William Charles Wurtenburg (December 24, 1863 – March 26, 1957) was an American
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
player and coach. Born and raised in
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
to German parents, Wurtenburg attended the prestigious
Phillips Exeter Academy
(not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God)
, location = 20 Main Street
, city = Exeter, New Hampshire
, zipcode ...
, where he played football. He enrolled in classes at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1886 and soon earned a spot on the school's
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
. He played for Yale from 1886 through 1889, and again in 1891; two of those teams were later recognized as national champions. His 35-yard run in a close game in 1887 against rival
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
earned him some fame. Wurtenburg received his medical degree from Yale's
Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, ...
in 1893.
The following year, the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
hired him to coach their football team. He led the squad to a 4–1–2 record for the season, including a 1–1–1 record against rival schools. He then accepted a coaching job at
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
, where for the next four years he led them to perfect records against both of their
Triangular Football League
The Triangular Football League or New England Intercollegiate Football Association was an American college football conference. Its founding members were Dartmouth Big Green football, Dartmouth, Williams Ephs football, Williams, and Amherst Mammoth ...
opponents. They had a winning record the first year and a 5–2–1 record the second year. In 1899, his fifth season as coach, his team went 2–7 and lost both of its conference games.
After ending his coaching career, Wurtenburg spent several years acting as a
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
for Yale's football team. His final contribution to football was publishing a book about Yale football in the early 20th century. Around 1904, Wurtenburg began pursuing a career as a physician. He set up a medical office near his house in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, and became an
ear, nose and throat
Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...
specialist. Wurtenburg maintained his medical office until at least 1920. He died in 1957 at the age of 93, in New Haven.
Early life and college
William Wurtenburg was born on December 24, 1863, in
Clarksburg, a hamlet in
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The county seat is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie w ...
. He was the son of George M. Wurtenburg and Elizabeth Hochschild, who immigrated from Germany in 1848. William attended primary school in the Clarksville public school system. For secondary schooling he attended the Griffith Institute in
Springville, New York
Springville is a village in the southeastern section of the town of Concord in Erie County, New York, United States. Springville is the principal community in the town and a major business location in southern Erie County. The population was 4,2 ...
and then Forestville Academy before gaining admittance to
Phillips Exeter Academy
(not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God)
, location = 20 Main Street
, city = Exeter, New Hampshire
, zipcode ...
in
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...
.
[ White (1967), p. 105] At Phillips Exeter, Wurtenburg competed in
field events
Throwing sports, or throwing games, are physical, human competitions where the outcome is measured by a player's ability to throw an object.
The two primary forms are throwing for distance and throwing at a given target or range. The four most p ...
at the school's spring athletic events. In 1884, he was a well-recognized member of the school's competitive football team.
[ Harrison (1983), "Andover and Exeter: Growth of a Rivalry"] He served as
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and team captain in 1885, leading the team to a 29–11 victory over rival
Phillips Academy
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = Ma ...
.
[ ''The Phillipian'' (1885), p. 1] In his senior year, 1886, he placed first in
standing broad jump with weights and
running broad jump, with jumps of about , respectively.
[ ''The Outing'' (1886), p. 487] Upon graduation from Phillips Exeter, Wurtenburg entered
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
.
Wurtenburg began taking medical classes on his arrival at Yale, and joined the
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
partway through his freshman year. By the following season, he was playing backup
halfback to freshman
Harmon S. Graves, although he occasionally filled in as a
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
.
[ Welch and Camp (1899), p. 584][ ''The Harvard Crimson'' (October 1887)] The 1887 squad, later recognized as the
national champion, went 9–0 and outscored their opponents 515–12; this included a 106–0 shutout of
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
.
[ Sports-reference 1887 Yale] During this season Wurtenburg made his most famous play: with Yale leading
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
by a score of 11–8 late in the season's final contest, Wurtenburg made "a brilliant run" of 35 yards and scored a
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
, which secured the game for Yale. He was credited as one of the people who made the game "undoubtedly the finest ever played in America", according to writer
Richard Melancthon Hurd
Richard Melancthon Hurd (June 14, 1865 – June 6, 1941) was a pioneer real estate economist and political activist.
Hurd was born in New York City and attended St. Paul's School. He graduated from Yale University in 1888, where he was a memb ...
.
[ Hurd (1888), p. 75][ Nicholas (1901), p. 111]
![Frank Barbour 1893](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Frank_Barbour_1893.png)
The following year Wurtenburg shifted into his former position at quarterback. He took the starting spot and became a leader of the team. Wurtenburg developed his own unique style at quarterback, regularly attempting "long, low, underhand passes" to his teammates to help set up scoring plays.
[ Davis (1913), p. 145] That year, the Yale team shut out every single one of its opponents and was later recognized as a national champion.
[ ''The New York Times'' (1913)] At the same time, Wurtenburg played on the school's baseball team, where he would regularly score three or four
runs a game.
[ ''The Harvard Crimson'' (May 1887), p. 1][ ''The Harvard Crimson'' (June 1887), p. 2] In September of his graduating year, 1889, Wurtenburg announced that he would be entering the
Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, ...
.
