Oliver Wall Kuhn (August 14, 1898 – October 8, 1968), nicknamed "Doc Kuhn", was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

and later a prominent businessman of

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. As a college football

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 ...

, Kuhn led Vanderbilt to three consecutive Southern titles in 1921, 1922, and 1923 – the most-recent conference titles for

Vanderbilt football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football. The Commodores compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Divis ...

. In 1922, Vanderbilt tied

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

at the dedication of

Dudley Field FirstBank Stadium (formerly Dudley Field and Vanderbilt Stadium) is a football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football, it is the home of the Vander ...

, and Kuhn was picked for

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

's list of names worthy of mention and

Billy Evans William George Evans (February 10, 1884 – January 23, 1956), nicknamed "The Boy Umpire", was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1906 to 1927. He became, at age 22, the youngest umpire in majo ...

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

"National Honor Roll." During his senior year, Kuhn was the captain of Vanderbilt's football and basketball teams and received the

Porter Cup The Porter Cup is a 72-hole, medal-play elite amateur golf tournament held annually at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York. It was first played in 1959 and over the years has hosted some of the biggest names in golf. Past champions ...

, awarded to Vanderbilt's best all-around athlete. Kuhn played

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

on the basketball team and was a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

on the baseball team which won a 1921 conference championship. He was selected All-Southern in baseball in 1921 and 1922. Kuhn moved to Tampa after graduation, where he helped start the athletics program at the

University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UT) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT offers more than 200 programs of study, including 22 master's degrees and a broad variety of majors, ...

, and later notably led an effort to plant ''

podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...

'' trees in downtown Tampa.

Early years and background

Oliver Wall Kuhn was born on August 14, 1898, in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

,Registration State: ''Tennessee''; Registration County: ''Davidson''; Roll: ''1877600''; Draft Board: ''2''. the seventh child of Katherine Wall of

Springfield, Kentucky Springfield is a home rule-class city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,846 at the 2020 census. History Springfield was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area. The h ...

and Ferdinand E. Kuhn, a secretary for the local board of public works. "Doc", who played old cat as a child, attended preparatory school at Cathedral High School and

Montgomery Bell Academy Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee. History MBA was established in 1867 in the aftermath of the American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861&nb ...

(MBA). At MBA, he won two state football titles, first in 1915 as a sub and then in 1917 as a starter. Kuhn lost just a single game as MBA's starting quarterback. According to Kuhn's

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

draft registration Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

, he worked for DuPont as a civil engineer in Jacksonville, Tennessee. He also spent time at Camp Taylor.

Notre Dame

In 1918, Kuhn played as an end on the freshman team at Notre Dame.

George Gipp George Gipp (February 18, 1895 – December 14, 1920), nicknamed "The Gipper", was a college football player at the University of Notre Dame under head coach Knute Rockne. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first Walter Camp All-American, and ...

and

Curly Lambeau Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Cal ...

were on the varsity, and it was Knute Rockne's first year as head coach.

Vanderbilt University

Kuhn attended Vanderbilt University from 1919 to 1923. He was a member of

Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi (), commonly known as Phi Psi, is an American collegiate social fraternity that was founded by William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore in Widow Letterman's home on the campus of Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pen ...

, and chaired the Vanderbilt University dances.

Football

Kuhn quarterbacked

Dan McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin (July 29, 1879 – January 23, 1936) was an American football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from ...

's Vanderbilt football teams from 1920 to

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

, after a year on the scrub team in 1919. His Commodores compiled an overall win–loss–tie record of 24–5–4 () during his four years on the team, and a 15–2–3 () record while he was a starter, including three consecutive conference titles, the most recent to date for Vanderbilt.

1920

During Kuhn's first year playing varsity football for Vanderbilt, the Commodores scored 47 points in the first half of an opening-game win against Birmingham–Southern due to the

backfield The offensive backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the ...

of " Berryhill, Kuhn, Latham and Company". After two crushing defeats to

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

and Auburn, Vanderbilt played

Kentucky State Kentucky State University (KSU and KYSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky. Founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons, and becoming a land-grant college in 1890, KSU is the second ...

and won 20–0; Kuhn subbed for Latham so the starter could rest up for the next week's game against the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a me ...

