Icehouse Wilson
Encyclopedia
George Peacock "Icehouse" Wilson (September 14, 1912 – October 13, 1973) was an American football
and baseball
player. He was a star halfback
and baseball player for St. Mary's College of California. He also played professional baseball from 1934–1935, including a brief stint in the major leagues
with the Detroit Tigers
and stints with minor league teams in San Mateo, California
, Sioux City, Iowa
and Sacramento, California
. He later worked as a teacher and coach at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
for 34 years.
. At age 16, he played for the Montgomery Wards baseball team that won the 1928 American League Junior Series. The team, considered "Oakland's first World Champion Baseball team," won 18 straight games, including 14 by shutouts, in the national junior baseball tournament sponsored by the American Legion. As the team advanced, the Oakland newspapers covered the games and the players on a daily basis, as reflected in the following account: "The excitement that gripped Oakland as their 14 boys progressed through the tournament finals jumps out of the old news clippings. Game results were featured on Page One of the Oakland papers, individual players being written up day after day." When the team returned to Oakland, the headline in the Oakland Tribune read, "Welcome Home World Champions," and the team was greeted at the train station with a victory parade: "Straight up Broadway the lads were paraded, led by a band and drum corps and surrounded by thousands of cheering Oaklanders."
At San Leandro High School
in San Leandro, California
, Wilson was a star in football and baseball.
in Moraga, California
. From 1931–1934, he starred in both football and baseball for the "Galloping Gaels." During the 1930s, St. Mary's football coach, Slip Madigan
(later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
), was an active and colorful promoter of the exploits his players. One of the tactics Madigan used to promote his players was by "bolstering their reputations with nicknames that promised to titillate the fans and writers in distant cities." John Podesto became "Presto Podesto from Modesto," and it was Madigan who reportedly bestowed the nickname "Icehouse" on his star halfback. The nickname was reportedly given to Wilson because of "his coolness under competitive fire."
The most important game of the year for St. Mary's "Galloping Gaels" football team was an annual rivalry game against Fordham, played each year at the Polo Grounds
in New York. In 1933, Wilson was "heralded" by some as "the best ball-lugger on the west coast." When Wilson led St. Mary's to a win over Fordham in 1933, he was described by reporters as "the best halfback ever to play at the Polo Grounds." A photograph of Wilson appeared in newspapers in November 1933 with the following caption:
Though he became famous as a football player, Wilson was also a star outfielder for the St. Mary's baseball team. As a sophomore, he compiled a batting average of .411. However, a shoulder injury handicapped him in batting as a junior.
In late May 1934, after a handful of appearances in San Mateo, Wilson was signed by the American League
champion Detroit Tigers
. The San Mateo News described the news as both startling and inevitable:
Wilson was a member of the Tigers team for ten weeks in 1934, though he only appeared in one game. His only major league appearance came on May 31, 1934. Wilson did not get a hit, resulting in a .000 career batting average in Major League Baseball
.
After his time in Detroit, Wilson was sent to the minor leagues to play for the Sioux City Cowboys of the Western League
. He played 42 games for Sioux City, Iowa
, mostly as an outfielder. In June 1934, Iowa newspapers reported that Wilson had been "hitting the ball hard and playing a fine fielding game" for the Sioux City club. However, after aggravating an old shoulder injury, Wilson missed the remainder of the season.
In 1935, Wilson played for the Sacramento Solons
in the Pacific Coast League
, but he was released shortly after the season opened.
, Wilson joined the U.S. Navy. In the fall of 1942, he played football for the football team of the United
States Navy Pre-Flight School at St. Mary's. In a 1942 football game against the University of Washington
, Lieutenant Wilson reportedly "distinguished himself although weather conditions hardly were conducive to sparkling play." He later became a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve.
in Berkeley, California
, where he earned a master's degree in history. Wilson worked for 37 years as a school teacher. He began his teaching career at Oroville High School and then McKinley Grade School in Berkeley. He was employed at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
for 34 years as a teacher, football and baseball coach, head of the boys' athletic department, vice principal and coordinator of student activities.
Wilson was a member and served as president of the Berkeley Lions Club. He also worked as a football official of the Pacific Eight Conference
.
Wilson retired from Berkeley High School in 1973 and died that fall at age 61. Wilson died in Moraga, California
, and was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in San Pablo, California
. Wilson was survived by his wife, Marie, two daughters and five sons.
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 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...
player. He was a star halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
and baseball player for St. Mary's College of California. He also played professional baseball from 1934–1935, including a brief stint in the major leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and stints with minor league teams in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
and Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. He later worked as a teacher and coach at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
for 34 years.
Early years
Wilson was born in Maricopa, CaliforniaMaricopa, California
Maricopa is a city in Kern County, California, United States. Maricopa is located south-southeast of Taft, at an elevation of 883 feet . The population was 1,154 at the 2010 census, up from 1,111 at the 2000 census. Maricopa lies at the junction of Route 166 and Route 33...
