 schools have been members of the OAC. The enrollments of the current ten member institutions range from 1,100 to 4,500...
rival, a close 4–2 decision to Oberlin
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. Expectations were high for the 1904 team. The athletic association to purchased 1,500 additional bleacher seats for the east side of University Field
Ohio Field
Ohio Field, home to the football team at The Ohio State University before Ohio Stadium, was built in 1898 and dedicated ten years later. Seating capacity was approximately 5,000 until 1907, when a grandstand and bleachers were added. Another renovation in 1910 saw a second grandstand added, with...
, but, the team fell way short of all expectations and the expected crowds never materialized. Even with the disappointing season Sweetland's team did accomplished a first in Ohio State football history. It was the first Buckeye team to cross the goal line against University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. The touchdown was scored by the Buckeye's when Bill Marquardt returned a fumble fifty yards. The next year he and the Buckeyes improved to 8–2–2. This team did not give up any points in Ohio Athletic Conference games. They did have a 0–0 tie to Case Institute of Technology. Case won the conference due to the fact they played and won two more games in conference than the Buckeyes. The two losses that season were to future 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...
rivals University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(40–0) and 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...
(11–0). Sweetland finished with a combined record of 14–7–2 in his two years as the Buckeyes head man. Sweetland also coached the Buckeye’s track and field team. With a victory over Oberlin in a dual meet by a score of 52–33 the Buckeyes won the state championship for 1905.
Colgate
After helping Pop Warner at Cornell as an alumni football coach, Sweetland returned to being a head coach in 1907 at Colgate UniversityColgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
where he coached the track team. The team was successful in wining both triangular meets they entered including one against nearby rivals Hamilton and Rochester. He was then named head football coach for the 1908 season. Going into the season the team prospects were considered poor. Nine of the top 17 players from the previous season did not return including standouts Milton Proctor, Theodore Sprague, Joseph Kronenburg, and Arthur Clark. The only experience lineman, Evan Boardman, caught pneumonia before the season and missed several practices. The University’s athletic department was not able to provide a training table for the team because of lack of funds. Sweetland also had to deal with a tough schedule that included Cornell, Brown, Army and Syracuse. Even with those obstacles Sweetland was able to guide Colgate to a winning record in his only season as the thirteenth coach of the Raiders. After getting shut out in three of the first four games of the season, the Raiders were able to turn the season around with a strong finish. The offense out-scored, Union, Syracuse and Hamilton by 53–4 in the last three games to secure a winning record. Though Sweetland was able to beat his former employer, Syracuse, he lost to his alma mater, Cornell, by a score of 9–0.
Kentucky
Sweetland left Colgate and was hired as head football coach at the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
(known as Kentucky State University at the time) in the fall of 1909. Kentucky was able to hire him due to a financially successfully 1908 Thanksgiving game versus in state rival Centre College, This game allowed them afford “eastern” coach to lead the football team.
During the 1909 season the Wildcats scored several notable victories including a 6–2 over the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. The head of the military department at Kentucky, Commandant Corbusier, stated that the team “"fought like Wildcats." Shortly after this, "Wildcats" became synonymous with the University and would eventually become the official nickname.
Other victories that year included a shutout victory over University of Tennessee Volunteers and a blow out of cross town rival Transylvania College. The team finished the season with a 15–6 victory over Centre before 6,-000 fans to win the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association (KIAA) state title. The Sweetland-led Wildcats finished the year at 9–1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 261 to 29 with the only blemish being a 15–6 loss to North Carolina A&M. The gridiron success was more remarkable considering Sweetland became ill during the season and was feared that he could not continue to coach the football team. The local newspaper went so far to report that a replacement was selected.
In the fall of 1909 the faculty athletic senate voted to abolish the men's basketball at Kentucky due to a poor record and an overcrowded gym. As a reaction to this, the University of Kentucky students presented the board of trustees with a solution to the overcrowding. The plan was for a wooden floor and new lighting to be installed in the Armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
. To address the poor record of the past teams Sweetland was named coach. This made him first paid coach in Kentucky’s basketball history. Before this time the team only had managers. In his first year the basketball team finished 4–8. R. E. Spahr assumed coaching duties during the season when Sweetland once again became ill.