. In a close game, and Alabama's first victory over the Commodores, Kuhn substituted for now-injured quarterback Latham and threw the one Vanderbilt

touchdown pass In gridiron football, a touchdown pass is a pass thrown from the passer (usually the quarterback) to a receiver that results in a touchdown being scored. The pass can either be caught in the end zone itself, resulting in an immediate touchdown, or ...

Jess Neely Jesse Claiborne Neely (January 4, 1898 – April 9, 1983) was an American football player and a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University f ...

in the 14–7 loss. He also had a 60-yard kick return, and accumulated 94 yards in all. According to ''

The Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', "Doc Kuhn, subbing for the injured Latham, was the brilliant star of the day. Kuhn was practically unstoppable by the Alabamians and, time after time, threatened to lead the team to victory." In a 7–7 tie game against

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

the following week, starting quarterback Kuhn was cited as an offensive standout.

1921

The Commodores tied for the 1921 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) football championship with an overall record of 7–0–1; Kuhn and Frank Godchaux took turns starting at quarterback. The season opened with a 34–0 victory against the Middle Tennessee State Normal School of

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

. ''The Commodore'', Vanderbilt'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 ...

, described the lopsided win: "Practically the only thing of note was the aerial efficiency—Kuhn to Ryan and Kuhn to

McCullough McCullough is a Northern Irish surname. It is a variation of the Scottish McCulloch. In Irish Gaelic it's “''Mac Cú Uladh''”, which means ''“Son of Ulster”.'' People with the surname McCullough: * Alfred McCullough (born 1989), Ameri ...

". The team defeated the

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

20–0 at the

Texas State Fair The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas at historic Fair Park. The fair has taken place every year since 1886 except for varying periods during World War I and World War II as well as 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, although Texas was undefeated in the

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma ...

the previous year and Vanderbilt was expected to lose by two touchdowns. The 1921 Texas team was considered possibly the best in Longhorns history, and Vanderbilt football seemed to be declining when Georgia Tech beat it 44–0 the year before. Dan McGugin invoked the late former Vanderbilt quarterback

Irby Curry Irby Rice "Rabbit" Curry (August 4, 1894 – August 10, 1918) was an American football quarterback for Vanderbilt University from 1914 to 1916. He was selected as a first-team All-Southern player in 1915 and 1916 and a third-team All-American i ...

, who was killed in the war, before the game. According to

Edwin Pope John Edwin Pope (April 11, 1928 – January 19, 2017) was an American journalist known for his sportswriting at the ''Miami Herald'', where his work appeared from 1956 until his death in 2017. He covered Super Bowl I through Super Bowl XLVII. Som ...

's book, ''Football's Greatest Coaches'', "The Texas game, sparked by McGugin's unforgettable oratory, was the big one; and Vandy got out of the year without a loss". In the last scoring drive, Kuhn completed a pass to

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

Tot McCullough at the line to put the ball in scoring position for Godchaux after an offside penalty. The next week Vanderbilt played the

Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegi ...

on a wet

Old Dudley Field FirstBank Stadium (formerly Dudley Field and Vanderbilt Stadium) is a football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football, it is the home of the Vand ...

. Team captain

Pink Wade William James "Pink" Wade (August 18, 1899 – March 1, 1966) was an American football player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. Wade was the captain of the 1921 SIAA champion Vanderbilt football team. He was the father ...

did not play because of

low back pain Low back pain (LBP) or lumbago is a common disorder involving the muscles, nerves, and bones of the back, in between the lower edge of the ribs and the lower fold of the buttocks. Pain can vary from a dull constant ache to a sudden sharp feel ...

