William Dennison Clark
Encyclopedia
William Dennison "Denny" Clark (October 21, 1885 – May 30, 1932) was an American football
player. He played for the University of Michigan
from 1903 to 1905. He was blamed for Michigan's 1905 loss to the University of Chicago
, which ended the Wolverines
' 56-game unbeaten streak. He committed suicide
at a hotel in Salem, Oregon
, in 1932.
, Clark was the son of the Rev. Rufus Wheelwright Clark (1844–1909), who served for many years as the rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Detroit, and Lucy (Dennison) Clark (1854–1928). His maternal grandfather was William Dennison, Jr. (1815–1882), who served as the 24th Governor of Ohio and as U.S. Postmaster General in the Cabinet
of President
Abraham Lincoln
during the American Civil War
.
from 1903 to 1905. Clark was a versatile player who played at the halfback
, fullback
, and end positions. He was the fourth-leading scorer on the 1904 Michigan team
with 10 touchdowns.
, Clark was blamed for Michigan's 2–0 loss to the University of Chicago
, ending a 56-game unbeaten streak dating back to the first game of the 1901 season. Going into the final game of the season, the Wolverines were unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon. The two teams played to a scoreless tie for more than 50 minutes, when Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line. The Detroit Free Press
described the play as follows:
After the game, newspapers described Clark's play as "the wretched blunder" and a "lapse of brain work." Clark was reported to have been so despondent after the game that he was reported to have said, "O, this is horrible ... I shall kill myself because I am in disgrace."
However, Clark and his family denied the reports that he was suicidal. Two days after the game, the Detroit Free Press reported:
Clark told the Free Press: "Everybody has been good to me, telling me it wasn't my fault, and so on. But it was my fault, and I haven't any excuses to make. It was a mistake for me to run out with the ball and I shouldn't have done it. I wish people would blame me. If they were only mad at me, because I lost the game, that would give me a chance to get mad too, and I could relieve my feelings."
On December 8, 1905, 3,500 supporters crowded into University Hall in Ann Arbor to support Michigan's football team. When Clark's name was mentioned, the crowd cheered for three minutes, "showing that Michigan stands by the Detroit lad, and forgives his mistake."
Finally, it should be noted that under modern American football rules a safety would not be scored under these circumstances since a ball carrier is always credited for any forward progression prior to contact with an opponent.
published an article in the Saturday Evening Post claiming that Clark had immediately withdrawn from school after the loss because "conditions at the university became intolerable." Clark reportedly resented Stagg's article as he believed it had impugned both him and the University of Michigan. Clark stated that he went to his home in Detroit after the game, but he returned to the university after the Thanksgiving holiday and remained there until the school year ended in 1906. He then studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
in Saginaw, Michigan
He had previously been the company's manager at Hillsdale, Michigan
.
During World War I
, Clark served as a captain in the United States Army Air Service
. Clark married and had three children, Elizabeth, William Dennison, Jr., and Barbara.
. He had reportedly been despondent for a period, and hotel attendants reported that Clark "had been drinking considerably before he ended his life." He left an unsent airmail letter to his wife with instructions on his life insurance. Clark also wrote that his decision to end his life was "not cowardice, but the very hardest thing I ever did." He added, "Also I have tried everything else desperately and without success." His suicide note also reportedly expressed hope that his "final play" would atone for his error at Marshall Field
in 1905. Clark was age 46 at the time of his suicide. In the year prior to his death, Clark had been living in Los Angeles, California
.
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. He played 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...
from 1903 to 1905. He was blamed for Michigan's 1905 loss to the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, which ended the 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...
' 56-game unbeaten streak. He committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
at a hotel in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, in 1932.
Early years and lineage
A native of Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Clark was the son of the Rev. Rufus Wheelwright Clark (1844–1909), who served for many years as the rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Detroit, and Lucy (Dennison) Clark (1854–1928). His maternal grandfather was William Dennison, Jr. (1815–1882), who served as the 24th Governor of Ohio and as U.S. Postmaster General in the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
University of Michigan
Clark played football for Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams at 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...
from 1903 to 1905. Clark was a versatile player who played at the 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...
, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, and end positions. He was the fourth-leading scorer on the 1904 Michigan team
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
with 10 touchdowns.
