George F. Veenker
Encyclopedia
George Frederick Veenker (April 17, 1894 – September 8, 1959) was an American football
and basketball
coach. He was the head basketball coach at the University of Michigan
from 1928 to 1931 and also served as an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1926 to 1929. From 1931 to 1936, he was the head football coach at Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University
). He was also the athletic director
at Iowa State from 1933 to 1945.
in 1912. He enrolled at St. Lawrence University
but dropped out after one semester. The following year, he enrolled at Hope College
in Holland, Michigan
. While studying at Hope College, Veenker was a multi-sport athlete winning varsity letter
s in football, basketball, baseball
, and track
. He was also captain of the 1913 Hope College football team. He received his degree in 1916 after three years at Hope.
. He subsequently coached at a high school in Batavia, Illinois
.
During World War I
, Veenker entered the "air service" branch of the U.S. military and became a pilot. However, the war ended before Veenker saw action.
After World War I, Veenker was hired as a high school football coach in Hammond, Indiana
. After coaching the Hammond team for 18 months, Veenker was hired as the head football coach at Emerson High School
in Gary, Indiana
. Veenker served six years as Emerson's head football coach from 1920 to 1925. He coached a total of eight years as a high school football coach in Indiana and won Indiana state championships in six of the eight years.
as an assistant football coach on Fielding H. Yost's coaching staff. Veenker was an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1926 and also served as the Wolverines' head basketball coach from 1928 to 1931. He was also an assistant track coach in his first year at Michigan.
In football, Veenker had responsibility for coaching the ends, including College Football Hall of Fame
end, Bennie Oosterbaan
. Veenker served under three head coaches at Michigan, Yost, Elton Wieman
and Harry Kipke; all three have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Veenker took over as head basketball coach following the death of E. J. Mather
. During his three years as Michigan's basketball coach, he compiled the highest winning percentage (.701) of any basketball coach in Michigan history. In his first year, the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
team compiled a 13–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record to win the Big Ten conference championship. His teams finished in 3rd and 2nd (tied) place in the following two years. Veenker is the only coach in Michigan history to win a conference championship in his first season.
While coaching at Michigan, Veenker published a book on basketball, "Basketball for Coaches and Players," that reportedly became the best selling book on the subject of basketball.
) following the completion of the basketball season at Michigan. Veenker served as Iowa State's head football coach for six seasons, from 1931 until 1936. He also served as the school's athletic director from 1933 to 1945.
When Veenker joined Iowa State, the school's football team was coming off a winless season in 1930 and had lost 16 consecutive games dating back to October 1929. Veenker was credited with turning the Iowa State football program into a success. In his first year, the 1931 team defeated Missouri
(20–0), Oklahoma
(13–12), and Kansas State
(7–6), compiled a 5–3 record and finished in second place in the Big Six Conference. In November 1931, the Ames Daily Tribune-Times
called Veenker "a veritable miracle man of football" for taking a school where "Cyclone football morale couldn't have been lower" and turning the program around in his first season.
The highlight of Veenker's career as Iowa State's football coach was a 31–6 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes
in 1934. The game was the last meeting between the two schools for many years. After the victory over Iowa, one sports writer noted, "George Veenker deserves high praise. He went to Ames from Michigan to find a campus whose interest in football had all but died. In a few seasons what wonder George Veenker has wrought!"
On November 30, 1936, Veenker announced his resignation as the school's head football coach. As athletic director, he appointed his assistant, James J. Yeager, as the school's new head football coach. Veenker's overall record as the head football coach at Iowa State was 21 wins, 22 losses, and 8 ties.
In his 12 years as Iowa State's athletic director, Veenker led the effort to construct a golf course on the northern edge of the Iowa State campus and hired golf course architect Perry Maxwell to design the course. The golf course was completed in 1938. As athletic director, Veenker also supported the school's basketball teams led by coach Louis Menze. The Iowa State basketball team won multiple conference championships under Menze while Veenker was the athletic director.