, and Kuhn substituted as captain. Kuhn rushed for two touchdowns in a 14–0 victory. The Tennessee coaches "never saw, in all the spying trips, such

interference Interference is the act of interfering, invading, or poaching. Interference may also refer to: Communications * Interference (communication), anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a message * Adjacent-channel interference, caused by extr ...

as the Commodores made yesterday for Doc Kuhn," remarked Blinkey Horn. In the first quarter, Kuhn's

end run In gridiron football, an end run is a running play in which the player carrying the ball tries to avoid being tackled by running outside the end (or flank) of the offensive line. It is distinct from a dive, which is a run "up the middle", or an ...

of made the score 7–0; in the second, he had a touchdown run with

Lynn Bomar Robert Lynn Bomar (January 21, 1901 – June 11, 1964) was an American football end in the National Football League (NFL). Bomar played college football, basketball and baseball for Vanderbilt University, following coach Wallace Wade and ...

as lead blocker. As Horn recalled, Kuhn "made possible the touchdown by miraculous sidestepping", evading two tacklers — "miraculous because of the treacherous footing." In the 14–0 victory over Alabama, Kuhn did not start due to injuries. Entering the game in the fourth quarter, with the Commodores leading 7–0, Kuhn completed a pass to McCullough after Jess Neely's run.

1922

Kuhn was the starting quarterback for a second consecutive undefeated season in

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...

, when Vanderbilt had an 8–0–1 record. He started all but one game at quarterback, including a scoreless tie with

in the inaugural game at Dudley Field. Vanderbilt held the tie with a goal-line stand, and the result was called "a great surprise to the sporting world";cf. Commodore fans celebrated by throwing seat cushions onto the field.Traughber, William L
Vanderbilt Football: Tales of Commodore Gridiron History
Charleston, South Carolina: History, 2011, p.33 and p. 77–80 Vandy1922football

After the next game, a 20–10 Commodore victory against Texas at the Texas State Fair, Kuhn's running game and leadership were praised. In a 14–6 win against Tennessee, Kuhn caught a pass from

for a touchdown. He returned a kick for against

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, tackled by the last man before the

end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...

, but the half ended before the Commodores could score. The '' Athens Banner'' described the team's arrival for a game with

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

: "The Commodores arrived here at one o'clock Friday afternoon, and were whisked directly to the Georgian Hotel. Curious hundreds of Bulldog supporters shuddered at the procession of Vandy giants as they strolled down the sidewalks, led by Huge Tot McCullough, with spry Froggy Miers and clever Doc Kuhn bringing up the rear." Kuhn dropped back, throwing Lynn Bomar a 40-plus-yard pass for Vanderbilt's second touchdown in its 12–0 victory over Georgia at

Sanford Field Sanford Field was an on-campus playing venue for football and baseball at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. It was built with wooden stands in 1911 and was named after Steadman V. Sanford Steadman Vincent Sanford (August 24, ...

. He finished the season against Sewanee on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

. In the first quarter, a trick play caught Sewanee off guard. On the previous play, Kuhn ran six yards out of bounds. Then, on a fake run, he threw a pass to Bomar, who was alone behind the defense and ran the rest of the way for a touchdown. Kuhn featured in a second-quarter scoring drive, completing a 10-yard pass to Scotty Neill inside the five-yard line and faking his way through the line for a touchdown. The Commodores won, 26–0; Kuhn was selected as an All-American by

and received an honorable mention on

's team. Kuhn and Centre's Flash Covington were the two quarterbacks from Evans' All-Southern team to receive Camp's mention. At the December 5, 1922 Vanderbilt football banquet, he was elected Commodore captain for the following season.

1923

In late May 1923, Kuhn received the

as Vanderbilt's best all-around athlete. According to the ''Atlanta Constitution'', "Doc Kuhn, in winning the Porter Cup, has taken the last leaf in the laurel. Offered each year by the Porter Clothing company, the trophy has risen in distinction from a mere silver emblem to a symbol more highly prized than which there is none to offer to a Vanderbilt athlete". Kuhn was also captain of the basketball team, president of the student council, president of Phi Kappa Psi and Hellenic president. ''

The Atlanta Journal ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' said, "Doc Kuhn is captain and president of everything at Vanderbilt but the co-eds". The only two football games he lost at Vanderbilt were in

, to undefeated teams: national champion

and the Texas Longhorns. The Commodores were

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...

(SoCon) co-champion in 1923, with two All-Southern ends–Lynn Bomar and

Hek Wakefield Henry Smith "Hek" Wakefield (February 10, 1899 – November 19, 1962) was an American college football player and coach. He played fullback and end for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University from 1921 to 1924, receiving the honor ...

