Cleveland Leigh "Cleve" Abbott (some sources say "Cleveland S. Abbott") (December 9, 1894 – April 14, 1955) was an American football player, coach and educator. He was the head coach of the
Tuskegee University Golden Tigers football team from 1923 to 1954.
Life
Abbott was born in
Yankton, South Dakota in 1894, one of seven children to Albert B. (aka Elbert) Abbott (1862
Abbeville, GA
Abbeville is a city in Wilcox County, Georgia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 2,685. The city is the county seat of Wilcox County.
History
Abbeville was founded in 1857 as seat of the newly formed Wilcox County. The t ...
– 1952
Huron, SD
Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Beadle County. The '' Huron Daily Plainsman'', also referred to as the ''Plainsman'', is the newspaper. The first settlement at Huron was made in 1880. The cit ...
) and Mollie Brown Abbott (1868–1909).
Abbott graduated from high school (1908–1912)
Watertown, South Dakota. He received his bachelor's degree (1912–1916) from
South Dakota State College
South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...
(SDSC) in
Brookings, South Dakota. He was an outstanding, multi-sport athlete at
Watertown High School (16 varsity sports letters) and SDSC (now SDSU) (14
varsity letters
A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.
Description ...
). Hired by Booker T. Washington in 1913 to be the Tuskegee Institute football coach and dairy instructor upon 1916 SDSC graduation.
He joined the US Army in 1917 at
Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa, Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capital of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard.
History
Original construction of the post began i ...
and served in Europe in
World War I as an officer in the
366th Infantry Regiment
The 366th Infantry Regiment was an all African American ( segregated) unit of the United States Army that served in both World War I and World War II. In the latter war, the unit was exceptional for having all black officers as well as troops. ...
After mustered out in 1919, Abbott taught at the Kansas Vocational School in Topeka, Kansas. In 1923, Abbott accepted a position as Athletic Director, professor and coach at Tuskegee. Abbott was the eighth head football coach for the
Tuskegee University Golden Tigers located in
Tuskegee, Alabama and he held that position for 32 seasons, from 1923 until 1954. Abbott earned the respect of his peers through his team's performance and by participating in national committees for the selection of "
all-American" players at the collegiate level.
Baltimore Afro-American
"Looking 'em Over" November 2, 1946
He was the first African-American member of USA Track and Field Board circa 1940 and the first African-American member of the US Olympic Committee in 1946. He coached the first African-American Olympic champion, Alice Coachman
Alice Marie Coachman Davis (November 9, 1923 – July 14, 2014) was an American Athletics (sport), athlete. She specialized in high jump and was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
Biography
Early life and education
Alice Coach ...
(1948 high jump), and the second, Mildred McDaniel
Mildred "Millie" Louise McDaniel-Singleton ( McDaniel, November 4, 1933 – September 30, 2004) was an American athlete, who competed mainly in the women's high jump event during her career.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, she attended David T. ...
(1956 high jump).
He was married to Jessie Harriette Scott (March 23, 1897, Des Moines, Iowa – August 12, 1982, Tuskegee, Alabama) and had had a daughter, Jessie Ellen Abbott.
Abbott died on April 17, 1955, in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Cleveland Abbott was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in September 2018.
Head coaching record
College
See also
* List of college football coaches with 200 wins
References
External links
USATF Hall of Fame
SDSU Athletic Hall of Fame
Abbott, Cleveland Leigh (1892–1955)
at BlackPast.org
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Cleveland
1894 births
1955 deaths
American men's basketball players
South Dakota State Jackrabbits baseball players
South Dakota State Jackrabbits football players
South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball players
Tuskegee Golden Tigers athletic directors
Tuskegee Golden Tigers football coaches
Tuskegee Golden Tigers men's basketball coaches
South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's track and field athletes
Tuskegee Golden Tigers track and field coaches
Tuskegee University faculty
United States Army personnel of World War I
United States Army officers
People from Yankton, South Dakota
People from Watertown, South Dakota
Coaches of American football from South Dakota
Players of American football from South Dakota
Baseball coaches from South Dakota
Basketball coaches from South Dakota
Basketball players from South Dakota
African-American coaches of American football
African-American players of American football
African-American basketball coaches
20th-century African-American sportspeople
African Americans in World War I
African-American United States Army personnel
Military personnel from South Dakota