J. Arthur Baird
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James Arthur Baird (November 2, 1877 – July 26, 1964) was an
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
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player, track athlete, coach of football,
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
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
, college athletics administrator, lawyer, and
Hancock County, Illinois Hancock County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620. Its county seat is Carthage, Illinois, Carthage, and its largest city is H ...
, judge.


Biography

Baird was born on November 2, 1877, in
Ferris, Illinois Ferris is a village in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 127 at the 2020 census. Geography Ferris is located in north-central Hancock County at (40.468753, -91.169448). It is north of Carthage, the county seat. Accor ...
, to Alexander Baird (1851–1916) and Allie May Moore (1853–1942). He graduated from
Carthage College Carthage College is a private college in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, it is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Carthage awards bachelor's degrees with majors in more than 40 subject areas and maste ...
in 1900 and was the first athlete to
letter Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech or none in the case of a silent letter; any of the symbols of an alphabet * Letterform, the g ...
in three sports in one season. He next enrolled at
Northwestern University School of Law The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (formerly known as Northwestern University School of Law from 1891 to 2015) is the law school of Northwestern University, a Private university, private research university. The law school is l ...
and played college football there from 1900 to 1902. He played at the guard and center positions and also handled kicking for Northwestern. He was also a member of the Northwestern track team, competing in the pole vault and high jump, and was selected in June 1903 as captain of the track team. He served as the head football coach at
Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the main campus is between Northfield and the approximately Carleton ...
from 1903 to 1905. He served as the head football coach at
Whitman College Whitman College is a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The school offers 53 majors and 33 minors in the liberal arts and sciences, and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Founded as a seminary by a territorial l ...
from 1906 to 1907. From 1908 to 1915, Baird served as the head football coach at
Carthage College Carthage College is a private college in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, it is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Carthage awards bachelor's degrees with majors in more than 40 subject areas and maste ...
. He was also the head basketball coach at Carthage from 1906 to 1914 and the head baseball coach there from 1910 to 1914. On June 23, 1913, Baird married Georgia Hubbs in New York. She died in 1917. Baird was elected as a
Hancock County, Illinois Hancock County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620. Its county seat is Carthage, Illinois, Carthage, and its largest city is H ...
, judge in 1910 and served to 1914. When asked about the continuation of town meetings, he described them as: "not as effective as in olden times, but still stands ready to render us a service." He served a single term, and then returned to his private law practice. He was elected for a second four-year term in 1934 and he was re-elected in 1938, 1942, and in 1946. Baird retired from the bench when his final term expired in 1950. Baird died on July 26, 1964, in
Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal cit ...
. He was buried next to his wife.


Head coaching record


Football


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, J. Arthur 1877 births 1964 deaths 19th-century players of American football American football guards Carleton Knights football coaches Carthage Firebirds athletic directors Carthage Firebirds baseball coaches Carthage Firebirds men's basketball coaches Carthage Firebirds football coaches Carthage Firebirds football players Northwestern Wildcats baseball players Northwestern Wildcats football players Whitman Fighting Missionaries football coaches Northwestern Wildcats men's track and field athletes Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni Illinois lawyers People from Hancock County, Illinois