[ ''Yale Daily News'' (September 1889), p. 1] At the Exeter Club's first annual banquet, held that year, Wurtenburg was asked to present a toast to represent the club's athletics.
[ ''The Yale Literary Magazine'' (1889), p. 284] In 1890, he served as the co-editor of ''The Yale Banner'', one of the school's
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
s.
[ ''The Yale Pot-Pourri'' (1907), p. 231] Wurtenburg played his final season of football at the university in 1891, after apparently giving up his spot on the team following the 1889 season. However, he was thrown out of the final game of the season, against Princeton, and
Frank Barbour
Francis Edward Barbour (April 3, 1870 – February 4, 1948) was an American football player, coach, and businessman. He played quarterback for the Yale University football team in 1890 and 1891 and helped lead the 1891 Yale team to a perfect 13 ...
was given a guaranteed starting-quarterback slot for the rest of the time Wurtenburg was at Yale.
[ Whitney (1891), p. 879][ ''The New York Times'' (1891)] Wurtenburg graduated in 1893, when he received his
Doctorate in Medicine
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
(M.D.).
Career and later life
1890s
In 1894, Wurtenburg was hired to replace former Yale teammate
John A. Hartwell
John Augustus "Josh" Hartwell (September 27, 1869 – November 30, 1940) was an American football player and coach, military officer, and physician. Hartwell attended Yale University, where he played end for Walter Camp's Bulldogs football ...
as the head coach of the
US Naval Academy football team.
[ Naval Academy Athletic Association (2005), p. 154][ Navy Yearly Results 1890-1894] Hartwell's 1893 team had amassed a record of 5–3, including a win over rival
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and a loss to rival
Penn.
[ John Hartwell coaching record 1893] Wurtenburg began his coaching career on October 6, leading his team to a 6–6 tie with the Elizabeth Athletic Club of New Jersey at
Worden Field
Worden Field is a large grass field located on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. First mentioned in 1890, the field served as the home stadium for the academy's Midshipmen football team from that year through ...
on the Naval Academy campus in
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1894][ Kiland & Howren (2007), p. 191] His first win as a coach came over two weeks later, on October 21, in a 12–0
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
of rival
Georgetown; it was followed by a defeat of the
Carlisle Indian School
The United States Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, generally known as Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was the flagship Indian boarding school in the United States from 1879 through 1918. It took over the historic Carlisle ...
. His first and only loss of the season came on October 27, at the hands of rival Penn in a 12–0 shutout.
At about that time, Wurtenburg left the country and traveled to Germany to complete his medical studies.
[ ''Yale Sheffield Monthly'' (October 1894), p. 53] The team recovered and defeated
Lehigh on November 3, then tied rival
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
. The season ended two weeks after that match with a 30–6 defeat of
Baltimore City College
Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a liberal arts focus and selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C. is the thir ...
.
The team did not compete against their
major rival Army that year, after violent fights between fans the previous year; President
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
banned the game, which would not be played again until it was reinstated in 1899 by
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
.
[ Nesbit (2000), p. 1] Sometime during November, Wurtenburg returned from Germany along with fellow Yale medical graduate A.S. Cheney, and announced his intention to practice medicine in New Haven.
[ ''Yale Sheffield Monthly'' (November 1894), p. 92] That year, he received certification, and he expressed interest in eye, throat, and ear treatment.
[ ''Yale Daily News'' (October 1894), p. 2]
![William Wurtenburg wedding](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/William_Wurtenburg_wedding.png)
Wurtenburg did not remain at the Naval Academy the following year and was replaced as head coach by
Matthew McClung
Matthew Henry McClung Jr. (December 1, 1868 – March 3, 1908), sometimes referred to as Dibby McClung, was an American college football player, coach and official. Born into a powerful southern family, McClung was raised in Memphis, Tennessee u ...
. He instead accepted a position as the head coach of the
Dartmouth team, starting in the fall of 1895.
[ ''The Cornell Daily Sun'' (1895), p. 1] The season began with a 50–0 shutout of his former school, Phillips Exeter. This was followed by a loss and a tie, which were succeeded by back-to-back wins. His team dropped two games to Yale and one to Army, but managed to defeat former
Triangular Football League
The Triangular Football League or New England Intercollegiate Football Association was an American college football conference. Its founding members were Dartmouth Big Green football, Dartmouth, Williams Ephs football, Williams, and Amherst Mammoth ...
opponent
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...
. After that, Wurtenburg led his team to three straight victories, including wins over both Triangular Football League opponents. Although the season ended with a loss to
Brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
, Dartmouth was awarded the Triangular Football League championship.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1895][ Triangular Football League champions] On November 20 of that year, Wurtenburg married Anna Phillips, daughter of Jason W. Phillips, whom he met while at
Chautauqua
Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua bro ...
in 1893. The wedding took place at
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
, in Phillips' home state of Ohio; it was called "a brilliant event" by the ''
Boston Daily Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' and was attended by Ohio's governor-elect
Asa S. Bushnell
Asa Smith Bushnell I (September 16, 1834 – January 15, 1904) was an American U.S. Republican Party, Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 40th governor of Ohio. Prior to becoming governor, he served as the president of the Warder, ...
and his wife. After the wedding, they moved to a permanent residence in New Haven.
