William H. Spaulding

William H. Spaulding

Spaulding, c. 1936
Biographical details
Born	(1880-05-04)May 4, 1880 Melrose, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1966(1966-10-12) (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1903–1906	Wabash
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1907–1921	Western State
1922–1924	Minnesota
1925–1938	Southern Branch / UCLA
Basketball
1913–1922	Western State
Baseball
1911–1921	Western State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1938–1947	UCLA
Head coaching record
Overall	145–83–15 (football) 77–43 (basketball) 63–18–4 (baseball)
Bowls	1–0
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 1 PCC (1935)

William H. Spaulding (May 4, 1880 – October 12, 1966) was an

Spaulding was born in Melrose, Wisconsin, in 1880. He attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he played halfback for the football team and ran sprints for the track team.^[3] He was a member of the 1905 Wabash Little Giants football team that defeated Notre Dame.^[4]

In 1906, Spaulding briefly played professional football on Willie Heston's All Stars.^[4]

Coaching and administrative career

Western State

In 1907, Spaulding was hired as the first coach and physical training director at Western State Normal School (later renamed Western Michigan University).^[5]

He was the head coach of the school's football team for 15 years from 1907 to 1921, compiling a 62–25–3 (.706) record. He is still the winningest coach in school history, though he is presently tied on the Broncos' all-time wins list with Al Molde. His players at Western State included Frank Thomas who went on to be the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 1931 to 1946.

He was the head coach for the Western State Normal School men's basketball program from 1913 through 1922, compiling a 77–43 (.642) record, and finishing .500 or higher in each of his nine seasons.

He was also the head coach for Western State's baseball program from 1911 through 1921, compiling a 63–18–4 (.765) record.

Minnesota

In January 1922, Spaulding was hired by the University of Minnesota to replace Henry L. Williams as the school's head football coach. He was hired at a salary of $5,500 per year.^[6] In 1924, Spaulding's Golden Gophers stopped Red Grange and handed Illinois its only defeat of the 1924 season.

UCLA

In May 1925, Spaulding was hired by the University of California Southern Branch (later renamed UCLA) as its head football coach and athletic director. He signed a five-year contract with Southern Branch at a salary of $10,000 per year.^[7]

Spaulding's

In February 1938, Spaulding announced that he would resign as UCLA's head football coach after the 1938 season. He had also assumed the role as UCLA's athletic director and stated that he would thereafter confine himself to those duties.[9]

Spaulding remained at UCLA as athletic director from 1938 to 1947. After 22 years at UCLA, Spaulding resigned in March 1947, indicating that he intended to go into business.^[10]

Later years

Spaulding and his wife, Jess, had a son, William E. Spaulding, and three daughters, Jane, Frances, and Barbara. His wife died in 1953.^[11] He later remarried to a second wife, Eleanor.^[3]

Spaulding died in 1966 at age 86 at the Elizabeth Manor Sanitarium in Los Angeles.^[3] He had been ill and in "a virtual coma" for several years before his death.^[12]

Head coaching record

Football

Basketball

References