Lynn Bomar
No. 7 | |
---|---|
Position: | End, tackle |
Personal information | |
Born: | Bell Buckle, Tennessee, U.S. | January 21, 1901
Died: | June 11, 1964 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | (aged 63)
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Fitzgerald and Clarke School (Tullahoma, Tennessee) |
College: | Vanderbilt |
Career history | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Robert Lynn Bomar (January 21, 1901 – June 11, 1964) was an
He had a later career in law enforcement. In his position as Tennessee's Commissioner of Public Safety and Patrol chief, Bomar supervised the ransacking of black households during the 1946 Columbia race riot. He was the warden of Tennessee State Prison from 1955 until his death, and oversaw several executions. In 1956, Bomar was the first Vanderbilt football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Early life and education
Bomar was born on January 21, 1901, in
Fitzgerald and Clarke
Bomar then attended preparatory school at the Fitzgerald and Clarke Military Academy in
Vanderbilt University
Football
Bomar played for head coach
He was prominent on Commodore teams which compiled a win–loss–tie record of 26–5–4 (.800) and three straight conference titles during his four seasons. Bomar was an
Bomar's play was described:The Blonde Bear was one of the world's greatest football players, who never missed an open field block. When one considers he made Walter Camp's All-America team when he was backing up the line on defense and blocking and catching passes on offense, his greatness is realized.[15]
[Bomar] plucked passes out of the ozone that seemed impossible to get, and then raced through the enemy like they were tied." Often he started games at
His favorite refrain to opponents was, "I hope you don't like it."[16]
1921
During Bomar's freshman season at Vanderbilt, he was already a standout player as a starting fullback.
1922
Vanderbilt had its second straight undefeated season in
Bomar's best offensive performance that year was against Georgia. Neely made a long pass from a few yards behind the line of scrimmage at the 45-yard line; Bomar caught it near the seven-yard line, and was tackled by Georgia halfback Loren Chester (Teany) Randall at around the three-yard line before Reese scored the touchdown. Neely and Bomar were among the best pass-receiver combinations in Vanderbilt history:[32][33] "Bomar, unquestionably, was Vanderbilt's best receiver, snatching everything thrown at him."[33]
A similar play in the game's second half scored another touchdown.
After the season, Bomar received first-team All-American honors from Frank G. Menke. He was also chosen a second-team All-American by Walter Camp, a third-team All-American by Walter Eckersall and appeared on Billy Evans' National Honor Roll. Bomar and Red Barron of Georgia Tech were the two unanimous All-Southern selections.[36] Grantland Rice wrote the next year, "There was no better end in the country last fall"[37] and Camp described Bomar:
Bomar, of Vanderbilt, is only shaded a little by two other ends, largely through the experienced gained by his rivals against stronger opposition. He weighs 200 pounds, is tremendously fast, and a hardy, defensive player. On attack he is able to pick the forward pass out of the air on the full run, and, running with a high-knee action quite like that of the redoubtable Ted Coy, if he cannot get by his man, runs him down and goes on over him, still on his feet.[38]
1923
In
Vanderbilt and Washington and Lee finished the season as Southern Conference co-champions. A sportswriters' poll chose the Commodores as best team in the South, awarding them the Pickens Trophy (awarded from 1923 to 1926).[43][44][45] Bomar was a consensus All-American, receiving first-team honors from Collier's Weekly (Walter Camp) and second-team honors from Athletic World magazine.[46] He was one of the first players from the South to receive first-team honors from Camp,[47][48] who described the player:
Bomar of Vanderbilt is an experienced end of 200 pounds in weight, with speed, initiative, and an uncanny perception in diagnosing plays. Bomar can back up a line when needed, can not be swept out by swinging interference and is powerful enough to hold his own even when big guards and tackles come at him. As a receiver of a forward pass, he has, besides the skill, the excellent quality of being very hard to knock off his feet, and when he and the defense both try for the pass at the same time, Bomar is far more likely to get the ball on account of the fact that he outweighs the majority of defensive players. He has been used in all sorts of positions this year, both in attack and defense and this had broadened his scope and increased his value.[49][50]
1924
During Bomar's senior season (when he moved to halfback), the Commodores tied the
In the Georgia game Bomar had a
He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Nashville sportswriter Fred Russell, who entered Vanderbilt in 1924, told a story about Bomar in his autobiography Bury Me In An Old Press Box: "As a freshman I had pledged Kappa Sigma fraternity, which at that time had many varsity athletes. Among them was Lynn Bomar, selected All-American end in 1923 ... I also had the responsibility, as a freshman, of awakening Bomar in time for him to get to classes, and at the end of the school year I did this one morning by rolling the biggest lighted firecracker I ever saw under his bed. When it exploded I feared the whole corner of the fraternity house had been blown off, and I was so scared that even Bomar in his BVD's chasing me across the street and deep into the campus couldn't catch me."[54]