Sweetland had recovered from his Illness to coach the 1910 football season. The season went well for the Wildcats as they won the first seven straight victories. Among their victims were the North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
and Tulane
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. The last two games of the season did not go the Wildcats way. Team traveled to St. Louis University in the eighth game and was shut out by a score of 9–0. Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
beat Kentucky on Thanksgiving Day in the last game of the season by a score of 12–6. Sweetland's team had several costly fumbles to allow Centre to claim the State title. This game was marred by several controversies. The first was before the game A. H. Throckmorton of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association (KIAA) ruled that several of Centre College players were not eligible to play because their educational background did not meet the minimum requirement set out by the KIAA. Centre played the players that KIAA stated that were ineligible in the game anyway. It did so since both Kentucky and Centre were also members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
(SIAA) who had not ruled on the players' eligibility. The second was due to a verbal argument before the game that escalated to a point that Centre stated it was fearful of UK's actions and also stated it would never play Kentucky again.
At the end of the season Sweetland's health once again began to fail. He submitted his resignation and accepted what he hoped would be a “less stressful job” as the University of Wisconsin–Madison
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...
rowing coach. By mid January, Sweetland, had to send word to University of Wisconsin–Madison Athletic Director George W. Ehler that he will be unable to continue his duties due to his ongoing illness.
Miami
After leaving Kentucky, Sweetland wound up as head football coach 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 1911 season. He replaced Harold Iddings
Harold Iddings
-College basketball:-External links:* at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
, who ended up replacing Sweetland as head basketball coach at UK. After scoring a 46–0 victory over Wilmington, Miami’s offense only scored 11 points and finished the season 2–4–2. One of his team's losses was to his former employer, the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
by the score of 12–0. He returned to coach the Wildcats for the 1912 season. He was the last head coach to leave Miami with a losing record until 1989 when Tim Rose
Tim Rose (football coach)
-External links:*...
's contract was not renewed.
Return to Kentucky
Henry Stites Barker
Henry Stites Barker was the second president of the University of Kentucky from 1911-1917.Barker was born in 1850 at Newstead in Christian County, Kentucky and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended UK , before dropping out to study law...
. Barker created a position of Athletic Director to oversee all athletics and physical education. The position had the faculty status of a department chair. Baker hired Sweetland to fill this position, which included that he serve as both head coach of the football and basketball team.
The second edition of Sweetland basketball team at Kentucky was more successful than his first. His second stint as head basketball coach went better than his first. The Wildcats posted an undefeated season with a record of 9–0.
Even with the success on the hard court Sweetland's return was marred by several problems and troubles. Sweetland had to deal with disciplinary action by KIAA who had been investigating the use of ineligible athletes. Sweetland announced that Kentucky would leave the KIAA after the end of the academic year. Even with this announcement the KIAA suspended the Wildcats for one year. This caused Sweetland several problems including putting together a schedule for the 1912 football season. Most games had to be filled with schools from outside the state with emphasis put on games with fellow SIAA schools. Rumors that the KIAA had informed the SIAA of its findings plus strong criticism from the faculty council, most notably the dean of the engineering department, Paul Anderson were ongoing issues that Sweetland had to deal with.
The 1912 Wildcats posted a 7–2 record, losing only to Sweetland's former school, 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...
, by a score of 13–8 and VMI
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
by a score of 3-2. During the season, Sweetland had to fire his assistant coach Richard S. Webb after he took several team members to a Knoxville Red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
after the football game versus the University of Tennessee.
Near the end of the season a fire broke out in the on-campus office of Athletic Department critic Paul Anderson. The fire caused little damage to the building but destroyed several items in the office. Originally it was reported as an electrical fire but latter changed to arson. This was reinforced by discovery of several items from Anderson’s office near the football field. In early December Sweetland, along with six students with ties to the athletic department, were arrested for starting the fire. The warrants for arrest were sworn to by Captain Richard Webb. As well as being a former Kentucky football coach and captain of the 1910 Wildcat football team, Webb was from a prominent Lexington family as well as being an officer of the court. Sweetland and Webb had been close friends and business partners but their friendship had deteriorated.
The case took an unexpected turn when the investigation by the State Fire Marshall, Police and District Attorney changed its focus from Sweetland to Richard Webb. Webb hired a prominent legal team which included Henry S. Breckinridge. During the preliminary trial Webb’s defense attorneys tried to paint Sweetland mentally unstable and tried to switch suspicion to Sweetland. At the end of the preliminary trail the judge ruled that probable cause existed to hold Webb on the charge of arson.