. At age 16, he played for the Montgomery Wards baseball team that won the 1928 American League Junior Series. The team, considered "Oakland's first World Champion Baseball team," won 18 straight games, including 14 by shutouts, in the national junior baseball tournament sponsored by the American Legion. As the team advanced, the Oakland newspapers covered the games and the players on a daily basis, as reflected in the following account: "The excitement that gripped Oakland as their 14 boys progressed through the tournament finals jumps out of the old news clippings. Game results were featured on Page One of the Oakland papers, individual players being written up day after day." When the team returned to Oakland, the headline in the Oakland Tribune read, "Welcome Home World Champions," and the team was greeted at the train station with a victory parade: "Straight up Broadway the lads were paraded, led by a band and drum corps and surrounded by thousands of cheering Oaklanders."
At San Leandro High School
San Leandro High School
San Leandro High School is an American four-year public high school in San Leandro, California. The school is a member of the San Leandro Unified School District...
in San Leandro, California
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
, Wilson was a star in football and baseball.
Saint Mary's College
After graduating from high school, Wilson enrolled at St. Mary's CollegeSaint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
in Moraga, California
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
. From 1931–1934, he starred in both football and baseball for the "Galloping Gaels." During the 1930s, St. Mary's football coach, Slip Madigan
Slip Madigan
Edward Patrick "Slip" Madigan was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head coach at Saint Mary's College of California from 1921 to 1939 and at the University of Iowa from 1943 to 1944, compiling a career college football record of...
(later inducted into the 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...
), was an active and colorful promoter of the exploits his players. One of the tactics Madigan used to promote his players was by "bolstering their reputations with nicknames that promised to titillate the fans and writers in distant cities." John Podesto became "Presto Podesto from Modesto," and it was Madigan who reportedly bestowed the nickname "Icehouse" on his star halfback. The nickname was reportedly given to Wilson because of "his coolness under competitive fire."
The most important game of the year for St. Mary's "Galloping Gaels" football team was an annual rivalry game against Fordham, played each year at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in New York. In 1933, Wilson was "heralded" by some as "the best ball-lugger on the west coast." When Wilson led St. Mary's to a win over Fordham in 1933, he was described by reporters as "the best halfback ever to play at the Polo Grounds." A photograph of Wilson appeared in newspapers in November 1933 with the following caption:
"THIS 'ICEHOUSE' COOLS 'EM OFF: Here's St. Mary's new backfield sensation - a lad who has the football followers of the Pacific coast calling him an All-American — George (Icehouse) Wilson, star Gael back who has an extremely 'educated' toe as well as the ability to splinter lines for great gains and do very well the other chores of a ball carrier."
Though he became famous as a football player, Wilson was also a star outfielder for the St. Mary's baseball team. As a sophomore, he compiled a batting average of .411. However, a shoulder injury handicapped him in batting as a junior.
Professional baseball
In 1934, Wilson left college despite having a year remaining in order to play professional baseball. He commenced his professional career in May 1934 with the San Mateo Blues of California State League. The San Mateo Times announced the signing of Wilson as follows:"St. Mary's college's brilliant all-American football star and baseball player, George 'Icehouse' Wilson ... will make his debut here for San Mateo ... Wilson can field as well as hit, and the speed that carried him to fame on the grid field stands him to good advantage in the outfield."
In late May 1934, after a handful of appearances in San Mateo, Wilson was signed by the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
champion Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The San Mateo News described the news as both startling and inevitable:
"San Mateo fans, if they'll stop and collect their wits a minute, will realize that it was inevitable. Wilson has the makings of a major league sensation. ... That home run clout of his that soared over the left field fence and the double that crashed up against the same fence was proof that Wilson has plenty of power in those husky, broad shoulders of his. ... San Mateo fans will miss Wilson. He was a likeable lad and popular with everyone."
Wilson was a member of the Tigers team for ten weeks in 1934, though he only appeared in one game. His only major league appearance came on May 31, 1934. Wilson did not get a hit, resulting in a .000 career batting average in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
After his time in Detroit, Wilson was sent to the minor leagues to play for the Sioux City Cowboys of the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
. He played 42 games for Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
, mostly as an outfielder. In June 1934, Iowa newspapers reported that Wilson had been "hitting the ball hard and playing a fine fielding game" for the Sioux City club. However, after aggravating an old shoulder injury, Wilson missed the remainder of the season.
In 1935, Wilson played for the Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, but he was released shortly after the season opened.
Military service
Upon the entry of the United States into World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wilson joined the U.S. Navy. In the fall of 1942, he played football for the football team of the United
States Navy Pre-Flight School at St. Mary's. In a 1942 football game against the University of Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, Lieutenant Wilson reportedly "distinguished himself although weather conditions hardly were conducive to sparkling play." He later became a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve.
Teacher and coach
After retiring from professional athletics in 1935, Wilson enrolled at the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, where he earned a master's degree in history. Wilson worked for 37 years as a school teacher. He began his teaching career at Oroville High School and then McKinley Grade School in Berkeley. He was employed at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
for 34 years as a teacher, football and baseball coach, head of the boys' athletic department, vice principal and coordinator of student activities.
Wilson was a member and served as president of the Berkeley Lions Club. He also worked as a football official of the Pacific Eight Conference
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
.
Wilson retired from Berkeley High School in 1973 and died that fall at age 61. Wilson died in Moraga, California
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
, and was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in San Pablo, California
San Pablo, California
San Pablo is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city of Richmond surrounds nearly the whole city. The population was 29,139 at the 2010 census. The current Mayor is Paul V. Morris, and the current Vice Mayor is Cecilia Valdez. Current Councilmembers include Arturo M....
. Wilson was survived by his wife, Marie, two daughters and five sons.