An Athletic Legend at Two Prestigious Academic Institutions

Lewis F. Manly is part of the lore at two of today's most prestigious small colleges in the United States ‚ The College of Wooster, recognized year-in and year-out as one of the top-75 liberal arts institutions in the country, and Tufts University, widely considered one of the nation's leading research universities.

Having grown up in Erie, Pa., Manly found his way to Wooster as an undergraduate in 1921 and decided to go out for the football team as a freshman, despite never playing the sport previously. Four years later, he was considered one of the star linemen of his time.

øI couldn't have been a very promising looking candidate because they didn't even give me a suit," once explained Manly in an interview with the Boston Herald. ø(At) a small college like that, equipment isn't any too plentiful ¹ so I went out to practice in an old pair of pants, a sweater, and some football shoes I managed to borrow. (Freshmen) were used for purposes of scrimmage against the varsity and for putting on enemy formations. I made the team ¹ (and) got some very valuable experience in line play that year."

The 5-10, 185-pound Manly must've been a quick learner, as he landed a guard position on the varsity as a sophomore. He was switched to tackle the next year, but then came back to guard his senior season. Manly played a key role in Wooster's famous 7-7 tie against Ohio State University in 1924 and was named to the All-Ohio Team that year.

While most remembered for his football achievements, Manly also played basketball, captaining the cagers as a junior and senior, and threw the shot put for the track & field team. Upon graduation in 1925, he had nine varsity letters, which was a Wooster all-time high at the time, according to some historians.

As noteworthy as his accomplishments at Wooster were, Manly truly made his athletic mark at Tufts. After leaving Wooster, he began a Teaching Fellow in economics at the Boston area school, and joined the football staff. He was an assistant coach for a few years, including the school's first undefeated season (8-0, 1929) before taking over and excelling as the head coach. Manly, who earned an M.A. from Tufts in 1927, was chairman of the school's economics department for 25 years, and served on various wage and labor boards in the New England area, remains today as the all-time leader in coaching victories there (60-48-12 from 1930-45), highlighted by the school's only other undefeated season (8-0, 1934). He also guided Tufts to 60 wins as the head basketball coach (60-41 from 1927-34).

As a coach, he emphasized fun and preparation. Manly's practices were traditionally without tackling dummies, blocking dummies, or a bucking strap, instead focusing on training and conditioning methods.

øCoach Manly was as much a scholar on the gridiron as he was in the classroom," said former player Harry Arlanson, later a Tufts A.D. øHe was extremely thorough. He approached the game in a very scholarly way. When we came out to play an opponent, we were prepared."

A year after retiring from the Tufts faculty, Manly died unexpectedly at the age of 67 on Nov. 2, 1970, while visiting one of his children in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Manly and his wife, Susan (Sanford), had two sons, John and William, and several grandchildren.