At the trial Webb’s defense team dropped the tactic of switching blame to Sweetland. Instead they focused on discrediting the testimony of Thomas Baker who had confessed to a charge of arson and implicated Webb as his accomplice. They also had several family members provide an alibi for Webb and were successful in having the fingerprint evidence thrown out. During final arguments the defense team argued that the prosecution had failed to Webb’s motive. In the end the jury only took 45 minutes to reach a not guilty verdict.
Early in 1913, before the Webb arson case went to trial, Edwin Sweetland resigned his duties as coach and athletic administrator. The UK athletic department announced that he “could not be induced to stay.” As the football coach of the Wildcats, Sweetland compiled a 23–5 mark in three seasons.
West Virginia
After the second stint at Kentucky, Sweetland moved on to West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
for the 1913 season. After starting the season with two convincing wins over Davis & Elkins College and Waynesburg
Waynesburg University
Waynesburg University is a private, university located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, USA. The university offers graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations, and enrolls over 2,500 students, including approximately 1,500 undergraduates.Waynesburg University was...
the Mountaineer stumbled the rest of the way to a 3–4–2 record. This did not sit well with West Virginia fans and alumni. “When WVU lost to (West Virginia) Wesleyan for the second straight season, 21–0, outraged alumni called for the hiring of a nationally known coach.”
Tulane
Sweetland left West Virginia and took a job to coach football for the 1914 season at Tulane UniversityTulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. Shortly before Sweetland was supposed to leave for New Orleans, he almost reneged of his commitment to coach Tulane. This was due to the slow recovery of a broken ankle caused by a stray foul ball
Foul ball
In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or* Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or...
while at a park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The Tulane administration successfully persuaded Sweetland that the college needed his coaching experience. In his only year as the head coach for the Green Wave, Sweetland, had a record of 3–3–1. The highlight of the season was an 82–0 victory over Centenary and a 0–0 tie with archrival LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in the season finale. In addition to coaching football, Sweetland also coached the basketball and track teams during the 1914-15 academic year.
Alfred
After leaving Tulane, Sweetland returned to his native Western New York and spent several seasons in a part time job as football coach at Alfred UniversityAlfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
. He took over the team in 1915 and coached it to a 4–2 record. The biggest win was a 13–7 victory over nearby Syracuse University’s freshman team. Under Sweetland leadership Saxons won regularly, posting a 17–5 record during his four years as coach. In 1917 he led Alfred to the school’s first unbeaten and untied season.
After coaching
After coaching Sweetland became a farmer and lawyer in hometown Dryden, New York. In a draft registration card completed in September 1918, Sweetland listed his residence as Dryden and his occupation as farmer. At the time of the 1920 and 1930 United States Censuses, he was living in Dryden with his wife, Hester, and his occupation was again listed as a farmer.Sweetland also was involved in Dryden, New York
Dryden (town), New York
Dryden is a town in Tompkins County, New York, USA. The population was 13,532 at the 2000 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Dryden and one named Freeville...
and Tompkins County politics. Sweetland was a prominent member of the local Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He served his community by holding numerous town offices including serving as member of the local draft board. In 1937 he was named "Superintendent of Sheep and Swine" of the New York State Fair
Great New York State Fair
The Great New York State Fair is an annual farmers' exposition and a 12-day showcase of entertainment, education, industry, technology, and more, sponsored by the State of New York. Additionally there are midway rides, , and concerts. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841...
succeeding E. S. Hill of Freeville, New York
Freeville, New York
Freeville is a village in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 505 at the 2000 census.The Village of Freeville is in the Town of Dryden and is east of Ithaca.-History:Dryden was in the former Central New York Military Tract....
. He also served as Supervisor of the Town of Dryden from 1938 to 1944 In his political career he had to overcome being a Democrat in an overwhelming Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
county. The local voter rolls when he was elected Supervisor, shows that Republican outnumbered Democrats by close to a 2.5 to one margin in Tompkins County and a 3 to 1 margin in his hometown of Dryden.
Family
On September 28, 1914, Edwin Sweetland married Hester Donnelly a nurse who he meet at a West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while recuperating from a broken leg he suffered at a baseballBaseball
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...
game when he was hit by a foul ball while working for the Pittsburgh Playground Association. Mrs. Sweetland was born in Armagh, Ireland
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
and emigrated with her family when she was five years old. After secretly being married in a small town in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, the couple spent a short time at Sweetland home in Dryden, New York before heading to New Orleans for his job as head football coach of Tulane University. They returned to Dryden after his only season as Tulane football coach. They had one child named Edwin R. Sweetland Jr. Mrs. Sweetland died in 1930 at Memorial Hospital in Ithaca, New York.