1905 Chicago game
In the final game of the 1905 season1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
, Clark was blamed for Michigan's 2–0 loss to the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, ending a 56-game unbeaten streak dating back to the first game of the 1901 season. Going into the final game of the season, the Wolverines were unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon. The two teams played to a scoreless tie for more than 50 minutes, when Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line. The Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
described the play as follows:
"Eckersall, through failure of his team mates to advance it, was called upon to punt. Chicago at the time was on Michigan's 43-yard line. Barlow and Clark were playing back to take the kick, but the ball, low and well driven, went between them. Clark went behind the line after the ball, with two Chicago players down on him. there was hardly a chance to get away, and he could have played it safe and avoided a score by merely touching the ball down behind the line. He shook off the two tacklers, however, and tried to run the ball back. He was a yard or so over the line on the field when Carlin reached him, and threw him back, forcing him over his own goal line. The result was a safety, two points, and the game, Chicago contenting itself from that time on with kicking out of danger when it could not advance, being satisfied to win by two points, if possible."
After the game, newspapers described Clark's play as "the wretched blunder" and a "lapse of brain work." Clark was reported to have been so despondent after the game that he was reported to have said, "O, this is horrible ... I shall kill myself because I am in disgrace."
However, Clark and his family denied the reports that he was suicidal. Two days after the game, the Detroit Free Press reported:
"Denny Clark is alive and well. The plucky little football player, whose error of judgment lost Michigan her five years' prestige on the western gridiron, has not committed suicide, nor has he attempted anything of the sort. He has not lost his reason, and he does not look as though he is in immediate need of medical attention."
Clark told the Free Press: "Everybody has been good to me, telling me it wasn't my fault, and so on. But it was my fault, and I haven't any excuses to make. It was a mistake for me to run out with the ball and I shouldn't have done it. I wish people would blame me. If they were only mad at me, because I lost the game, that would give me a chance to get mad too, and I could relieve my feelings."
On December 8, 1905, 3,500 supporters crowded into University Hall in Ann Arbor to support Michigan's football team. When Clark's name was mentioned, the crowd cheered for three minutes, "showing that Michigan stands by the Detroit lad, and forgives his mistake."
Finally, it should be noted that under modern American football rules a safety would not be scored under these circumstances since a ball carrier is always credited for any forward progression prior to contact with an opponent.
Legacy as the man "who lost the Michigan - Chicago football game"
Clark became known for the rest of his life as "the man 'who lost the Michigan - Chicago football game in 1905." In 1925, Michigan coach Yost wrote an article recounting a recent meeting with Clark, at which Clark constantly recalled his error against Chicago. Yost tried to set Clark at ease and wrote that "only Dennis still feels the pain of it." In 1926, Chicago coach Amos Alonzo StaggAmos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
published an article in the Saturday Evening Post claiming that Clark had immediately withdrawn from school after the loss because "conditions at the university became intolerable." Clark reportedly resented Stagg's article as he believed it had impugned both him and the University of Michigan. Clark stated that he went to his home in Detroit after the game, but he returned to the university after the Thanksgiving holiday and remained there until the school year ended in 1906. He then studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
Later years
In November 1908, Clark was appointed manager of Bell Telephone CompanyBell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
in Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
He had previously been the company's manager at Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
.
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...
, Clark served as a captain in the United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
. Clark married and had three children, Elizabeth, William Dennison, Jr., and Barbara.
Suicide in 1932
In 1932, Clark committed suicide, shooting himself in a hotel room in Salem, OregonSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. He had reportedly been despondent for a period, and hotel attendants reported that Clark "had been drinking considerably before he ended his life." He left an unsent airmail letter to his wife with instructions on his life insurance. Clark also wrote that his decision to end his life was "not cowardice, but the very hardest thing I ever did." He added, "Also I have tried everything else desperately and without success." His suicide note also reportedly expressed hope that his "final play" would atone for his error at Marshall Field
Stagg Field
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two different football fields for the University of Chicago. The earliest Stagg Field is probably best remembered for its role in a landmark scientific achievement by Enrico Fermi during the Manhattan Project. The site of the first nuclear reaction received...
in 1905. Clark was age 46 at the time of his suicide. In the year prior to his death, Clark had been living in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.