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Pictures of various Arizona sports in 1914-15, including one of the football program’s second team (The Desert yearbook photo)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
— General history
— J.F. “Pop” McKale
— The games
— Comparisons then and now
— Wildcats nickname
— Military service
— Rankings
— The players
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Clipping of actual L.A. Times article published Nov. 8, 1914
Excerpt from L.A. Times, Nov. 8, 1914, authored by Bill Henry:
“Arizona’s cactus-fed athletes, despite heroic efforts on the part of their two halfbacks, (Asa) Porter and (Franklin) Luis, went down to defeat before the Occidental Tigers yesterday afternoon, the tally with all precincts heard from being 14 to 0 in favor of the Tigers.
Confident of rolling up a big score, the Tigers took the field with grins on their faces, but before the game was 10 seconds old they knew they had a battle on their hands.
The Arizona men showed the fight of wild cats and displayed before the public gaze a couple of little shrimps in the backfield who defied all attempts of the Tigers to stop them.”This site will conduct a countdown in a 100-day period, leading up to Arizona’s 2014 football season-opener with UNLV on Aug. 29 at Arizona Stadium. The 100 Days ‘Til Kickoff countdown will include information daily about the historic 1914 Arizona team that helped create the school’s nickname of “Wildcats” because of how they played that fateful day against Occidental.
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This series has introduced you to a couple of Arizona chants in 1914, one vicious, another with a festive yell introducing the “Wildcat” into the school’s vocabulary.
A poem titled, “Our Mascot”, was also published in the 1914-15 yearbook The Desert.
Mascots of people whose veins are dry;
How little you imply,
Or help the masters who on you lay bets!
Dwell with some idler schools
That never felt the stir of victories,
Which give us memories
Of combats where brawn and brains are tools!
But come, thou Wild Cat, strong yet slight,
At fight the strongest and most slick,
Whose springing jump is far too quick
To let the eye take in your flight!
Come, and to our struggling men
Give strength and courage, which you can!
Quick; but so must be our teams
As they go plunging down the field
To make a touchdown midst your screams;
A ball to catch, a bat to wield,
Using strength like yours, it seems.
Wild; but so must be the rooting stand
While it shouts your name, in chorus
Cheering, as the teams play for us,
Bringing now the vict’ry grand.
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THE LAST WEEK IN THE SERIES:
— No. 26: Formation of “A” Club also evolved 100 years ago
— No. 27: McKale established identity for Arizona in first season
— No. 28: Unlike Rodriguez today, McKale afforded three preseason games in 1914
— No. 29: The “Wildcat Yell” hits Arizona’s campus in 1914-15
— No. 30: Update of player size then and now
— No. 31: Raymond Miller, left tackle
— No. 32: Lawrence Richard Jackson, right end
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The 1914 Arizona football team that earned the honor of being named the first “Wildcats” was composed of (front row, left to right): Verne La Tourette, George Seeley, Leo Cloud, Richard Meyer, Asa Porter. Second row: Franklin Luis, Lawrence Jackson, Ray Miller, J.F. “Pop” McKale (coach), Turner Smith, Harry Hobson (manager), Orville McPherson, Albert Crawford, Ernest Renaud. Back row: Albert Condron, Emzy Lynch, Charley Beach, Vinton Hammels, Bill Hendry, George Clawson, Harry Turvey.
(AllSportsTucson.com graphic/Photo from University of Arizona Library Special Collections)
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What they were talking about on this day in 1914
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1914
World War I develops with Germany declaring war on Belgium and Britain declaring war on Germany. The U.S. officially declares neutrality in the war. President Woodrow Wilson warns American citizens abroad to not show allegiance to either side or else suffer the consequences on their own.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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