, and All-Southern halfback

Gil Reese David Argillus "Gil" Reese (January 14, 1901 – May 30, 1993) nicknamed "The Tupelo Flash" was an American football, basketball, and baseball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He was captain of all three his senior ...

Kuhn returned a

kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (mag ...

in the season's first game, against the Howard Bulldogs. A rematch with Michigan at

Ferry Field Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000. It is currently used as a ta ...

was a 3–0 loss, with consensus All-American center Jack Blott kicking the winning field goal for the Wolverines. Although Kuhn and Reese were said to raise fans to their feet with their speed, they were hampered by Michigan's defense. According to a diagram of the game's plays, the only completed Vanderbilt pass was from Kuhn to Bomar.cf. After a lackluster 2–2–1 season start, Vanderbilt beat Tennessee and Georgia by a combined 86–14 score with Kuhn scoring the first of the seven touchdowns against Tennessee. He completed a pass to Wakefield against Georgia, getting Vanderbilt to the four-yard line. The longest of Gil Reese's four touchdowns against Georgia was an run "behind great interference furnished by the entire Vandy team, and especially Bomar and Kuhn." According to former Vanderbilt assistant and Alabama head coach

Wallace Wade William Wallace Wade (June 15, 1892 – October 7, 1986) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama fro ...

, who was scouting Georgia at the game, the Commodores that day were "the smartest I ever saw".Russell, Fred, and Maxwell Edward Benson. ''Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football''. Nashville, Tennessee, 1938, p. 38–43 The season's final game, against Sewanee in the rain, was a 7–0 Vanderbilt win on a touchdown pass from Kuhn to Reese. The Florida Gators defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 16–6 that day, ensuring a share of the Southern title for Vanderbilt. A postseason charity game against former and contemporary

Princeton Tigers The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 35 varsity teams in 20 sports. The school has won several NCAA national championships, including one in men's fencing, three in women's lacrosse, six in ...

all-stars ended in a 7–7 tie, with the Vanderbilt touchdown scored on an pass from Kuhn to Bomar. Vanderbilt and

Washington and Lee , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

finished the season as SoCon co-champion. A sportswriters' poll gave the Commodores the Champ Pickens Trophy as the best team in the South, and it was presented to Kuhn at the annual football banquet on December 4.

Basketball

Kuhn

lettered Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

at guard for Vanderbilt's basketball team in 1922 and 1923. The 1921–22 team had an 8–8 record. In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) tournament, the Commodores defeated

the Citadel Bulldogs The Citadel Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent The Citadel. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I except football, which competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Since 1936, varsity sports have ...

37–22 before losing to the Georgia Bulldogs 27–26. Kuhn scored 10 points against the Citadel and four against Georgia. The 1922–23 team, captained by Kuhn, went 16–8, defeating the

LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...

before losing to the

Virginia Tech Hokies The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 v ...

in the SIAA tournament. According to Ed Danforth, "Either Vanderbilt was in rare form or L.S.U. has a good fighting team with no shooting ability. Fans were treated to the most one-sided contest of opening day when these two clubs met, the Commodores scoring 13 points before the Louisianans had counted once, winning 36 to 10." Kuhn scored two points. Sportswriter

Morgan Blake William Morgan Blake (February, 1889 – July 26, 1953) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter in the South who in his 24 years on the job covered seven Rose Bowl games. He also taught the south's largest Sunday School class. Early ye ...

called Kuhn "the best basketball player on the Vandy team."

Baseball

Kuhn was a shortstop for the

Vanderbilt Commodores baseball The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team is an American National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college baseball team. From Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, the team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Co ...

team, including a claim to the 1921 SIAA championship. The 1921 team had a 20–5 record (14–4 SIAA). According to Vanderbilt's yearbook, ''The Commodore'', in a 1921 game against

Southwestern Presbyterian University Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleg ...

the team scored a world-record 13 runs in one inning with two

outs In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a ha ...

. ''

The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...