According to Vanderbilt's All-Southern halfback and 1924 captain-elect Gil Reese, "He would never let them jump on me. Whenever anyone would threaten me, Bomar was always right there to say 'Keep your hands off that boy'. They always did, too. Bomar always looked after me, and he always called back to me when we started on end runs. No one could run interference like Bomar."[53] Bomar and Reese were on an all-time Vanderbilt team in the school's 1934 yearbook, and Bomar was chosen for an Associated Press Southeast Area all-time football team for the era from 1920 to 1969.[55]
Basketball
Bomar also played
1922–23
The 1922–23 team had a 16–8 record, beating the LSU Tigers but losing to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament.[57] An account of the LSU game read, "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."[58] Bomar scored two points in the game.[59]
1923–24
The team, coached by Josh Cody, had a 7–15 record. In the SoCon tournament, Vanderbilt defeated Clemson 42–13 and Bomar scored seven points. According to one account, "Reese and Bomar used to be famous for their forward pass work. They are still using it in basketball. Most of Bomar's passes to Reese are caught over the right shoulder with the recipient facing away from the passer."[60] Along with Reese, All-Southern forward Alvin Bell was also a teammate.[61] Vanderbilt lost the next game to the eventual tournament champions, Jack Cobb and Cartwright Carmichael-led North Carolina, 37–20.[62] When Bomar was sidelined by a football injury in 1924, Gil Reese became the basketball team captain.[63]
Baseball
He was a catcher on the baseball team.[4] Cliff Wheatley spoke of the many good catchers from which to choose for his 1922 All-Southern baseball team, "And up at Vanderbilt, Lynn Bomar made a splendid record."[64]
New York Giants
1925
Bomar fully recovered from his injury and played
The first noteworthy game for Bomar was a 14–0 loss to the
Although the Giants played well, the team experienced financial hardship during its first year. Player salaries were so low that most had to take additional jobs to support themselves. The team's brief practices, held at 4:30 p. m. each day to accommodate outside-work schedules, enabled little in-season improvement.[66] Overshadowed by baseball, boxing and college football, professional football was not a popular sport in 1925 and owner Tim Mara spent $25,000 of his own money during the season to keep the team going.[70] The financial struggle continued until the 11th game of the season, when the visiting Red Grange and the Chicago Bears drew more than 73,000 fans (a pro-football record)[71] and an additional 20,000 were turned away.[72] This gave the Giants much-needed revenue, possibly altering the team's history.[73][74] In the 19–7 Bears victory, Grange intercepted a pass intended for Bomar and returned it for a touchdown.[75]
1926
In the season's second week Bomar scored against Providence on a 15-yard pass from McBride, and he scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass from
Longest pass
From the top of the
Personal life
Bomar married Veturia Edna Hicks on November 20, 1927 in
Law-enforcement career
After football and marriage, Bomar was assistant manager of the Colonial Hotel in Springfield, Tennessee for seven years.[77] He sold life insurance, but found it dull.[77] Bomar then began a long career in law enforcement, beginning in the United States Marshals Service office from 1934 to 1939. In 1939 he became a division chief with the Knoxville Highway Patrol[85] and a year later became director of public safety, overseeing the city's police and fire departments.[4] For a few months the public-safety position was eliminated, and Bomar was again the Highway Patrol division chief.[77] Governor Prentice Cooper promoted him to chief on a trial basis in 1942, when the incumbent went on active duty in World War II.[77]
Commissioner of Public Safety
In 1945, Bomar was appointed as both state commissioner of public safety and patrol chief.[77] In this capacity he worked for the Tennessee Motor Transportation Association, Universal Tire and Appliance Company and the Tennessee Superintendent of Public Works.[2]
Columbia Race Riots
In 1946, Bomar supervised the
Under oath in court, Bomar said that he had no search warrant and anticipated that he would not have a warrant the next time he searched similar properties.[89] He called journalist Vincent Sheean a "lying Communistic yellow ——."[90] According to a contemporary account, "In this situation, even though it's fair to say [Bomar] was just doing his job, it's equally clear that he was a loose cannon. His personality dominated the scene, and it was the personality of a bully."[91]
Warden
Bomar was warden of Tennessee State Prison from 1955 until his death.[92] He oversaw the execution of several men[93] including William Tines, an African American convicted of raping a 45-year-old white woman, who was executed in the electric chair.[93][94][95] Tines was the last man executed by electrocution in Tennessee, and the last person executed until Robert Glen Coe in 2000.[94]
The Prisonaires
Bomar supported the Prisonaires, a doo-wop quintet of inmates[96][97] who received a BMI award for their hit "Just Walkin' in the Rain" in his office.[98] A spoken-word track on their album, Only Believe ... , was "Message from Prison Warden Lynn Bomar".[99][100]
Death
On June 11, 1964, Bomar died a few hours after a
Notes
Endnotes
- ^ a b c Vanderbilt University 2014, p. 143
- ^ a b c d Traughber 2011, p. 87
- ^ a b Vanderbilt University 1925, p. 124
- ^ a b c d e f g O'Brien 1999, p. 167
- ^ "Fitzgerald and Clarke Military Academy". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Bob Hammers (June 7, 1974). "Wade Led Military School". Tullahoma News. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ Pope 1955, p. 187
- ^ a b "City loses Fitzgerald Clarke, builds Tullahome High School".