Veenker was a member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 1938 to 1945. He was a member of the Rules Committee in 1941 when it instituted the free substitution rule due to a severe loss of manpower to the war effort. Veenker supported the rule, noting that smaller colleges not represented on the Rules Committee needed substitution help more than the major schools. The rule adopted in 1941 marked the beginning of the end for "iron man" football in which players remained in the game on both offense and defense due to rules limiting substitutions.
Veenker was also appointed as a professor of physical education at Iowa State in 1933 and became the "head of the Physical Education Department for Men."
In June 1945, Veenker resigned from his position as Iowa State's athletic director, effective July 1, 1945. When he announced his retirement, the Ames Daily Tribune credited Veenker with expanding the campus recreation area from 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) to 460 acres (1.9 km²) , improving the athletic department's financial condition, and developing the quality of the athletic teams "to the point that championships have been coming regularly."
. He subsequently moved to Arkansas. In his later years, Veenker lived in Malta, Illinois
, which was the hometown of his wife. He died of cancer in September 1959 at age 65. The golf course on the Iowa State campus was renamed Veenker Memorial Golf Course
shortly after his death. Veenker was survived by his wife; they had no children.
Veenker was posthumously inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
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...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach. He was the head basketball coach at the 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...
from 1928 to 1931 and also served as an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1926 to 1929. From 1931 to 1936, he was the head football coach at Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
). He was also the 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...
at Iowa State from 1933 to 1945.
Early years
Veenker graduated from high school in Sioux Falls, South DakotaSioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
in 1912. He enrolled at St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
but dropped out after one semester. The following year, he enrolled at Hope College
Hope College
Hope College is a medium-sized , private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. It was opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled...
in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. While studying at Hope College, Veenker was a multi-sport athlete winning varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in football, basketball, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and 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...
. He was also captain of the 1913 Hope College football team. He received his degree in 1916 after three years at Hope.
High school football coach
Veenker started his coaching career at the Grand Prairie Seminary in Onarga, IllinoisOnarga, Illinois
Onarga is a village in Onarga Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,438 at the 2000 census, and 1,350 in 2009.-Geography:...
. He subsequently coached at a high school in Batavia, Illinois
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Veenker entered the "air service" branch of the U.S. military and became a pilot. However, the war ended before Veenker saw action.
After World War I, Veenker was hired as a high school football coach in Hammond, Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
. After coaching the Hammond team for 18 months, Veenker was hired as the head football coach at Emerson High School
Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts
Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts is a seven year school for the visual and performing arts, located in the Miller Beach neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, in the United States...
in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. Veenker served six years as Emerson's head football coach from 1920 to 1925. He coached a total of eight years as a high school football coach in Indiana and won Indiana state championships in six of the eight years.
University of Michigan
In June 1926, Veenker was hired by the University of MichiganUniversity 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...
as an assistant football coach on Fielding H. Yost's coaching staff. Veenker was an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1926 and also served as the Wolverines' head basketball coach from 1928 to 1931. He was also an assistant track coach in his first year at Michigan.
In football, Veenker had responsibility for coaching the ends, including College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
end, Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
. Veenker served under three head coaches at Michigan, Yost, Elton Wieman
Elton Wieman
Elton Ewart "Tad" Wieman was an American football player and coach and college athletic director. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yost. He was a coach and administrator at Michigan from 1921 to 1929, including two years as...
and Harry Kipke; all three have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Veenker took over as head basketball coach following the death of E. J. Mather
E. J. Mather
Edwin J. Mather was an American football and basketball player and coach. He was selected as an All-Western football player while playing for Lake Forest University in 1909 and went on to a coaching career at Lake Forest , Kalamazoo College , the University of Arkansas , and the University of...
. During his three years as Michigan's basketball coach, he compiled the highest winning percentage (.701) of any basketball coach in Michigan history. In his first year, the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
team compiled a 13–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record to win the Big Ten conference championship. His teams finished in 3rd and 2nd (tied) place in the following two years. Veenker is the only coach in Michigan history to win a conference championship in his first season.
