Emory, Va. - The modern era of Emory & Henry College Football kicked off in 1915 under the tutelage of Thomas B. "Bingo" Fullerton. Football had been played on campus in the 1880's and early 1890's, but the sport was banned by the Board of Trustees for being too dangerous. Rule changes, oversight by the newly-formed NCAA, and the advent of better safety equipment ushered in a Renaissance of football in the 1910's across the country.
Even though the Emory & Henry was not an official member of the NCAA, Fullerton established a program on hard work and discipline which laid the foundation for future athletic teams at Emory & Henry. In the program's first two years, Fullerton and E&H Sports Hall of Famer Samuel D. Jackson '18 led E&H to a respectable 8-4 record. Fullerton left Emory to serve in the U.S. Army during World War I, but returned in 1920 and coached seven more seasons for a career record of 28-42-1. E&H did not field a team during 1918 because of the war, but returned to play the next season.
In 1921, Emory & Henry traveled to Knoxville to play the University of Tennessee in the first ever-game at Shields-Watkins Field, now the site of legendary Neyland Stadium. Despite losing to the Volunteers 27-0, the Knoxville newswriters in attendance declared "that those Virginia boys stung like wasps," and the nickname stuck.
The College honored Fullerton in 2014 by dedicating Fullerton Plaza which houses Coaching Legends Walk in the east end of the stadium. The tribute cements Bingo Fullerton as one of the legendary coaches in Emory & Henry College's history.
After Fullerton's departure, Emory & Henry hired W.S. "Pedie" Jackson '20 in 1927, who made an immediate impact on the program. In his first two seasons, Jackson led the Wasps to Smoky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships and back-to-back undefeated seasons. During a span from 1926-29, the Wasps won 28-straight games, shutting out their opponents 21 times.
The 1927 and 1928 teams boast several Hall of Famers, including halfback Fred R. Bailey '28, quarterback J. Leonard Mauck '29, offensive lineman Antonio Lotito '29, and offensive lineman Olin Stickley '29. Jackson continued his dominance, winning yet another conference title in 1933. During the 1932 and 1933 seasons, the Wasps' defense racked up nine consecutive shutouts, a mark which still stands as a record.
In his nine years, Jackson coached 21 Emory & Henry Hall of Famers, including, Lynn Moore '31, Dixie Diggs '31, Paul Long '31, Chauncey DeVault '33, Roy Marshall '35, and Major Barker '36, among several others. Under Jackson's watch, Paul Mackey and Alderson Propps were selected as the program's first All-Americans in 1934 with Mark Kegley honored two years later in 1936.
Thanks to a long list of great players, Pedie Jackson won 68 games as a head coach, while only losing 19 and tying three. Jackson's .772 winning percentage remains the highest in Emory & Henry history, which led to his election as a charter member of the Hall of Fame in 1972.
After two years under the direction of Bill Lavall, Thomas L. "Pidney" Porterfield began his run as head coach. In his first three seasons, Hall of Famers, Victor Kreiter '39, Leslie Mullins '40, W. Gothard Bays '40, Louis Kovacs '41, and Shad Solomon '42 brought closure to the first quarter-century of Emory & Henry football.
Era Overview
115-98-7 record (.522 winning percentage)
11 winning seasons
3 conference championships
3 All-America selections
31 Hall of Famers
Stay tuned for part two of the series on the 100 years of Emory & Henry College Football on Thursday, August 20.
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