Ivy Williamson
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Ivan B. "Ivy" Williamson (February 4, 1911 – February 19, 1969) was a player and coach of
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, and a college athletics administrator. He played
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 ...
and basketball 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 1930 to 1932 and was captain of the national champion 1932 Michigan football team. He was an assistant football coach at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
(1934–1941, 1945–1946) and the head football coach at
Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
(1947–1948) and the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
(1949–1955). He served as the athletic director at Wisconsin from 1955 to 1969.


Early life and playing career

Williamson was born and grew up near
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
in Prairie Depot, now known as
Wayne, Ohio Wayne is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 841 at the 2020 census. History Wayne was originally called Freeport, and under the latter name was platted in 1836. Another early variant name was Prairie Depot. The ...
. He attended Bowling Green High School where he was a star athlete. During his senior year, Williamson contracted
osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is the infectious inflammation of bone marrow. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The feet, spine, and hips are the most commonly involved bones in adults. The cause is ...
, an infection in his ankle bone. Despite being told that he would probably not play football again, Williamson worked himself back into shape and became a star football player in college.


Michigan

Williamson attended 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 ...
, where he played basketball and football. He won two varsity letters in basketball and three in football. He was first-team All-Big Ten in football in 1931 and 1932 and was captain of the national champion 1932 Michigan football team. Michigan's head coach
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...
said, "Ivy Williamson is the smartest I have ever had or hope to have." In his three years playing football for Michigan, the Wolverines won three straight Big Ten titles and had an overall record of 24 wins, one loss and two ties. Williamson graduated from the University of Michigan in 1933 with distinction and received the Gold Medal award from university president as "the outstanding gentleman, athlete and scholar in the Class of 1933."


Coaching career


High school coach

After graduating from Michigan in 1933, Williamson taught economics and history and coached basketball and football at Roseville High School in
Roseville, Michigan Roseville is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Roseville is located roughly northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,710. History The first pe ...
. He led Roseville's football team to an undefeated season in 1933.


Yale and military service

In 1934, Williamson was hired as an assistant football coach at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. He remained an assistant coach under Ducky Pond from 1934 to 1940 and remained on the staff under head coach Spike Nelson in 1941. In June 1942, Williamson was commissioned a lieutenant junior grade in the
United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
entered the
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
. He was assigned to coach a Navy football team in 1942 with Potsy Clark at
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
. During three years in the military, Williamson had tours of duty at a Naval station in
Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city and the county seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. It is located in Central Florida and its population was 61,051 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical ...
, a gunnery school in
Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...
, the cadet selection board in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
and the carrier USS Wolverine in Chicago. He remained in the Navy for three years and was discharged in 1945. Williamson rejoined the Yale coaching staff in 1945 under head coach Howard Odell. Williamson also served as the head basketball coach at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
for the 1946–47 season.


Lafayette

In 1947, Williamson was hired as the head coach at
Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
in
Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...
. In the two years before Williamson was hired, the Lafayette football team won only 3 games, lost 14 and tied 1. Williamson immediately turned the program around, leading the team to a 6–3 record in 1947 and 7–2 in 1948. The only losses in 1947 were to Army and Rutgers.


Wisconsin

In February 1949, Williamson was hired as the head football coach at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
. He again took over a program with a losing record, as the Badgers finished 2–7 the year before Williamson was hired. The team steadily improved in the first there years under Williamson, finishing 5–3–1 in 1949, 6–3 in 1950, and 7–1–1 in 1951. The 1952 team finished the regular season 6–2–1, tied for the Big Ten championship. The Badgers lost to the
USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...
in the
1953 Rose Bowl The 1953 Rose Bowl was the 39th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, January 1, at the end of the 1952 college football season. The fifth-ranked USC Trojans of the Pacific Coast ...
by a 7–0 score. In January 1951, Williamson was approached by the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
about taking the head coaching job for the Trojans. The University of Wisconsin offered Williamson a pay raise of $2,000 (from $10,300 to $12,500), and raises of $1,500 to his four assistant coaches, in order to persuade him to stay. In 1953, the ''
Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...
'' published an article on Williamson titled, "That Gentlemanly Coach at Wisconsin." The article's author, Harry Paxton, wrote: "Ivy Williamson is a big, unruffled Midwesterner from a small Ohio farm town. He speaks mildly and calmly. He never dramatizes himself, but somehow with him seems to get the feeling that here is a nice, honest fellow with a good head on his shoulders. He has a natural gift for winning and keeping the confidence of all sorts of people—alumni and other boosters; faculty and school officials, players and prospective players." The team continued to thrive in 1953 with a record of 6–2–1 and in 1954 with a record of 7–2. Williamson experienced his first losing season as a head coach in 1955 with a record of 4–5.


Administrative career

In November 1955, Williamson became Wisconsin's athletic director following the death of athletic director Guy Sundt. He was replaced as head football coach by
Milt Bruhn Milton Caspar Bruhn (July 28, 1912 – May 14, 1991) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1956 to 1966, compiling a record of 52–45–6 (.534). Bruhn led the Wiscon ...
. Due to a university policy providing that the athletic director could not be paid a salary higher than that of the dean, the move to athletic director came with a salary cut from $15,300 to $13,500. During Williamson's 13 years as athletic director, he increased the capacity of
Camp Randall Stadium Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895 ...
to 77,000 with the construction of an upper deck, expanded intramural facilities, restored men's ice hockey as a varsity sport, and built a new natatorium, a new baseball field and running track. In 1955, the University of Wisconsin announced that the newly established Ivy Williamson Trophy would be presented each year to the senior football player showing the highest degree of sportsmanship throughout his career. In December 1957, Williamson was one of 25 former college football players chosen by ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' for its silver anniversary All-American team honoring players with outstanding career and community service records. In January 1963, Williamson was elected permanent chairman of the NCAA Football Rules Committee. The football program continued to thrive into the early 1960s, but went into a steep decline later in the decade, finishing 8–19 from 1964 to 1966 and then having consecutive winless seasons in 1967 and 1968.


Firing and death

In January 1969, after five straight losing seasons and with the athletic department having a deficit, Williamson was fired as Wisconsin's athletic director at age 57. He was reassigned to a new position in the school of physical education with a reduction in salary from $23,000 to $18,800. He was described by those who knew him as "a man crushed in spirit" after his removal as athletic director. Less than six weeks after his firing, Williamson died from irreversible brain stem damage after falling down the basement stairs at his home in
Maple Bluff, Wisconsin Maple Bluff is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,368 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison located on the eastern shore of Lake Mendota and is part of t ...
. He was taken by ambulance to the University hospital in Madison, where he was pronounced dead. He was survived by his wife, Beulah, and twin sons, Jack and David.


Head coaching record


College football


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Ivy 1911 births 1969 deaths American football ends American men's basketball players Lafayette Leopards football coaches Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Michigan Wolverines football players Wisconsin Badgers athletic directors Wisconsin Badgers football coaches Yale Bulldogs men's basketball coaches Yale Bulldogs football coaches High school basketball coaches in Michigan High school football coaches in Michigan United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy reservists People from Wayne, Ohio Sportspeople from Wood County, Ohio Players of American football from Toledo, Ohio People from Maple Bluff, Wisconsin Sportspeople from Dane County, Wisconsin Coaches of American football from Ohio Basketball players from Ohio Basketball coaches from Ohio Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Wisconsin 20th-century American sportsmen