Albert C. Katzenmeyer (July 11, 1918 – October 2, 1970) was an American coach and administrator who was the men's golf coach at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

from 1947 to 1968 and the

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

athletic director from 1968 to 1970. He was one of 31 fatalities in the

Wichita State University football team plane crash In clear and calm weather in Colorado at 1:14 p.m. MDT on Friday, October 2, 1970, a chartered Martin 4-0-4 airliner crashed into a mountain eight miles (13 km) west of Silver Plume. Operated by Golden Eagle Aviation Inc., the twin-e ...

Golfing

Katzenmeyer was born in

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a small district extending into Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, it lies along the Connoquenessing Creek just east of i ...

on July 11, 1918 to John and Elizabeth (Swartz) Katzenmeyer. He played golf at Ann Arbor High School and

Alma College Alma College is a Private college, private Presbyterian Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Alma, Michigan. It enrolls approximately 1,200 students and is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accre ...

and captained his college team to an

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's Division III (NCAA), Division III. There are nine ...

championship. After graduating, he spent three years in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and was the assistant golf coach at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

in 1946. In 1947, Katzenmeyer became the head golf coach at the University of Michigan. He coached the Wolverines to

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

championships in 1947, 1949, and 1952. One of his golfers,

Dave Barclay David Barclay (July 5, 1920 – October 28, 2009) was an American amateur golfer in the 1940s. He played for the Michigan Wolverines golf team and won the 1947 NCAA golf championship held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Early life Barclay was a native ...

, won the 1947 NCAA golf championship. Katzenmeyer was also the coach of Michigan's junior varsity men's basketball team (1947–48) and an administrative assistant to athletic director

Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American college football player, coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...

(1962–68).

Wichita State University

On May 8, 1968, Katzenmeyer was named athletic director at Wichita State University. He took over a program that had recently been placed on probation by the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

for recruiting violations by football coach Boyd Converse and athletic director

Noah G. Allen Noah G. Allen (born November 14, 1927) is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon from 1961 to 1964, compiling a record of 8–26, a ...

. During the

1968 Wichita State Shockers football team The 1968 Wichita Shockers football team was an American football team that represented Wichita State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In its first season under hea ...

, feuded with head coach

Eddie Kriwiel Edward Adam Kriwiel (September 8, 1926 – December 2, 2007) was an American football and golf coach. A member of seven Kansas halls of fame, Kriwiel was a figurehead in state high school sports for many years. Playing career High school At Til ...

. The Shockers went winless that year and Kriwiel resigned at the end of the season. Katzenmeyer replaced him with

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

assistant Ben Wilson. On July 28, 1969, the school had its television and bowl game ban lifted by the NCAA "due largely to atzenmeyer'sefficient and practical reorganization of university policies and procedures. In 1970, the school dropped its baseball and gymnastic programs due to budgetary issues. On October 2, 1970, a plane transporting the Wichita State football team to a game at Utah State lost power, crashed, and burned in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

near

Silver Plume, Colorado Silver Plume is a Colorado municipalities#Statutory town, Statutory Town located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Silver Plume is a former silver mining camp along Clear Creek (Colorado), Clear Creek ...

. Katzenmeyer and his wife were among the 31 persons killed in the crash.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katzenmeyer, Bert 1918 births 1970 deaths Accidental deaths in Colorado Alma College alumni Michigan Wolverines men's golf coaches People from Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Wichita State Shockers athletic directors Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1970