- ^ Vanderbilt University 2014, p. 133
- ^ Robert Johnson. "Good Evening". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
- ^ Bill Shannon. "B". Dictionary of New York Sports. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ Russell 1957, p. 45
- ^ a b c Russell 1938, p. 43
- ^ O'Brien 1999, pp. 167–168
- ^ a b "Commodores Defeat Texas Longhorns before Crowded Stadium, 20 to 0". Dallas Morning News. October 23, 1921.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Victory Removed Last Chance of Perfect Year Slate". Dallas Morning News. October 25, 1921.
- ^ "Southwestern Champions Bring Wonder Team Here to Battle Vandy Eleven". Dallas Morning News. October 16, 1921.
- ^ Pope 1955, p. 344
- ^ John A. Simpson. The Greatest Game Ever Played In Dixie. p. 3.
- ^ C.E. Baker (November 1, 1921). "Vanderbilt To Play Bama Eleven Saturday". Macon Telegraph.
- ^ "Alabama – 1921 Football Recap" (PDF).
- ^ "Vanderbilt Wins Over Alabama U". Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana). November 6, 1921.
- ^ "Georgia and Vandy Battle to a Draw". The Columbus Enquirer. November 13, 1921.
- ^ "Commodores Tie In Last Period". The Palm Beach Post. November 13, 1921.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Downs Texas Longhorns, Long Grid Rivals." Dallas Morning News, October 22, 1922
- ^ "Vanderbilt Opens Its News Stadium with Tie." Charlotte Sunday Observer October 15, 1922: 2.
- ^ Perrin 1987, p. 113
- ^ a b "Commodores Win By Superior Play When Near Longhorns' Goal." Wichita Daily Times [Wichita Falls, Texas] October 22, 1922: 9.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Wins From Volunteers." The State [Columbia, SC] November 5, 1922: 11.
- ^ Walsh 2006, p. 123
- ^ a b Baker 1945, p. 85
- ^ Homer George (November 19, 1922). "Georgia Bulldogs Are Defeated by Vanderbilt 12 to 0". Atlanta Constitution.
- ^ "Vandy Trounces Sewanee 26 to 0." The Macon Daily Telegraph December 1, 1922
- ^ "All-Southern Grid Warriors Chosen By Dixie Coaches". The Spartanburg Herald. December 9, 1922.
- ProQuest 497536866.
- ProQuest 149410644.
- ^ a b see "Michigan Wins From Vanderbilt". Michigan Alumnus. 30: 48–52. 1923.
- ^ Ed Hebert (October 29, 1923). "Jubilant Greenies En Route To 'Nooga For Week Of Rest". Times-Picayune.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Ties With All-Star Princeton Team". Springfield Republican. December 9, 1923.
- ^ "Champions of the South regardless of conference affiliation". wisc.edu. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ "Wolf Pack, U.C. Grid-Game Held Season Feature". Nevada State Journal. December 3, 1923.
- ProQuest 180509468.
- ^ "Award Winners" (PDF). 2014 NCAA Football Records Book. Indianapolis, Indiana: National Collegiate Athletic Association: 5, 17. 2014.
- ^ Scott 2008, p. 25
- ^ Hickok 1995, p. 80
- ^ Camp, Walter (December 19, 1923). "West and South Recognized In Camp's 1923 Selections". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Hope Lynn Bomar May Make Recovery". The Florence Times. October 27, 1924.
- ^ a b Traughber 2011, p. 89
- ^ Russell 1957, p. 11
- ^ "All-Time Football Team Lists Greats Of Past, Present". Gadsden Times. July 27, 1969.
- ^ Neel 1975, p. 43
- ^ "Vanderbilt Basketball 2011–12" (PDF).
- ^ Danforth, Ed (February 28, 1923). "Vandy Shows Class in Beating L.S.U.". Atlanta Georgian.
