George Babcock (American football)

Richard George Babcock (March 21, 1899 – February 27, 1988)[1] was an American football player, coach and athletic director. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1923 to 1925 and served as the head football coach at the University of Akron in 1926 and at the University of Cincinnati from 1927 to 1930. He also served as the University of Cincinnati's athletic director from 1927 to 1932.

George Babcock
Babcock from The Cincinnatian, 1929
Biographical details
Born(1899-03-21)March 21, 1899
Illinois
DiedFebruary 27, 1988(1988-02-27) (aged 88)
Greenville, Michigan
Playing career
1923–1925Michigan
Position(s)Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1926Akron
1927–1930Cincinnati
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1927–1932Cincinnati
Head coaching record
Overall17–23–5

Early years

Babcock was born in Illinois,[2] and grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan.[3] In 1918, he was living in River Rouge, Michigan, and working as an electrician for the Great Lakes Engineering Works, a shipbuilding company.[2] At the time of the 1920 United States Census, he was living in Detroit, Michigan, and working as a hotel clerk.[4]

University of Michigan

Babcock attended the University of Michigan where he played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1923 to 1925. He was 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and weighed 180 pounds while playing for Michigan. At age 26, he was a starter at tackle for the 1925 Michigan Wolverines football team that outscored its opponents by a combined score of 227 to 3 on the season.[5] While attending Michigan, Babcock studied education and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and of the Sphinx and Michigamua.[3]

Coaching career

Akron

In February 1926, the Municipal University of Akron, now known as the University of Akron, announced that it had chosen Babcock as its new football and track coach.[6] Babcock let the Akron Zips football team to a 5–2–2 record during the 1926 season.[7]

Cincinnati

In March 1927, Babcock was hired as a professor of athletics and physical training at the University of Cincinnati.[8] From 1927 to 1930, he was the head football coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats football team, compiling a 12–21–3 record.[7] At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Babcock was living in Cincinnati with his wife, Aneeta, whom he married in approximately 1929. His occupation was listed as the athletic director of the University of Cincinnati.[9] In November 1928, Babcock, in his capacity as Cincinnati's athletic director, hired Frank E. Rice, another former University of Michigan athlete, to serve as the Bearcats' head basketball coach.[10] Babcock continued to serve as Cincinnati's athletic director until the fall of 1932.[11]

Babcock's overall record as a college football head coach was 17–23–5.[7]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Akron (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1926)
1926 Akron 5–2–24–2–2T–10th
Akron: 5–2–24–2–2
Cincinnati Bearcats (Ohio Athletic Conference / Buckeye Athletic Association) (1927)
1927 Cincinnati 2–5–20–4–2 / 0–3–1T–20th / 6th
Cincinnati Bearcats (Buckeye Athletic Association) (1928–1930)
1928 Cincinnati 1–80–56th
1929 Cincinnati 4–4–10–4–1T–5th
1930 Cincinnati 5–42–23rd
Cincinnati: 12–21–32–15–3
Total:17–23–5
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gollark: There's a limit of I think either 100 or 500 channels, so they can't have THAT many on here.
gollark: We don't even have the emoji for it now because we lost the boosts!
gollark: I used to run the transistor cult.
gollark: Sadly, most of the cultist roles are gone now.

References
  2. Draft registration card for Richard George Babcock, born March 21, 1899, age 19, resident of River Rouge, Wayne, Michigan. Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Registration Location: Wayne County, Michigan; Roll: 1683037; Draft Board: 3.
  3. Michiganensian. University of Michigan. 1926. p. 37.
  4. Census entry for Richard Babcock, age 21, born in Illinois. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Detroit Ward 2, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_802; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 65; Image: 187.
  5. "1925 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  6. "Bits O' Sport". The Zanesville Signal. February 10, 1926.
  7. "George Babcock Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  8. "Babcock Appointed". Youngstown Vindicator. March 12, 1927.
  9. Census entry for R. George Babcock, age 31, born in Illinois, married at age 30. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio; Roll: 1810; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 129; Image: 700.0.
  10. "Rice To Coach". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). November 21, 1928.
  11. "King Named Athletic Head at Cincinnati". The Toledo News-Bee. January 4, 1933.
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