[ ''Boston Daily Globe'' (1895), p. 7]
He returned to coach Dartmouth the following year. He began by leading his team to a 30–0 shutout of the Worcester Athletic Club on October 3. His team dropped the next two games, both scoreless losses to Penn and Yale, but finished the month with a win. The second half of the season went much better, with Wurtenburg leading his squad to a 3–1 record, including a 42–0 total score against conference opponents. The team ended the season with a 5–2–1 record and a second consecutive conference championship.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1896] Wurtenburg retained his coaching position the next season, beginning the year with a blowout of Phillips Exeter, which was followed by three consecutive shutout losses. The team turned the season around in November, defeating Amherst and Williams by a combined score of 106–0 for a third consecutive championship. He ended the season with a 4–3 record and a secure position as the coach for the next year.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1897]
In 1898, Wurtenburg's Dartmouth squad went 5–6, but outscored their opponents 205–137. Beginning the season with a win over Phillips Exeter, the team went 4–1 in October. Wurtenburg's team began the month with a shutout loss to Harvard, but recovered to win four straight games, defeating their conference opponents by a combined score of 74–12. In November and December, however, his team lost all five matches, managing only 28 points.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1898] In his final year as a coach, Wurtenburg suffered the worst record of his career. After winning the first two games of the season, his team dropped the remaining seven, only able to put up 12 points. He also suffered his first conference losses, falling to opponents Williams and
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
by a combined score of 23–10.
[ William Wurtenburg coaching record 1899] Wurtenburg was replaced as coach the following year by one of his former players,
Frederick E. Jennings.
[ Dartmouth Results, 1900-09] After the conclusion of his coaching career, Wurtenburg opened up his first medical office, operating a short distance from his New Haven home.
[ Price and Lee (1899), p. 749]
1900s and death
Even after the turn of the century, Wurtenburg remained involved with the Yale football program. In 1900, he participated in the annual football team's spring scrimmage, playing on the school's "varsity" team.
[ ''The New York Times'' (September 1900), p. 9] He was repeatedly selected by the university to act as an official in their home games; he was the school's
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
in 1900 and 1901,
[ ''The New York Times'' (October 1900), p. 9][ ''The New York Times'' (1901)] and returned to the position two years later, in 1903.
[ ''The New York Times'' (1903), p. 14] He expanded his officiating role in 1904, when he served in three games.
[ ''The New York Times'' (October 2, 1904), p. 10][ ''The New York Times'' (October 13, 1904), p. 8] For one of those matches, Wurtenburg moved to the position of
umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
.
[ ''The Washington Post'' (1904), p. 10] Sometime between 1915 and 1925, Wurtenburg collected a series of newspaper articles and self-published them in a book titled ''Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings about Yale Football''.
[ Wurtenburg (c.1902-15)]
At some point around 1904, Wurtenburg began to dedicate himself to a career as a physician. He received official membership in the
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016.
The AMA's state ...
and the New Haven Medical Society as a physician specializing in
otorhinolaryngology
Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...
, specifically in ear and nose treatment.
[ Pettigrew (1904), p. 56] By 1909, he had shifted his focus to the treatment of ear ailments, and occasionally served well-known locals.
[ ''The Day'' (1909), p. 6] He retained his membership with the
Connecticut State Medical Society until at least 1920, maintaining his Elm Street office the entire time.
[ Connecticut State Medical Society (1920), p. 63]
Wurtenburg died on March 26, 1957, in New Haven, at the age of 93.
A year after his death, Yale established the William G. Wurtenberg Scholarship from his bequest. The scholarship "is to be awarded to a member of the senior class who demonstrates character, leadership qualities, and promise of future usefulness".
[ Yale Scholarships and Special Funds] Although rarely acknowledged for his influence on Dartmouth football, Wurtenburg is considered by his Dartmouth peers as having brought the program to prominence.
Fred Crolius
Frederick Joseph Crolius (April 19, 1876 – August 25, 1960) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He was the first player from Tufts University to play Major League Baseball. He was at Tufts in 1894, and at Dartmouth College, ...
, captain of Wurtenburg's 1898 team, would later state that:
One man, whose influence more than any other one thing, succeeded in laying a foundation for Dartmouth's wonderful results, but whose name is seldom mentioned in that connection is Doctor Wurtenberg, who was brought up in the early Yale football school. He had the keenest sense of fundamental football and the greatest intensity of spirit in transmitting his hard earned knowledge. Four critical years he worked with us filling every one with his enthusiasm and those four years Dartmouth football gained such headway that nothing could stop its growth.[ Edwards (1916), p. 376]
Head coaching record
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wurtenburg, William
1863 births
1957 deaths
19th-century players of American football
American football fullbacks
American football halfbacks
American football quarterbacks
College football officials
Dartmouth Big Green football coaches
Navy Midshipmen football coaches
Yale Bulldogs football players
Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
Physicians from Connecticut
Players of American football from New York (state)
Sportspeople from Erie County, New York
American people of German descent