George Edward "Ted" Morrison (October 11, 1894 – February 15, 1961) 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. He served as the head football coach at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from 1920 to 1922 and again in 1924, and Lincoln University in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

compiling a career

record of 21–14–5. His 1920 Howard Bison football team won the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) title and was recognized as a black college football national champion.

Early years

George Edward Morrison or Ted as family and friends called him, was born in Chelsea Massachusetts to George and Minnie Morrison. He was an only child. Morrison played baseball and football at Everett High School. He then enrolled at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

in 1915. As a player for

during the 1916 season, he was the target of significant racial discrimination. During a game against

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, he sustained injuries as the result of dirty play at that hands of Princeton players. Later that season, the team had a game at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. The team's hotel initially denied Morrison and another black teammate a room. In response, Tufts coach

Charles Whelan Charles "Doc" Whelan (April 3, 1877 – May 29, 1945) was an American football player and coach and physician. He served as the head football coach at Tufts College—now Tufts University—for three stints (1903–1907, 1912–1917, and 1919) an ...

protested and said that if the black players weren't accommodated, he would take his team back to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

without playing. The hotel quickly acquiesced, and Tufts won the game, 12–10.

Coaching career

From 1918 to 1920, Morrison studied dentistry at

He served as the head football coach at Howard from 1920 to 1922 and again in 1924, winning a

black college football national championship The black college football national championship is a national championship honor that, since 1920, has been regularly bestowed upon the best football teams among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) within the United States. Histo ...

in 1920. Morrison became the head football coach and taught dentistry at Lincoln University in

in 1927.

Later life

He was first married to Alice Washington, and then married CarLynne Payne in 1924. Dr. Morrison & Carlynne first resided in Washington, DC, where she taught at Paul Lawerence Dunbar HS. In 1928, after coaching life Dr. Morrison relocated to Philadelphia with his family where he opened his dental practice in North Philadelphia. He resided there with his family for the remainder of his life. He died at his home on February 15, 1961. He was survived by his wife CarLynne, his children Evelyn, Edward, Patrica, William, and many grand and great-grandchildren.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Edward 1894 births 1961 deaths American football guards Howard Bison football coaches Lincoln Lions football coaches Tufts Jumbos football players Sportspeople from Chelsea, Massachusetts Coaches of American football from Massachusetts Players of American football from Massachusetts African-American coaches of American football African-American dentists 20th-century African-American sportspeople