Joe Magidsohn
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Magidsohn was an American football
player and official. He played halfback
for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
in 1909 and 1910 and was selected as a second-team All-American
by Walter Camp
in 1909 and a first-team All-American in 1910
. He was the first Jewish athlete to win a varsity "M" at the University of Michigan and is the first athlete known to have refused to compete on the Jewish High Holy Days.
, a town that was then part of Russia, but which is now part of Latvia
. He was the son of Herman Magidsohn, a merchant born in Russia in July 1863, and Bessie Magidsohn, born in August 1864 in Russia. His father emigrated to the United States in 1889, and his mother followed in 1892 with two sons, Joe and Sam. At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, the family had grown to four children and was living in Oliver Township
in The Thumb
region of Michigan. Magidsohn attended high school in Elkton, Michigan
. After graduating from high school, Magidsohn enrolled at Alma College
. He had never played football before and took up the sport at Alma.
where he played two years of varsity football (1909–10) under head coach Fielding H. Yost. Magidsohn was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 163 pounds when he played football at Michigan. Magidsohn and Dave Allerdice
were the starting halfbacks for the 1909 Michigan football team
that finished the season with a 6–1 record and outscored its opponents 116–34. In Michigan's 15–6 win over Minnesota in 1909, Magidsohn scored both of Michigan's touchdowns, including a run for a touchdown in the first half and a 35 yards (32 m) interception return for a touchdown return in the second half.
by a score of 12–6 in Philadelphia
. Penn came into the 1909 Michigan game with a 23-game winning streak in which they had allowed their opponents only 44 points. Magidsohn scored both of Michigan's touchdowns in the 1909 win over the Penn, including a 20 yards (18.3 m) touchdown reception from Allerdice and a 40 yards (36.6 m) run around Penn's right end for a touchdown. Magidsohn later said of the Penn game: "That 1909 Michigan-Penn game is the one I regard as my greatest... My All-America teammate, halfback and captain, Dave Allerdice, had a broken left hand so I was obliged to do most of the ball carrying."
At the end of the 1909 season, eastern football expert Walter Camp
selected both of Michigan's halfbacks (Magidsohn and Allerdice) as a second-team All-Americans. Both Michigan halfbacks were also picked by Walter Eckersall
as first-team selections for his All-Western team.
in November 1910, the press called Magidsohn, who scored both of Michigan's touchdowns, the "Star of the Game" and noted that "his plunges were one of the features of the game." At the end of the 1910 season, Magidsohn was selected as a first-team All-American by the New York Telegraph, and Outing
magazine named him to its "Honor List" of the best college football players. He was also selected by E.C. Patterson as a first-team All-Western halfback in 1910.
During Magidsohn's two seasons on the Michigan football team, the Wolverines lost only one game.
awarded to competitors on the University of Michigan's varsity sports teams. After Magidsohn broke the barrier, other Jewish football players starred for Michigan, including All-Americans Benny Friedman
, Harry Newman
, Merv Pregulman
and Dan Dworsky
. According to several publications on Jews in sports, Magidsohn was the first athlete known to have refused to play on the Jewish High Holy Days. Magidsohn later recalled that Coach Yost "reluctantly excused me from workouts for two days to attend Rosh Hashanah
services." When teammates learned that Magidsohn had gotten two days off for the Holy Days, several reportedly responded, "Next year I'm going to be a Jew."
football official from 1912 to 1946 and was often assigned to officiate at many of the sport's biggest events, including the Army–Navy Game, the Rose Bowl
, and the College All-Star Game.
In a World War I draft registration card completed in June 1917, Magidsohn stated that he was a naturalized United States citizen residing in Chicago, working as a civil engineer, and married with one child. At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, Magidsohn was listed as a civil engineer residing in Chicago with his wife Jennie, age 30, son Elliot, age 5, and daughter Dorothy (age 2 years, 1 month).
Magidsohn was one of the organizers of Knollwood Country Club, its first secretary and its second president. He was also a former president of the Men's Club of Temple Beth El
and served on the board for six years. He also served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center and the University of Michigan Alumni Association.
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...
player and official. He played 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...
for 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...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in 1909 and 1910 and was selected as a second-team All-American
1909 College Football All-America Team
The 1909 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Leslie's Weekly, and the New York Evening Telegram.-Key:*WC = Collier's...
by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
in 1909 and a first-team All-American in 1910
1910 College Football All-America Team
The 1910 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Leslie's Weekly, and the New York Evening Telegram.-Complaints of Eastern...
. He was the first Jewish athlete to win a varsity "M" at the University of Michigan and is the first athlete known to have refused to compete on the Jewish High Holy Days.
Early years
In 1888, Magidsohn was born in TukumsTukums
Tukums is a town in Latvia. Three regions of Latvia meet in the vicinity of Tukums – Vidzeme, Zemgale and Courland. The city was host to the Cold War facility Tukums air base.- History :...
, a town that was then part of Russia, but which is now part of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. He was the son of Herman Magidsohn, a merchant born in Russia in July 1863, and Bessie Magidsohn, born in August 1864 in Russia. His father emigrated to the United States in 1889, and his mother followed in 1892 with two sons, Joe and Sam. At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, the family had grown to four children and was living in Oliver Township
Oliver Township, Huron County, Michigan
Oliver Township is a civil township of Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.3 square miles , of which, 35.3 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square...
in The Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
region of Michigan. Magidsohn attended high school in Elkton, Michigan
Elkton, Michigan
Elkton is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 863 at the 2000 census. The village is within Oliver Township, along the Pinnebog River....
. After graduating from high school, Magidsohn enrolled at Alma College
Alma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
. He had never played football before and took up the sport at Alma.
