Digital Commons @ Otterbein

Title

1953 Otterbein College (7) vs. Ohio Wesleyan University (50) Football Film

Authors

Archives, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Files

Description

Otterbein 7 vs Ohio Wesleyan 50

Saturday, September 26, 1953

Memorial Stadium, Westerville, Ohio

Time: 14:50 – (Color 7:27, B&W 7:23) 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

Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges. Ohio Wesleyan has always admitted students irrespective of religion or race and maintained that the university "is forever to be conducted on the most liberal principles."

Colors: Red and Black. Mascot: The Battling Bishops (The first athletic teams of the college date back to 1875, the year of the first organized football team, although fifteen years passed before official colors were selected and the football team started playing its intercollegiate contest. In 1925 a contest was held to decide a mascot other than “the Red & Black,” and “the Methodists” which were used up to that time. The Battling Bishops won out.)

Pio, Chris, Gryphons, Gorloks and Gusties: A History of NCAA Division III Nicknames and Mascots, Privately Published, Las Vegas, NV, 2021, pp. 137-138.

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.

Ohio Wesleyan – Glenn Fraser (Minnesota ’29) Fraser coached the Battling Bishops from 1947-1963. They captured the OAC championships in 1951 and 1953 with the ’53 season being Wesleyan’s first undefeated season since 1891. His record was 92-58-8.

Notes:

Otterbein wore white jerseys with tan pants while Ohio Wesleyan wore black jerseys and white helmets. At 1:10 into the film is the new electronic scoreboard erected as a gift from the Otterbein classes of ’50, ’53 and ’54. The poles were donated by the Ohio Department of Highways. Detailed article on the scoreboard on page one of the Otterbein Tan and Cardinal, September 25, 1953. Robert “Moe” Agler, former Otterbein great and professional football veteran, joined the Otterbein staff as an assistant coach. Later he would become head coach of the Cardinals. Ohio Wesleyan completed dominated the game racking up 334 total yards compared to Otterbein’s 21. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

References:

Walker, Paul, “Ohio Conference Will Open With Bang (And Some Thuds),” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 22, 1953, p. 17A.

“Three Systems, Several Freshman in Otter Lineup,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 24, 1953, p. 19A.

Walker, Paul, “Ohio Colleges Test New Football Styles,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 25, 1953, p. 12B.

“Wesleyan Is Easy Winner,” Columbus Sunday Dispatch, September 27, 1953, p. 4D.

At 1:10 into the film is the new electronic scoreboard erected as a gift from the Otterbein classes of ’50, ’53 and ’54. The poles were donated by the Ohio Department of Highways. Detailed article on the scoreboard on page one of the Otterbein Tan and Cardinal, September 25, 1953.

Robert “Moe” Agler, former Otterbein great and professional football veteran, joins the Otterbein staff as an assistant coach. Later he would become head coach of the Cardinals. Tan & Cardinal recap, 10.02.1953, pg. 3.

References

:

Columbus Dispatch game preview, Friday, 09.25.1953;

Columbus Sunday Dispatch game report, 09.27.1953

Game Date

9-26-1953

Game Score

Otterbein 7-Ohio Wesleyan 50

Coaches

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

Ohio Wesleyan – Glenn Fraser (Minnesota ’29)

Game Location

Memorial Stadium, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio

Comments

Otterbein wore white jerseys with tan pants while Ohio Wesleyan wore black jerseys and white helmets. At 1:10 into the film is the new electronic scoreboard erected as a gift from the Otterbein classes of ’50, ’53 and ’54. The poles were donated by the Ohio Department of Highways. Detailed article on the scoreboard on page one of the Otterbein Tan and Cardinal, September 25, 1953. Robert “Moe” Agler, former Otterbein great and professional football veteran, joined the Otterbein staff as an assistant coach. Later he would become head coach of the Cardinals. Ohio Wesleyan completed dominated the game racking up 334 total yards compared to Otterbein’s 21. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

Game Film # and Reel #

Game Film #9, Reel #10

Recommended Citation

Archives, "1953 Otterbein College (7) vs. Ohio Wesleyan University (50) Football Film" (1953). 1950-1956 Sports Films. 8.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/sports_films_1950-1956/8

Film Time

14:50 (7:27 Color, 7:23 Black and White)

Keywords

College Football, Football Programs, Football Films