'' said:

ess The suffix ''-ess'' (plural ''-esses'') appended to English words makes a female form of the word. ESS or ess may refer to: Education * Ernestown Secondary School, in Odessa, Ontario * European Standard School, in Dhaka, Bangladesh Governmen ...
Neely singled, as did Kuhn;
Neil Neil is a masculine name of Gaelic and Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. A ...
fanned, but Thomas got his third straight hit and both tallied. Big Tot was hit by a pitched ball and Smith was safe on a fielder's choice with one out. Woodruf flied out to
right Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...
. Tyner slammed one to
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
which Jetty juggled and everybody advanced a pair of sacks. Ryan was safe on another
error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...
and two runs came over. Neely beat out his second hit of the inning and Kuhn walked. Neil walked. Thomas was safe on an error and Big Tot McCullough picked one over the right field fence, clearing the sacks–but oh, what's the use? Why continue?

Kuhn and

Dot Fulghum James Lavoisier "Dot" Fulghum (July 4, 1900 – November 2, 1947) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in two games with the 1921 Philadelphia Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at and , he batted and threw rig ...

of Auburn University were considered the South's best shortstops. According to a 1922 newspaper report:

Doc Kuhn is possibly the greatest ball player on the squad, due to his miraculous fielding around short this season. Starting with the opening college games he went for six straight games without an error, finally putting Tot McCullough off the bag with a wide heave that broke the run. The
Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
and
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
coaches were loud in their praises for Kuhn as one of the greatest fielding shortstops they had seen in some time. His hitting this season has been hard and timely, including a
homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, four triples, and three doubles. He hits in streaks, however, and this alone will keep the phenomenal Vandy star out of a major berth in the near future. Kuhn,
Embry Embry may refer to: People * Aaron Embry (born 1975), American musician * Ashton F. Embry (born 1946), Canadian research scientist *Basil Embry (1902–1977), British air force commander * C. B. Embry (1941-2022), American politician *Eric Embry ...
and McCullough stand out head and shoulders above anybody in their respective lines that has visited here in recent years.

Kuhn was the only Vanderbilt baseball player named All-Southern by either Cliff Wheatley or

in 1922. Wheatley's choice read, "Vanderbilt's sole representative is "Doc" Kuhn, who came in several lengths ahead of the other shortstops. Kuhn is a wonderful batter and fields well enough in comparison with other Dixie infielders". For Blake, "the best shortstop in the S. I. A. A. was Doc Kuhn of Vanderbilt, a great all-around athlete ... He looks like a big leaguer in action."

Later life

After graduating from Vanderbilt in 1923 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in commerce, Kuhn worked for the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He married Nancy Lee Pierce at Lylehurst in Nashville, the home of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Lyles, on October 27, 1924. By 1926 he and his wife moved to

, where Kuhn was a stockbroker and spent the rest of his life as one. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church,

Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a large parade and a host of related community events held in Tampa, Florida almost every year since 1904. The theme of the festivities is a friendly invasion by the mythical pirate José Gaspar (also known as Gasp ...

and the University Club. Kuhn was a charter member of the Merrymaker's Club, the Sword and Shield Club and the Tampa Quarterback Club, and was once president of the State and Tampa Exchange Club and the Tampa Junior Chamber of Commerce. He also aided the start of the athletics program at the University of Tampa. Kuhn led an initiative to plant ''

'' trees in downtown Tampa, for which he was named Man of the Year a year before his death. A tree was planted on

Bayshore Boulevard Bayshore Boulevard is a waterfront road on Hillsborough Bay in South Tampa, Florida. Located south of downtown Tampa Downtown Tampa is the central business district of Tampa, Florida, United States, and the chief financial district of the ...

in his honor. He died at his home in Tampa on October 8, 1968.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kuhn, Oliver 1898 births 1968 deaths American football quarterbacks Baseball shortstops Guards (basketball) Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Vanderbilt Commodores baseball players Vanderbilt Commodores football players Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball players Players of American football from Nashville, Tennessee Baseball players from Nashville, Tennessee Basketball players from Nashville, Tennessee Players of American football from Tampa, Florida Baseball players from Tampa, Florida Basketball players from Tampa, Florida Tampa Spartans American men's basketball players American military personnel of World War I