George Morrison Lawton (August 3, 1886 – September 30, 1941) was an American football player and coach. He played at the

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 ...

and punter positions for the University of Michigan football team from 1908 to 1910. He was the head coach for the University of Detroit Titans football team for the 1913 and 1914 seasons.

Early years

Lawton was born in

Ridgetown, Ontario Ridgetown is a community located in south-east Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. It has a 2021 population of 2,797 and is one of many small farming communities in Chatham-Kent. The town motto ...

, Canada in 1886. He moved with his parents to Detroit, Michigan as an infant. His father, Thomas M. Lawton was a prominent physician in Detroit for 25 years. Lawton was educated in the Detroit public schools and graduated from Detroit Central High School.

University of Michigan

Lawton enrolled in the law department at the University of Michigan and received his LL.B. degree in 1911. While attending Michigan, he played for

Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...

team as a fullback and punter from 1908 to 1910.

Coaching career

In August 1913, Lawton was hired as the head coach of Detroit Titans football team. He served in that capacity from 1913 to 1914. In two seasons as the team's head coach, he compiled a record of 6–6–3 ().

Curling

At the age of 43 he skipped the Michigan rink at the demonstration curling event at the

1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February ...

Business career and family

After graduating from Michigan, Lawton was admitted to the Michigan bar, but he never practiced as an attorney. He worked for several years on YMCA activities in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, in the circulation department of '' The Detroit News'', and in the real estate business. In 1913, he formed an insurance partnership called Lawton & Ouellette in Detroit. He worked for many years in the insurance business and also officiated at college and high school football games. Lawton married Laura Bessie Newton in 1917, and they had five children, Thomas Stanley, Bessie Jean, Louie Jane, Diana Howard and George Francis Eugene. Lawton's brother,

J. Fred Lawton J. Fred Lawton (January 26, 1888 – November 1, 1969; full name James Frederick Lawton) was a lyricist, poet, and businessman active in the greater Detroit area who was closely associated with the University of Michigan for most of his life. L ...

, wrote the song "Varsity" for the Michigan football team. Lawton died in 1941 after several months of illness at his home in Ann Arbor at age 55.

Head coaching record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawton, George M. 1886 births 1941 deaths American football fullbacks American football punters Detroit Titans football coaches Michigan Wolverines football players University of Michigan Law School alumni Sportspeople from Chatham-Kent Coaches of American football from Michigan Players of American football from Detroit Canadian emigrants to the United States