Oliver Cromwell Dawson (September 7, 1910 – February 9, 1989) was an American athlete and sports coach. After playing several sports at John Carroll University, he served as a coach and athletic director for the South Carolina State Bulldogs from 1935 to 1976. The Bulldogs' Oliver C. Dawson Stadium is named in his honor.
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 7, 1910 Hampton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | February 9, 1989 (aged 78) Orangeburg, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1931–1933 | John Carroll |
| Basketball | |
| 1931–1934 | John Carroll |
| Tennis | |
| 1932/3–1934 | John Carroll |
| Position(s) | |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1935–1936 | South Carolina State (backfield) |
| 1937–1950[a] | South Carolina State |
| Basketball | |
| 1936–1947 | South Carolina State |
| Track | |
| Unknown | South Carolina State |
| Tennis | |
| Unknown[b] | South Carolina State |
| Golf | |
| Unknown[c] | South Carolina State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1937–?[d] | South Carolina State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 42–40–10 (football) |
| Bowls | 2–0 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
Early life and education
editDawson was born on September 7, 1910.[1] He grew up in Ohio[2] and attended Collinwood High School in Cleveland, where he played several sports.[3] He played at fullback in football for three seasons, at guard in basketball as a starter for three years, and participated in several track and field events.[3] He led his basketball teams to undefeated records in all three seasons and in track and field set a state record in the 440-yard dash.[3] Dawson also participated in 100-yard dash events as well as the 220.[3] He also was a boxer during this time, and once held the heavyweight championship of Cleveland.[3]
Dawson later attended John Carroll University, where he played three years of football, two or three years of tennis,[e] and three years of basketball.[4] He has been called "perhaps John Carroll's most versatile star athlete of all time."[4] Playing fullback in football, he finished with a career average of 5.5 yards-per-carry,[3] and led the team in scoring as a junior and senior.[4] Dawson played his last football game in November 1933.[5]
In basketball, Dawson played guard for the 1931–32, 1932–33, and 1933–34 teams,[4] serving as their team captain in the last.[3] As a tennis player, he began with singles before moving on to doubles;[3] while playing singles he ranked number one at the school.[4] Dawson was inducted into the John Carroll University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the first African-American ever to earn the honor.[4]
Coaching career
editDawson transferred to South Carolina State College following his time at John Carroll and graduated in 1936.[3] It was here where he coached five different sports and served as athletic director across a period that spanned from 1935 to 1976, winning championships in all but one of those sports.[6] Dawson served as head coach for the men's basketball team, football team, golf team, track team, and tennis team, and for 16 years was director of athletics.[3] He succeeded Robert A. Brooks as athletic director in 1937.[7]
In football, Dawson served as the backfield coach from 1935 until his graduation.[8] He was promoted to head football coach in 1937, and served in the position through 1950. The 1943 through 1945 seasons were cancelled due to World War II.[3] His 1947 team played for the black college national championship.[3] Among notable football players he coached or recruited included Marion Motley and Deacon Jones, both of whom went on to be Pro Football Hall of Famers.[3][8]
Described as being one of the most "versatile" coaches,[9] Dawson also served as the head basketball coach from 1936 to 1947, winning the school's first ever SIAC title in 1943 in any sport.[3] For seven years, he coached tennis, leading the team to four conference championships; among the players he coached was George Stewart, a national champion in the American Tennis Association (ATA).[3] Dawson also coached the golf team for six seasons and led them to four conference titles.[3] He was head athletic director for 16 years and also served as a professor at the school, initiating in 1947 the health and physical education program while serving as its chairman for 30 years.[2] He retired from South Carolina State in 1976.[6]
Honors, personal life and death
editDawson was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974, the first black person ever to receive the honor.[6][10] He was inducted into the South Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983, as a charter member.[11][6] Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, South Carolina State's home football venue, was renamed in his honor in 1984.[6] Dawson attended St. Luke Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder, and was a member of the Hillcrest Recreational Facility Commission for 17 years.[12] Dawson died on February 9, 1989, at the age of 78.[2]
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina State Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1937–1950) | |||||||||
| 1937 | South Carolina State | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1938 | South Carolina State | 3–5 | |||||||
| 1939 | South Carolina State | 4–3–1 | |||||||
| 1940 | South Carolina State | 3–6 | 1–5 | 11th | |||||
| 1941 | South Carolina State | 4–3–2 | 2–2–2 | ||||||
| 1942 | South Carolina State | 3–2–1 | |||||||
| 1943 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1944 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1945 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1946 | South Carolina State | 5–3–1 | 2–3–1 | W Pecan | |||||
| 1947 | South Carolina State | 7–1–2 | 5–0–2 | 2nd | W Pecan | ||||
| 1948 | South Carolina State | 4–3–1 | |||||||
| 1949 | South Carolina State | 3–4–1 | |||||||
| 1950 | South Carolina State | 1–7 | |||||||
| South Carolina State: | 42–40–10 | ||||||||
| Total: | 42–40–10 | ||||||||
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Football was not played from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II.
- ^ Dawson coached tennis for seven years, but the dates are unknown.
- ^ Dawson coached golf for six years, but the dates are unknown.
- ^ Dawson served as athletic director for 16 years, but the dates are unknown.
- ^ The John Carroll Blue Streaks website and an article from The Times and Democrat conflict.[3][4]
Citations
edit- ^ Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Coach Oliver Dawson". The Times and Democrat. February 11, 1989. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Ollie Dawson Selected For S. C. Hall Of Fame". The Times and Democrat. Associated Press. May 9, 1974. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ollie Dawson (1984)". John Carroll Blue Streaks.
- ^ "Dawson Hurt In Last Game". Dayton Daily News. Associated Press. December 1, 1933. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "100 Objects/Day 92: SCSU stadium named for legendary coach Oliver C. Dawson". The Times and Democrat. September 14, 2014.
- ^ "State College Opens Session". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. September 13, 1937. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b Helms, Herman (February 13, 1972). "Thanks For The Memory". The State. p. 32, 38 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Helms, Herman (May 9, 1974). "Ollie Makes The Hall Of Fame". The State. p. 13, 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McGee, Marty (May 21, 1974). "He Wants Lifetime Sports". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "Oliver C. Dawson". South Carolina State University. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "Oilver Dawson, former coach, dead at 78". The Greenville News. February 12, 1989. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.