Gerrit Smith Miller
Gerrit Smith Miller | |
|---|---|
 Smith Miller c. 1923 | |
| Born | January 30, 1845 |
| Died | March 10, 1937 (aged 92) Peterboro, New York |
| Occupation(s) | Dairy farmer and cattle breeder |
| Known for | Founder and captain of Oneida Football Club |
| Spouse | Susan Hunt Dixwell |
| Children | Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. Basil Dixwell Miller |
| Parents |
|
Gerrit Smith Miller (January 30, 1845 – March 10, 1937), commonly called Gat, was an American businessman, farmer, sportsman and politician regarded as "the father of football in the United States" as the founder of Oneida Football Club, considered the first organized team to play any form of football in the country.[1][2][3] The Oneida Club established informal rules which came to be known as the "Boston game" and are considered the first step to the codification of rules for association football, rugby football, or American football.[4]
Miller was the namesake of his grandfather, the famous abolitionist, businessman, and philanthropist Gerrit Smith. His parents were Smith's daughter, Elizabeth Smith Miller, and her husband Charles Dudley Miller. He grew up on the family's estate in Peterboro, New York, helping his grandfather by hiding escaped slaves in a barn or attic.[5]: 2 Starting in October 1860 he attended the school of Epes Sargent Dixwell in Boston,[5]: 2 and in 1867 married Dixwell's daughter Susan Hunt Dixwell. (Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., married a sister.[1]) He enrolled in Harvard in 1865, but set back by health problems, left before graduating;[5]: 2 in 1924 the university awarded him a honorary Master of Arts degree.[1]
Overview
Miller was primarily an importer and breeder of
He was the founder of the
He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1880.[9]
He was the donor of land and otherwise supported the George Junior Republic at Freeville, New York,[9] of which he was a trustee from 1897 to 1907.[10]
Miller's health failed after the burning on March 2, 1936, of his home, built by his great-grandfather, Peter Smith, in 1803.
He and his wife had three sons, of whom two reached adulthood: Gerrit Smith Miller Jr., a renowned zoologist, and Basil Dixwell Miller.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Death Takes Father of Football in U. S.—Gerrit Smith Miller Was Organizer of Oneidas". The Boston Globe. 11 Mar 1937. p. 21. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ a b No Christian End! The Beginnings of Football in America By PFRA Research (Originally Published in The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889 (PFRA Books)
- ^ a b THE BOSTON GAME article by Michael T. Geary at academia.edu
- ^ The Boston Game: Origins of Football
- ^ from the original on 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
- OCLC 8287591
- ^ Were the Oneidas playing soccer or not? by Roger Allaway at sover.net (archived)
- Syracuse Post-Standard. Archivedfrom the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "Funeral Plans for Gerrit S. Miller". Daily Freeman. Kingston, New York. 11 Mar 1937. p. 3. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Gerrit Miller, of Famous U.S. Family, Dies at 92". Chicago Tribune. 11 Mar 1937. p. 23. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- The Gazette and Daily. York, Pennsylvania. 11 Mar 1937. p. 7. Archivedfrom the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Death Takes Descendant of City Father". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. 12 Mar 1937. p. 15. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
Further reading
- )
- Scudder, Winthrop Saltonstall (1926). An Historical Sketch of the Oneida Football Club of Boston: 1862-1865. Massachusetts Historical Society.
- Scudder, Winthrop S., ed. (1924). Gerrit Smith Miller. An Appreciation. Dedham, Massachusetts: Noble and Greenough School.
- Decker, Frank Norton (1923). Kriemhild Herd , a Chapter in Holstein History. Syracuse, New York.
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