Leroy Mercer
Encyclopedia
Dr. E. Leroy Mercer was a respected surgeon but was best-known for his college football
career, while attending the University of Pennsylvania
. In 1910, he led Penn to the eastern championship, and then served as the Quakers' captain for the next two seasons. During his time at Penn, Mercer helped the Quakers to a 23-10 football record and received All-American honors in 1910
, 1911
and 1912
.
In 1908 Mercer cleared the 12-foot mark in the pole vault
, setting a record which he then broke in 1909. He is credited with becoming the only high school
athlete to clear that height with a now-outdated spruce
pole. For the 1912 Olympic Games
, Mercer was named to the United States Olympic team, he had placed fifth in the Olympic long jump
and sixth in the decathlon
. Mercer then captained Penn's 1913 champion track team and received All-American honors for his long jump accomplishments, and he won the IC4A long jump titles in 1912 and 1913.
He received his Doctorate in Medicine in 1913 and launched a distinguished career as a physician and educator. He later worked at Swarthmore College
as the school's athletic director
and as a physical education
professor. He also coached the school's lacrosse
team in 1918 and 1919.
He then returned to Penn in 1930 to serve as the Director and Dean of the school's Physical Education Department. In 1955, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
career, while attending 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...
. In 1910, he led Penn to the eastern championship, and then served as the Quakers' captain for the next two seasons. During his time at Penn, Mercer helped the Quakers to a 23-10 football record and received All-American honors 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...
, 1911
1911 College Football All-America Team
The 1911 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1911...
and 1912
1912 College Football All-America Team
The 1912 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1912...
.
In 1908 Mercer cleared the 12-foot mark in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
, setting a record which he then broke in 1909. He is credited with becoming the only high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
athlete to clear that height with a now-outdated spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
pole. For the 1912 Olympic Games
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
, Mercer was named to the United States Olympic team, he had placed fifth in the Olympic long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and sixth in the decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
. Mercer then captained Penn's 1913 champion track team and received All-American honors for his long jump accomplishments, and he won the IC4A long jump titles in 1912 and 1913.
He received his Doctorate in Medicine in 1913 and launched a distinguished career as a physician and educator. He later worked at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
as the school's athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and as a physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
professor. He also coached the school's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team in 1918 and 1919.
He then returned to Penn in 1930 to serve as the Director and Dean of the school's Physical Education Department. In 1955, he was elected to 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...
.