[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18329-18331]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
     RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF JOHN WILLIAM HEISMAN TO FOOTBALL

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 123) recognizing the historical 
and national significance of the many contributions of John William 
Heisman to the sport of football.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 123

       Whereas, born in 1869, John W. Heisman was an early and 
     influential developer of the game of football, one of 
     America's most beloved sports;
       Whereas Heisman learned the game of football playing for 
     Titusville High School in the 1880s and began his long career 
     as a player, coach, writer, and great innovator of the sport;
       Whereas Heisman played college football for Brown 
     University and the University of Pennsylvania;
       Whereas his coaching career lasted from 1892-1927 and took 
     Heisman to many institutions including: Oberlin College, 
     Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Washington and Jefferson, Rice 
     University, and his alma mater, the University of 
     Pennsylvania;
       Whereas, after coaching, Heisman continued his involvement 
     with the sport as a well-known author and publisher of sports 
     periodicals;
       Whereas, as head coach of Georgia Tech's football club, his 
     team saw an incredible 33 back-to-back wins, while going 37-
     4-2 in his final five years as coach;
       Whereas Heisman coached Georgia Tech to an incredible 222-0 
     win over Tennessee's Cumberland College, the highest scoring 
     football game on record;
       Whereas Heisman is credited with inventing the forward 
     pass, which is widely considered to be his greatest 
     contribution to the sport;
       Whereas he introduced games consisting of four quarters, 
     invented the center snap, and created plays that were 
     precursors to the T and I formations;
       Whereas, as director of the New York Downtown Athletic Club 
     (DAC), Heisman and DAC established an annual award for the 
     best college player in the Eastern U.S., which subsequently 
     became national in scope in 1935;
       Whereas the award was renamed the Heisman Memorial Trophy 
     after he passed away in 1936; and
       Whereas John Heisman was elected into the College Football 
     Hall of Fame in 1954: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes the significance, the importance, and many 
     contributions John Heisman had on its development of one of 
     America's most beloved sports--football;
       (2) praises Heisman's efforts in helping to establish the 
     most valuable player award for college football, which 
     eventually would be named for him; and
       (3) acknowledges Heisman's innovative and influential 
     coaching techniques and strategies, as well as his legendary 
     leadership on and off of the football field.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Thompson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous 
material on House Concurrent Resolution 123 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.

