Forrest M. Hall
Hall cropped from 1895 Michigan team portrait
Biographical details
Born(1869-11-30)November 30, 1869
Bloomfield Township, Logan County, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 1961(1961-05-01) (aged 91)
Playing career
1892–1893Princeton
1895Michigan
1896–1897Butte Athletic Club
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1894Auburn
1898Michigan (assistant)
1901Centre
1903Heidelberg
1909Michigan (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall9–10–2

Forrest Maynard "Buck" Hall, sometimes listed as Forrest Maywood Hall and Forrest Mayward Hall (November 30, 1869 – May 1, 1961), was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Princeton University in 1892 and 1893, and was a member of Princeton's undefeated 1893 national championship team. He served as the head football coach at Auburn University in 1894, compiling a record of 1–3, but also leading the team to the highest point total in school history, a 94–0 victory over Georgia Tech. He later played at the guard position for the 1895 Michigan Wolverines football team and for the Butte Athletic Club in 1896 and 1897. He also served as an assistant football coach at Michigan during the 1898 and 1909 seasons.

Early years

Hall was born in Bloomfield Township in Logan County, Ohio, in 1869. His parents were John Hall and Eliza (Bughman) Hall.[1] At the time of the 1880 United States Census, he was attending school at Pease Township, Belmont County, Ohio.[2] His permanent residence was with his mother Eliza Hall (and sister Nevada Hall) in Bloomfield Township.[3] Hall was raised in Jackson Center in Shelby County, Ohio. He attended preparatory school at Oberlin College during the 1890–91 academic year.[4]

Princeton

Hall enrolled at Princeton University in 1892 and studied there for two years as a special student.[5][6] He also played at the guard position for the Princeton Tigers football team in 1892 and 1893.[7][8] The 1893 Princeton Tigers compiled an 11–0 record and has been recognized as that season's national championship team.[9]

Auburn

Hall at Auburn

In the fall of 1894, Hall served as the head football coach at Auburn University. He was the third head coach with an Ivy League background to be hired at Auburn.[10] Auburn officials reportedly thought that "with a Princeton man (F. M. Hall) at the helm," they had the right man in charge of the football team.[11]

Hall's team outscored opponents 106 to 48, but compiled a record of 1–3. Auburn's 94–0 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta was the highlight of Auburn's 1894 season. The score remains the highest single game point total, and the greatest margin of victory, in the history of Auburn Tigers football.[12] Hall coached only one year at Auburn and was replaced by John Heisman.[12]

Michigan

After leaving Auburn, Hall enrolled in the law department at the University of Michigan.[13] He received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Michigan in 1896.[14] While attending Michigan, Hall played at the right guard position for the 1895 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 8–1 record, won seven of their games by shutouts, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 266 to 14.[15] Hall also competed in the shot put for Michigan's track team. In June 1895, at the Western Intercollegiate Amateur Association meet in Chicago, Hall won the shot put event with a record-breaking distance of over 44 feet.[16] Hall held the University of Michigan shot put record (44 feet 3 inches) until 1904 when it was broken by Olympic gold medalist Ralph Rose.[17]

Later years

After graduating from Michigan, Hall moved to Butte, Montana, where he practiced law and played football for the Butte Athletic Club.[7] In February 1898, Hall was hired as the head football coach at Michigan after Gustave Ferbert announced that he would not return. At the time of his hiring, the Detroit Free Press wrote of Hall: "His ability to coach the line men is unquestioned, and his general knowledge of the game will make him a splendid man for the position."[7] In the end, Ferbert did return as the head coach, and Hall was an assistant coach for the 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 10–0 record and won Michigan's first Western Conference championship.[18]

At the time of the 1900 United States Census, Hall was living with his mother, Eliza Hall, in Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio. He was employed as an attorney-at-law.[19] He also served as the head football coach at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky during the 1901 season.[20] In November 1901, The Michigan Alumnus reported that Hall was practicing law at Jackson Center, Ohio.[21] In 1903, he was the head football coach at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio.[22] In 1909, he returned to Ann Arbor as an assistant coach under head coach Fielding H. Yost for the 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team.[23] At the time of the 1910 United States Census, Hall was living in a rooming house operated by Victoria Doty in Springfield, Missouri. He was employed by a packing company.[24][25] At the time of the 1930 United States Census, he was living with his wife, Victoria, in Springfield, Missouri. He was employed as the proprietor of a whole nut house.[26]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Auburn Tigers (Independent) (1894)
1894 Auburn 1–3
Auburn: 1–3
Centre (Independent) (1901)
1901 Centre 5–3
Centre: 5–3
Heidelberg (Independent) (1903)
1903 Heidelberg 3–4–2
Heidelberg: 3–4–2
Total: 9–10–2

