Norwood Spencer Sothoron (1911–2005) was an American soldier and athlete. He attended the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

, where he earned All-American honors twice in lacrosse

Field lacrosse

Field lacrosse, sometimes referred to as the "fastest sport on two feet," is a full contact outdoor men's sport played with ten players on each team. The sport originated among Native Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867....

 and an honorable mention in football

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...

. Sothoron was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame

The US Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame, located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the campus of Johns Hopkins University, is operated by US Lacrosse...

 in 1972.

Early life and college

He was born on September 9, 1911 in Charlotte Hall, Maryland

Charlotte Hall, Maryland

Charlotte Hall is a census-designated place in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census. The Maryland Veterans Home for disabled veterans, including a U.S. Veterans Affairs clinic, is located on the site of the former Charlotte Hall Military Academy...

 to parents Richard Horatio and Lillian Harrison Sothoron. Norwood Sothoron attended the Charlotte Hall Military Academy.

In 1931, he enrolled at the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

. While there, he earned 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 as a member of the baseball

Maryland Terrapins baseball

The Maryland Terrapins baseball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college baseball competition. The Terrapins compete as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Historically, Maryland has not been a strong baseball program, and the...

, basketball

Maryland Terrapins men's basketball

The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

, football

Maryland Terrapins football

The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

, and lacrosse teams. His senior year in 1934, he received the Senior Award as the most outstanding athlete in the class.

As a football player, in 1934, Sothoron was also named an honorable mention 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...

 and All-Southern Conference

Southern Conference

The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...

 back. He also was named to every All-State and All-District of Columbia team published. In lacrosse, he was named a first-team All-American defenseman in both 1934 and 1935.

He was elected the senior class president, junior class vice president, and president of Kappa Alpha

Kappa Alpha Order

Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...

. Sothoron was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa

Omicron Delta Kappa

Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...

 and the Scabbard and Blade

Scabbard and Blade

Scabbard and Blade is a college military honor society founded at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. Although membership is open to R.O.T.C. cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society is modeled after the U.S. Army and its chapters are called companies and are organized into...

. Upon graduation in 1935, he received a commission as an officer in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

Military and civilian career

Sothoron spent five years on active duty, from 1941 to 1946. During the Second World War, he served in the 110th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group in the South Pacific Theater. After the war, he was assigned to a reserve officers school at Fort Myer, Virginia. His positions there included plans and training officer (S3), assistant commandant, and commandant. In 1964, he retired from the Army Reserve having attained the rank of colonel.

During that time, from 1947 to 1969, he also held the civilian position as the commandant of the Charlotte Hall Military Academy. In the early 1970s, he worked as a manager for Franklin Wholesale, Inc. in Waldorf, Maryland

Waldorf, Maryland

Waldorf, Maryland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is south-southeast of Washington, D.C. The population of the census-designated area only was 67,752 at the 2010 census...

. From 1974 to 1993, he served on the board of directors of the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative

The Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is an electric distribution cooperative which is headquartered in Hughesville, Maryland. SMECO serves approximately 144,000 customers in Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties of southern Maryland...

 (SMECO).

Later life

He married Jane Spaulding Bennett Sothoron, with whom he had four children. Their eldest son, Norwood, Jr., likewise became an Army officer and was awarded the Silver Star

Silver Star

The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

 in Viet Nam. Their second son, John, also played lacrosse at Towson University

Towson University

Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...

. Norwood and Jane Sothoron eventually retired to Lexington Park, Maryland

Lexington Park, Maryland

Lexington Park is a census-designated place in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States, and the principal community of the Lexington Park, Maryland Micropolitan Statistical Area...

. He was a member of the Lions Club for over 40 years and served as president and deputy district governor.

In 1972, Sothoron was elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame

University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame

The University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by the M Club Foundation to honor student-athletes, coaches, and administrators who made significant contributions to athletics at the University of Maryland...

. Sothoron died in 2005 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

.