Digital Commons @ Otterbein

Title

1954 Otterbein College (13) vs. Hiram College (7) Football Film (Homecoming)

Authors

Archives, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Files

Description

Otterbein 13 vs Hiram 7

Homecoming

October 30, 1954

Memorial Stadium, Westerville, Ohio

Time: 14:32 Type: B&W Program: No

Schools: Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder the Rev. Philip William Otterbein. After the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church, in 1968, Otterbein has been associated with the United Methodist Church. Colors: Tan and Cardinal. Mascot: Cardinals

Hiram College is a private liberal arts college in Hiram, Ohio. It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church. On February 20, 1867, the Institute incorporated as a college and changed its name to Hiram College. James A. Garfield, who had been a student at the institute from 1851 to 1853 and then returned in 1856 as a teacher was one of the early principals. Garfield expanded the institute's curriculum. He left the Institute in 1861 and in 1880 was elected the 20th President of the United States.

Colors: Red and Blue. Mascot: Terriers (Athletics at Hiram began in the 1880s but no mascot was chosen until 1928. In that year two mascots, Farmers and Mudhens, were discussed but neither caught on. During an athletic banquet at the end of the ’28 season head coach Herb Matthews compared the temperament of the football team to a “little bull terrier that holds on to the end.” The name stuck and from then on, the mascot has been a bull terrier.”)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_College

Pio, Chris, Gryphons, Gorloks and Gusties: A History of NCAA Division III Nicknames and Mascots, Privately Published, Las Vegas, NV, 2021, pp. 81-82.

Coaches: Otterbein – Harry Walter “Buck” Ewing (July 18, 1888, Lincoln, Nebraska – March 11, 1962, Westerville, Ohio; Nebraska ’09), Otterbein coach and athletic director Harry Ewing returned to the sidelines in 1951 after George Novotny resigned to further is graduate studies. Ewing’s extensive coaching experience started after his graduation as an assistant at Nebraska, then as head football coach at Morningside College (Iowa - 1911), South Dakota State University (1912-17), Ohio Wesleyan (1919-21), Miami University (1922-23) and finally at Otterbein. Known as “Mr. Athletics” at Otterbein he coached football coach from 1935-1938, 1942-1945 and 1951-1954. Besides football he coached basketball, track and served as athletic director. The indoor track in the Otterbein Rike Center is named in his memory and he was named to the Otterbein College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Hiram – Edward Alexander Chupa (August 8, 1918, Lucerne Mines, Pennsylvania – October 30, 2013, Dallas, Texas; Murray State ’41) Chupa grew up in Lorain, Ohio and earned a football scholarship to Murray State University (KY) where he was an all-league guard. After serving in the military from 1942-46 he became head football coach at John Adams High School in Cleveland and earned a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University. From 1954-1955 he was head football coach at Hiram College. His two-year record was an even 7-7-1. In 1956 he became head coach at Washington & Jefferson until 1961.

Notes:

Otterbein is wearing white jerseys with tan pants while Hiram is wearing dark jerseys with white pants. It’s Otterbein Homecoming and at 9:48-10:05 is halftime, Otterbein band, cheerleaders, ROTC. Floats are in the background throughout film. Attendance recorded as 2,000. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

References:

“Otterbein Plans Musical Comedy For Homecoming,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 25, 1954, p. 3B.

Otte, Dick, “Capital, Muskies Duel in Vital OC Contest,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 29, 1954, p. 23B.

“Otterbein Chooses Queen From Westerville,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 29, 1954, p. 24B.

“Weather May Catch Ohio College Clubs,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, October 30, 1954, p. 7A.

“Otter Air Offense Hits, 13-7,” Columbus Sunday Dispatch, October 31, 1954, p. 6D.

“Otterbein Queen Feted At Game,” Columbus Sunday Dispatch, October 31, 1954, p. 3A.

Game Date

10-30-1954

Game Score

Otterbein 13-Hiram 7

Coaches

Otterbein – Harry Walter “Buck” Ewing (July 18, 1888, Lincoln, Nebraska – March 11, 1962, Westerville, Ohio; Nebraska ’09)

Hiram – Edward Alexander Chupa (August 8, 1918, Lucerne Mines, Pennsylvania – October 30, 2013, Dallas, Texas; Murray State ’41)

Game Location

Memorial Stadium, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio

Comments

Otterbein is wearing white jerseys with tan pants while Hiram is wearing dark jerseys with white pants. It’s Otterbein Homecoming and at 9:48-10:05 is halftime, Otterbein band, cheerleaders, ROTC. Floats are in the background throughout film. Attendance recorded as 2,000. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

Game Film # and Reel #

Game Film #12, Reel #11

Recommended Citation

Archives, "1954 Otterbein College (13) vs. Hiram College (7) Football Film (Homecoming)" (1954). 1950-1956 Sports Films. 11.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/sports_films_1950-1956/11

Film Time

14:32 minutes

Keywords

College Football, Football Programs, Football Films