References

  1. ^ Birth record for Forest Maywood Hall. Ancestry.com. Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800–1962 [database on-line].
  2. ^ Census entry for Forrest Hall, age 9, boarder, at school. Born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio. Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. 1880; Census Place: Pease, Belmont, Ohio; Roll: 994; Family History Film: 1254994; Page: 159A; Enumeration District: 023; Image: 0531.
  3. ^ Census entry for Eliza Hall, age 46. Son Forest M. Hall, age 10, "at school," born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio. Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bloomfield, Logan, Ohio; Roll: 1041; Family History Film: 1255041; Page: 10C; Enumeration District: 111; Image: 0022.
  4. ^ Catalogue of Oberlin College for the year 1890–91. the Oberlin News Press. 1890. p. 147.(Forest Maywood Hall from Jackson Centre registered in the "Middle Preparatory Class")
  5. ^ A History of Princeton '96 to the Time of the Decennial Reunion of the Class in June 1906. Princeton University Class of 1896. 1906. p. 202.(identified as Forrest Maynard Hall)
  6. ^ Catalogue of the College of New Jersey at Princeton 1892–93. Princeton Press. 1893. p. 181.(Forrest Mayward Hall from Jackson Center, Ohio, registered as a special student [not a candidate for a degree])
  7. ^ a b c "Big Hall To Be Coach: Will Have Charge of the Michigan Eleven Next Fall; An Assistant Coach for Backs Will Be Hired; Ferbert Not Available as He Goes to the Klondike". Detroit Free Press. February 24, 1898.
  8. ^ "Tigers and Harvard Will Meet: Concessions Made on Both Sides, While Michigan Gives Up Its Date". Chicago Daily Tribune. October 16, 1885. p. 7.
  9. ^ 2011 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis, IN: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2011. pp. 70–75. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  10. ^ "Coaches molded tradition". Times Daily. September 24, 1992. ("F.M. Hall was hired to coach the 1894 squad that posted just one win and three losses. He was the third Ivy League coach to guide the Tigers in three years.")
  11. ^ "An early football coach, John W. Heisman – Part 2". Houlgate College Football Rankings. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  12. ^ a b "Auburn Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  13. ^ Law Department of the University of Michigan Annual Announcement 1894–95. University of Michigan. 1894. p. 39.
  14. ^ Calendar of the University of Michigan 1896–97. University of Michigan. 1897. p. 229.
  15. ^ "1895 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
  16. ^ "California Boys Won: Western Intercollegiate Games Held at Chicago – Many Records Broken" (PDF). The New York Times. June 2, 1895.
  17. ^ "Athletics". The Michigan Alumnus. April 1904. p. 338.
  18. ^ "1898 Football Team". University of Michigan.
  19. ^ Census entry for Eliza Hall, born July 1832 in Ohio. Son Forrest M. Hall, born November (year obscured), born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio.
  20. ^ "New Coach will be F. M. Hall of Princeton". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. September 12, 1901. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "News from the Classes". The Michigan Alumnus. November 1901. p. 95.
  22. ^ "Jackson Center News". Jackson Center News. Jackson Center, Ohio. September 17, 1903. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "1909 Football Team". University of Michigan.
  24. ^ Census entry for F.M. Hall, age 37, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio. The proprietor, Victoria Doty, was born in Michigan, age 20, and appears to be the person who became his wife as listed in the 1930 Census.
  25. ^ General Catalogue of officers and students, 1837–1911. University of Michigan. 1912. p. 467.(Hall listed as residing in Springfield, Missouri)
  26. ^ Census entry for Forrest M. Hall, age 58, born in Ohio, parents both born in Ohio. Wife Victoria, age 38, born in Michigan. Forrest was the proprietor and Victoria the bookkeeper of a "whole nut house." Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1930; Census Place: Springfield, Greene, Missouri; Roll: 1188; Page: 24A; Enumeration District: 9; Image: 548.0; FHL microfilm: 2340923.
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