- ^ "History of the Early S.I.A.A. Atlanta Basketball Tournament – 1923". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ "Tournament Tidbits," by Walter Schwam, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1924.
- ^ "Class of 1978". Archived from the original on April 17, 2016.
- ^ "History of the Early Southern Conference Atlanta Basketball Tournament". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Captain Three Times". Times Signal. February 5, 1925. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
- ^ Vanderbilt University 2014, p. 149
- ^ a b Gottehrer 1963, p. 27
- ^ Gottehrer 1963, p. 33
- ^ a b "1925 New York Giants". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016.
- ^ Willis 2010, p. 217
- ^ "New York Giants". Archived from the original on April 21, 2016.
- ^ Neft 1994, p. 52
- ^ Watterson 2000, p. 154
- NFL.com. Archived from the originalon April 10, 2016.
- ^ Carroll 1999, p. 126
- ^ Grange 1953, p. 101
- ^ "Lynn Bomar 1926 Touchdown Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f O'Brien 1999, p. 168
- ^ a b c Daly 2012, pp. 25–26
- ^ James M. O. Loyer (2006). "Hinkey Haines: One For The Record Book" (PDF).
- ^ "Giants owner Mara was present at the creation". The Washington Times. January 26, 2001. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ Tennessee State Marriages, 1780–2002. Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives
- ^ a b "Lynn Bomar Ex-Vanderbilt Star, Dies". Chicago Tribune. June 12, 1964. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ "Lynn Bomar, Director". Tennessee Blue Book. Secretary of State. 1951.
- ^ a b c "Columbia Race Riot, 1946". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ a b "10 Are Wounded In Race Riot At Columbia, Tenn". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 26, 1946.
- ^ Minor, Robert (1946). Lynching and Frame-Up in Tennessee. New York: New Century Publishers. pp. 61–62.
- ^ Ickes, Harold (October 18, 1946). "Civil Rights Denied In Tennessee Case". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ O'Brien 1999, p. 45
- ^ Marc Stengel (February 19, 1998). "Between Black and White". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ "Lynn Bomar Has Been Appointed". American Journal of Correction: 63. 1955.
- ^ a b e. g. Richard Urban. "The story of William Tines, Tennessee's last Dead Man Walking". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ a b "Tennessee Executions". Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "State v. Bomar". Justia Law. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ "Lifer Teams Up To Turn Out Song Hit". Cedar Rapids Gazette. November 10, 1956. p. 1.
- ^ Gart 1989, p. 20
- ^ Discography, MTV, retrieved August 26, 2014
- ^ "Only Believe ..." AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- ^ "Bomar, Lynn". Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
References
- Baker, Louis Henry (1945). Football:Facts and Figures.
- Carroll, John Martin (1999). Grange and the Rise of Modern Football. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252023842.
- Daly, Dan (2012). The National Forgotten League: Entertaining Stories and Observations from Pro Football's First Fifty Years. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0803244603.
- Gart, Galen (1989). First Pressings: 1957. Vol. 7. ISBN 9780936433073.
- Gottehrer, Barry (1963). The Giants Of New York. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
- Grange, Red (1953). The Red Grange Story: An Autobiography. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252063299.
- Hickok, Ralph (1995). A who's who of sports champions: their stories and records. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395681954.
- Neel, Roy M. (1975). DYNAMITE! 75 YEARS OF VANDERBILT BASKETBALL.
- Neft, David S (1994). The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. St. Martin's Press.
- O'Brien, Gail Williams (1999). The Color of the Law: Race, Violence, and Justice in the Post-World War II South. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807848029.
- Perrin, Tom (1987). Football: a college history. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. ISBN 9780899502946.
- Pope, Edwin (1955). Football's Greatest Coaches. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016.
- Russell, Fred (1938). Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football. Nashville, TN.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Russell, Fred (1957). Bury Me In An Old Press Box: Good Times and Life of a Sportswriter.
- Scott, Richard (2008). SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion. Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur. ISBN 9781616731335.
- Traughber, William L. (2011). Vanderbilt Football: Tales of Commodore Gridiron History. Charleston, SC. ISBN 9781609494230.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Vanderbilt University (2014). Vanderbilt Football 2014 Fact Book. Nashville, Tennessee.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Vanderbilt University (1925). Vanderbilt Yearbook, The Commodore.
- Vanderbilt University (1934). Vanderbilt Yearbook, The Commodore.
- Walsh, Christopher J. (2006). Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC. Taylor Trade. ISBN 9781461734772.
- Watterson, John Sayle (2000). College Football: history, spectacle, controversy. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Willis, Chris (2010). The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810876705.