Romeyn Berry (1881-1957) was an American sports administrator and author. Nicknamed "Rym," Berry attended

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...

, graduating in 1904 and earning a law degree in 1906. During his senior year, Berry was elected to the

Sphinx Head Society The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at Cornell University. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of a dedication to leadership and service at Corn ...

and editor of the ''Cornell Widow'' with

George Jean Nathan George Jean Nathan (February 14, 1882 – April 8, 1958) was an American drama critic and magazine editor. He worked closely with H. L. Mencken, bringing the literary magazine '' The Smart Set'' to prominence as an editor, and co-founding a ...

as business manager. In 1905, Berry composed the lyrics for the Cornell song ''The Big Red Team'', thereby dubbing Cornell athletics "

The Big Red ''The Big Red'' is the eighteenth studio album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. It was released in January 2012 and peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Charts. It was the first all-original album in almost four years for Willia ...

." From 1906 to 1919, Berry practiced law in New York City. During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Leaving his law practice, Berry became the Graduate Director of Cornell Athletics from 1919 to 1935. During these years, Berry also served as graduate manager of the

Cornell University Glee Club The Cornell University Glee Club (CUGC) is the oldest student organization at Cornell University, having been organized shortly after the first students arrived on campus in 1868. The CUGC is a thirty-nine member chorus for tenor and bass voices, ...

. In 1932, he was president of the Eastern Collegiate Baseball League, and he was named to the American Olympic Committee in 1938. Berry was succeeded as athletic director by

James Lynah James Lynah (1881 – February 24, 1956) was an American businessman and sports administrator who is considered the principal founder of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Lynah Rink is named in his honor. Early years Born in Charle ...

. Around 1936, he moved to a 65-acre farm known as "Stoneposts" in Jacksonville, New York, about 10 miles from Ithaca. His first wife was Olive Nutting, whose father, Captain Lee Nutting, had won the Medal of Honor in the Civil War. His second wife was Hester Bancroft who was a sculptor and painter. Well-known among Cornell alumni for his wit, Berry contributed to the ''Cornell Alumni News'', ''

The Ithaca Journal ''The Ithaca Journal'' is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper published in Ithaca, New York. It is locally edited and printed in Johnson City, New York, and publishes Monday through Saturday. It has been owned by Gannett since 1912. Publication ...

'', ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

'', '' The American Agriculturalist'', and Cornell football game programs. He also authored ''Dirt Roads to Stoneposts'' (1949), ''Stoneposts in the Sunset'' (1950), and ''Behind the Ivy'' (1950). His pieces for the Ithaca Journal ran under the heading "State and Tioga" from 1931 to 1956 and reflected his gentle humor and wry observations about rural life and human nature. He was inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.

References

Cornell Big Red athletic directors 1881 births 1957 deaths Cornell Law School alumni {{US-sport-bio-stub