[[Page 18330]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution filed by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) to recognize the 
significance of John Heisman and his tremendous influence on American 
football.
  Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1869, John Heisman grew up and learned 
the game of football at Titusville High School. He began his collegiate 
football career at Brown University. However, he completed his playing 
years as a lineman at the University of Pennsylvania.
  Mr. Heisman began his illustrious coaching career at Oberlin College 
after he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He then went on 
to coach at Akron, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, the University of 
Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson, and Rice University. With his 
stern and innovative coaching style, he posted a 71 percent lifetime 
winning percentage. Most notably, he won 33 straight games when he 
coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. To this day, it is still one 
of the longest winning streaks in college football history. While 
coaching the Yellow Jackets, he led his team to a 222-0 victory over 
the defenseless Tennessee Cumberland College.
  Heisman's football inventions revolutionized the game. He instituted 
the game divisions broken up into quarters, the center snap, and the T 
and I backfield formations. Most impressively, he established the 
forward pass. Without his contributions, American football would not be 
the same game that we experience today.
  Late in his life, Heisman became the first athletic director of New 
York's Downtown Athletic Club. In 1933, John Heisman helped to organize 
the first Touchdown Club of New York, and in 1935 he inaugurated the 
first Downtown Athletic Club trophy for the best college football 
player east of the Mississippi. Two months after his death on October 
3, 1936, the trophy was renamed the ``Heisman Memorial Trophy'' in his 
honor. The Heisman Trophy is now one of the most prestigious athletic 
awards in the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to express my support for House 
Concurrent Resolution 123 and thank Representative Thompson for 
bringing this resolution forward.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much 
time as I might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
123, recognizing the historic and national significance of the many 
contributions of John William Heisman to the sport of football.
  John William Heisman was one of the single most influential 
individuals in the sport of football, the most watched sport in the 
United States. John Heisman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 23, 
1869. He began his football career at Titusville High School. He was 
introduced to football through the Titusville Rockets and continued at 
Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received 
his law degree in 1892.
  He served as the head coach for a total of eight university football 
teams, including 16 years at Georgia Tech and 3 years at the University 
of Pennsylvania. He coached Georgia Tech in the most one-sided football 
game ever played--with a final score of 222-0--and led them in a 33-
game winning streak. Of the 271 games John Heisman coached, in only 68 
of those games did the opponents finish the game with a win. He retired 
in 1927 and passed away in 1936.
  John Heisman's influence on football is undeniable but the history of 
football itself began before John Heisman's birth. American football 
was started sometime in the mid-19th century and was a divergence from 
the game of rugby. College students in the late 19th century took the 
lead in turning the evolving game of football into an organized 
support. In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was 
formed and 2 years later became the National Football League. The game 
of football has continued to evolve from that time to today with the 
influence of various coaches, rule makers and organization heads.
  John William Heisman's influence on the game of football helped to 
make the game what it is today. His inventions include the four-quarter 
game, the ``hike,'' the center snap and the forward pass. In addition, 
he created many innovative plays that led to some of the basic 
formations used in today's games.
  John William Heisman was a nationally recognized collegiate coach and 
an influential innovator. In the time before and after his death, his 
accomplishments were recognized by many nationwide. John Heisman had 
several articles published in magazines such as ``American Liberty'' 
and was the football editor of the ``Sporting Goods Journal.'' He 
served as the director of the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan, and 
in 1935 helped to create the award that would later be renamed the 
``Heisman Memorial Trophy.''
  John Heisman's accomplishments and contributions to the sport of 
football are many in number. His ideas and coaching helped to create 
the game that has become so imbedded in the culture of our Nation. I 
ask my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back my time.
  Mr. COURTNEY. We have no further speakers. Again, I salute Mr. 
Thompson for bringing this resolution forward, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Con. Res. 123, recognizing the historical and national significance of 
the many contributions of John William Heisman to the sport of 
football.
  John Heisman was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1869 and was raised in 
Titusville, Pennsylvania where he began playing football as a young 
boy. At that time, football was not played as it is today, but instead 
it resembled more of a rugby match. In 1887, Heisman left his hometown 
for Brown University, where he participated in club football with his 
classmates. However, two years later he transferred to the University 
of Pennsylvania to pursue a law degree. Even though Heisman was 
outsized at 5'8", he continued his collegiate career playing varsity 
football for three years at guard, tackle, center, and as an end.
  John Heisman was nearly debilitated from being struck by lightning 
and in turn had to take his final exams at the University of 
Pennsylvania orally to achieve his law degree in 1892. From there, he 
received his first coaching position at Oberlin College, where he led 
the team to an undefeated season in its second full season at the 
school. Clearly, Heisman had found a niche in coaching football, and 
his illustrious career was just beginning.
  His coaching career continued with stints at the University of Akron, 
Auburn University, Clemson University, the University of Pennsylvania, 
Washington and Jefferson College, and Rice University. However, while 
his coaching career extended from 1892-1927, his most memorable years 
were from 1904-1919 when he coached at the Georgia Institute of 
Technology in Atlanta, GA. At Georgia Tech, Heisman had an astounding 
record of 102-29-6, and even held three undefeated seasons with 33 
straight wins. Heisman went on to retire from the game he loved and so 
heavily influenced in 1927 at the age of 62. Even though Georgia Tech 
is my own alma mater, I think that every football player, coach, and 
fan will recognize that Heisman's record of achievement deserves our 
praise.
  John Heisman's retirement did not last long as he moved to New York 
and found time to write about his experiences and served in various 
advisory positions. Because of his influence on the athletic community 
there he was asked to serve as the first Athletic Director of the 
Downtown Athletic Club in New York City on May 23, 1930. While serving 
in this capacity, Heisman organized and founded the Touchdown Club of 
New York, and later the National Football Coaches Association.
  The Downtown Athletic Club insisted that Heisman design a voting 
system to honor and award the best collegiate football player of each 
year. Because of his humble love and respect for the game of football, 
he initially did not want to design such a system due to his misgivings 
about promoting a player over the importance of teamwork. However, he 
later noted that it would be a consummate team accomplishment to have 
such an award for one of its players. The first Downtown Athletic Club 
Award was given to Jay Berwanger in 1935, but John Heisman would be 
unable to award this distinguished honor to another young man in 1936 
as he contracted pneumonia and passed away later that year. Shortly 
thereafter, the Downtown Athletic Club renamed

[[Page 18331]]

their renowned trophy after its founder, calling it the Heisman 
Memorial Trophy.
  Mr. Speaker, John Heisman has had a lasting impact on the game of 
football, and he undoubtedly inspires young men each year. The Heisman 
Trophy Award is the most sought after accolade in college football, and 
those who have honorably achieved that distinction will forever 
remember the accomplishments of the man that bears its name. Heisman 
molded the game of football to include the ``hike'' from a center to a 
quarterback, and he claimed his most notable achievement was enacting 
the forward pass into the rules of the game; both of which are staples 
of today's sport of football. I applaud John Heisman and recognize his 
lifetime of service and accomplishment in the game of football.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 123.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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