While coaching at Michigan, Veenker published a book on basketball, "Basketball for Coaches and Players," that reportedly became the best selling book on the subject of basketball.
Iowa State College
In February 1931, Veenker accepted an offer to become the head football coach for Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State UniversityIowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
) following the completion of the basketball season at Michigan. Veenker served as Iowa State's head football coach for six seasons, from 1931 until 1936. He also served as the school's athletic director from 1933 to 1945.
When Veenker joined Iowa State, the school's football team was coming off a winless season in 1930 and had lost 16 consecutive games dating back to October 1929. Veenker was credited with turning the Iowa State football program into a success. In his first year, the 1931 team defeated Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
(20–0), Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
(13–12), and Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
(7–6), compiled a 5–3 record and finished in second place in the Big Six Conference. In November 1931, the Ames Daily Tribune-Times
Ames Tribune
The Tribune is a newspaper published Tuesday through Sunday based in Ames, Iowa. The newspaper is owned by Las Vegas-based company Stephens Media. Its publisher, Geoff Schumacher, replaced Tom Stallbaumer, who replaced John Goossen, who left in November 2010 when Stephens purchased the Tribune from...
called Veenker "a veritable miracle man of football" for taking a school where "Cyclone football morale couldn't have been lower" and turning the program around in his first season.
The highlight of Veenker's career as Iowa State's football coach was a 31–6 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in 1934. The game was the last meeting between the two schools for many years. After the victory over Iowa, one sports writer noted, "George Veenker deserves high praise. He went to Ames from Michigan to find a campus whose interest in football had all but died. In a few seasons what wonder George Veenker has wrought!"
On November 30, 1936, Veenker announced his resignation as the school's head football coach. As athletic director, he appointed his assistant, James J. Yeager, as the school's new head football coach. Veenker's overall record as the head football coach at Iowa State was 21 wins, 22 losses, and 8 ties.
In his 12 years as Iowa State's athletic director, Veenker led the effort to construct a golf course on the northern edge of the Iowa State campus and hired golf course architect Perry Maxwell to design the course. The golf course was completed in 1938. As athletic director, Veenker also supported the school's basketball teams led by coach Louis Menze. The Iowa State basketball team won multiple conference championships under Menze while Veenker was the athletic director.
Veenker was a member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 1938 to 1945. He was a member of the Rules Committee in 1941 when it instituted the free substitution rule due to a severe loss of manpower to the war effort. Veenker supported the rule, noting that smaller colleges not represented on the Rules Committee needed substitution help more than the major schools. The rule adopted in 1941 marked the beginning of the end for "iron man" football in which players remained in the game on both offense and defense due to rules limiting substitutions.
Veenker was also appointed as a professor of physical education at Iowa State in 1933 and became the "head of the Physical Education Department for Men."
In June 1945, Veenker resigned from his position as Iowa State's athletic director, effective July 1, 1945. When he announced his retirement, the Ames Daily Tribune credited Veenker with expanding the campus recreation area from 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) to 460 acres (1.9 km²) , improving the athletic department's financial condition, and developing the quality of the athletic teams "to the point that championships have been coming regularly."
Later years and death
After retiring from his post at Iowa State, Veenker moved to a small acreage farm near Ames, IowaAmes, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. He subsequently moved to Arkansas. In his later years, Veenker lived in Malta, Illinois
Malta, Illinois
Malta is a village in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,164 at the 2010 census, up from 969 at the 2000 census.-History:Malta was founded in 1855, under the name of Milton...
, which was the hometown of his wife. He died of cancer in September 1959 at age 65. The golf course on the Iowa State campus was renamed Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Veenker Memorial Golf Course is a public golf course which is owned and operated by Iowa State University. The golf course was completed in 1938 and has hosted the Iowa Master's golf tournament since then. In 1959 the course was renamed for George F. Veenker, who was the head football coach at Iowa...
shortly after his death. Veenker was survived by his wife; they had no children.
Veenker was posthumously inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.