Cleveland Leigh "Cleve" Abbott (some sources say "Cleveland S. Abbott") (December 9, 1894 – April 14, 1955) was an American

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player, coach and educator. He was the head coach of the

Tuskegee Golden Tigers football The Tuskegee Golden Tigers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Tuskegee University located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Southern Intercoll ...

team from 1923 to 1954.

Life

Abbott was born in

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. It became a city in 1889. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in South Dakota, 7th most po ...

in 1894, one of seven children to Albert B. (aka Elbert) Abbott (1862–1952) and Mollie Brown Abbott (1868–1909). Abbott graduated from high school (1908–1912)

Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center, which houses many of the works of Terry Redlin, one of the nation's most popular wildlife artists. Watertow ...

. He received his bachelor's degree (1912–1916) from

South Dakota State College South Dakota State University (SDSU or SD State) is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota, United States. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest university and is the second oldest continually operating universit ...

(SDSC) in

Brookings, South Dakota Brookings is a city in and the county seat of Brookings County, South Dakota, Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 23,377 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in South Dakota, fo ...

. He was an outstanding, multi-sport athlete at Watertown High School (16 varsity sports letters) and SDSC (now SDSU) (14

varsity letters A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...

). Hired by Booker T. Washington in 1913 to be the Tuskegee Institute football coach and dairy instructor upon 1916 SDSC graduation. He joined the US Army in 1917 at

Camp Dodge Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa, Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capital of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard. History Original construction of the post began ...

and served in Europe in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as an officer in the 366th Infantry Regiment After mustered out in 1919, Abbott taught at the Kansas Vocational School in Topeka, Kansas. In 1923, Abbott accepted a position as Athletic Director, professor and coach at Tuskegee. Abbott was the eighth head football coach for the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers located in

Tuskegee, Alabama Tuskegee ( ) is a city in Macon County, Alabama, Macon County, Alabama, United States. General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson, laid out the city and founded it in 1833. It became the county seat in the same y ...

and he held that position for 32 seasons, from 1923 until 1954. Abbott earned the respect of his peers through his team's performance and by participating in national committees for the selection of "

all-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n" players at the collegiate level.Baltimore Afro-American
"Looking 'em Over" November 2, 1946 He was the first African-American member of USA Track and Field Board circa 1940 and the first African-American member of the US Olympic Committee in 1946. He coached the first African-American Olympic champion,

Alice Coachman Alice Marie Coachman Davis (November 9, 1923 – July 14, 2014) was an American athlete. She specialized in high jump and was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Biography Early life and education Alice Coachman was born on Nov ...

(1948 high jump), and the second,

Mildred McDaniel Mildred "Millie" Louise McDaniel-Singleton ( McDaniel, November 4, 1933 – September 30, 2004) was an American athlete, who competed mainly in the women's high jump event during her career. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, she attended David T. H ...

(1956 high jump). He was married to Jessie Harriette Scott (March 23, 1897, Des Moines, Iowa – August 12, 1982, Tuskegee, Alabama) and had had a daughter, Jessie Ellen Abbott. Abbott died on April 17, 1955, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Cleveland Abbott was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in September 2018.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

SDSU Athletic Hall of Fame

Abbott, Cleveland Leigh (1892–1955)
at

BlackPast.org BlackPast.org is a web-based reference center that is dedicated primarily to the understanding of African-American history and Afro-Caribbean history and the history of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry. In 2011, the American Library Associ ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Cleveland 1894 births 1955 deaths American men's basketball players South Dakota State Jackrabbits baseball players South Dakota State Jackrabbits football players South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball players Tuskegee Golden Tigers athletic directors Tuskegee Golden Tigers football coaches Tuskegee Golden Tigers men's basketball coaches South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's track and field athletes Tuskegee Golden Tigers track and field coaches Tuskegee University faculty United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army officers Sportspeople from Yankton, South Dakota People from Watertown, South Dakota Coaches of American football from South Dakota Players of American football from South Dakota Baseball players from South Dakota Basketball coaches from South Dakota Basketball players from South Dakota Military personnel from South Dakota African-American coaches of American football African-American basketball coaches African-American track and field athletes African Americans in World War I African-American United States Army personnel 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen

Life

Head coaching record

College

See also

References

External links