University of Michigan
In 1907, Magidsohn transferred to 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...
where he played two years of varsity football (1909–10) under head coach Fielding H. Yost. Magidsohn was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 163 pounds when he played football at Michigan. Magidsohn and Dave Allerdice
Dave Allerdice
David Way Allerdice was an American football player and coach in the United States. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1907 to 1909 and coached football at Butler University and the University of Texas at Austin .-Early life and playing career:Allerdice was born in...
were the starting halfbacks for the 1909 Michigan football team
1909 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1909 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost...
that finished the season with a 6–1 record and outscored its opponents 116–34. In Michigan's 15–6 win over Minnesota in 1909, Magidsohn scored both of Michigan's touchdowns, including a run for a touchdown in the first half and a 35 yards (32 m) interception return for a touchdown return in the second half.
1909 football season
The 1909 season marked the first time that any school from the "West" defeated one of the "Big Four" eastern schools, as Michigan defeated PennPenn 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...
by a score of 12–6 in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Penn came into the 1909 Michigan game with a 23-game winning streak in which they had allowed their opponents only 44 points. Magidsohn scored both of Michigan's touchdowns in the 1909 win over the Penn, including a 20 yards (18.3 m) touchdown reception from Allerdice and a 40 yards (36.6 m) run around Penn's right end for a touchdown. Magidsohn later said of the Penn game: "That 1909 Michigan-Penn game is the one I regard as my greatest... My All-America teammate, halfback and captain, Dave Allerdice, had a broken left hand so I was obliged to do most of the ball carrying."
At the end of the 1909 season, eastern football expert Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
selected both of Michigan's halfbacks (Magidsohn and Allerdice) as a second-team All-Americans. Both Michigan halfbacks were also picked by Walter Eckersall
Walter Eckersall
Walter "Eckie" Eckersall was an American football player, official, and sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.-Early life:...
as first-team selections for his All-Western team.
1910 football season
In 1910, Magidsohn started all six games at left halfback for an undefeated Michigan team (3–0–3) that outscored its opponents 29–9. Following Michigan's win over SyracuseSyracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
in November 1910, the press called Magidsohn, who scored both of Michigan's touchdowns, the "Star of the Game" and noted that "his plunges were one of the features of the game." At the end of the 1910 season, Magidsohn was selected as a first-team All-American by the New York Telegraph, and Outing
Outing (magazine)
Outing was a late-nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American magazine covering a variety of sporting activities. It began publication in 1882 as the Wheelman and had four title changes before ceasing publication in 1923....
magazine named him to its "Honor List" of the best college football players. He was also selected by E.C. Patterson as a first-team All-Western halfback in 1910.
During Magidsohn's two seasons on the Michigan football team, the Wolverines lost only one game.
First Jewish letter winner at Michigan
Magidsohn was the first Jew to win an "M", the varsity letterVarsity 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 :...
awarded to competitors on the University of Michigan's varsity sports teams. After Magidsohn broke the barrier, other Jewish football players starred for Michigan, including All-Americans Benny Friedman
Benny Friedman
Benjamin "Benny" Friedman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan , Cleveland Bulldogs , Detroit Wolverines , New York Giants , and Brooklyn Dodgers .He is generally considered the first great passer in professional football...
, Harry Newman
Harry Newman
Harry Lawrence Newman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines , the New York Giants , and the Brooklyn/Rochester Tigers .-College career:...
, Merv Pregulman
Merv Pregulman
Mervin Pregulman is a former All-American football tackle and center who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and New York Bulldogs ....
and Dan Dworsky
Dan Dworsky
Daniel Leonard Dworsky has been a leading Southern California architect since the early 1950s. He is a longstanding member of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. Among other works, Dworsky designed Crisler Arena, the basketball arena at the University of Michigan named for...
. According to several publications on Jews in sports, Magidsohn was the first athlete known to have refused to play on the Jewish High Holy Days. Magidsohn later recalled that Coach Yost "reluctantly excused me from workouts for two days to attend Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
services." When teammates learned that Magidsohn had gotten two days off for the Holy Days, several reportedly responded, "Next year I'm going to be a Jew."
Later years
After graduating from Michigan, Magidsohn served as a Big Ten ConferenceBig 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...
football official from 1912 to 1946 and was often assigned to officiate at many of the sport's biggest events, including the Army–Navy Game, the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
, and the College All-Star Game.
In a World War I draft registration card completed in June 1917, Magidsohn stated that he was a naturalized United States citizen residing in Chicago, working as a civil engineer, and married with one child. At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, Magidsohn was listed as a civil engineer residing in Chicago with his wife Jennie, age 30, son Elliot, age 5, and daughter Dorothy (age 2 years, 1 month).
Magidsohn was one of the organizers of Knollwood Country Club, its first secretary and its second president. He was also a former president of the Men's Club of Temple Beth El
Temple Beth El (Detroit, Michigan)
Temple Beth El, also known as Temple Beth-El, is a Reform synagogue currently located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Beth El was founded in 1850 in the city of Detroit, and is the oldest Jewish congregation in Michigan....
and served on the board for six years. He also served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center and the University of Michigan Alumni Association.
See also
- Michigan Wolverines football All-AmericansMichigan Wolverines Football All-AmericansMichigan Wolverines football All-Americans are American football players who have been named as All-Americans while playing for the University of Michigan football team.-Overview:...
- 1909 College Football All-America Team1909 College Football All-America TeamThe 1909 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Leslie's Weekly, and the New York Evening Telegram.-Key:*WC = Collier's...
- 1910 College Football All-America Team1910 College Football All-America TeamThe 1910 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Leslie's Weekly, and the New York Evening Telegram.-Complaints of Eastern...
- List of select Jewish football players