Repository

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Title

John Bain "Jock" Sutherland Collection

Creator

Sutherland family

Collection Number

UA.91.2

Extent

4.29 Linear Feet (2 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes)

Date

1917-1961

Abstract

John Bain "Jock" Sutherland served as the head football coach for the University of Pittsburgh from 1924 to 1939. This collection contains correspondence related to his resignation as coach on March 4, 1939, as well as some material focusing on the time both before and after his resignation. It also includes some press materials and personal photographs of Sutherland, as well as materials published posthumously.

Language

English .

Author

Kathleen Donahoe.

Publisher

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Address

University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Biography

John Bain "Jock" Sutherland was the head coach of the Pitt Panthers football team for fifteen years, from 1924 to 1939. He was born March 21, 1889, in Coupar Angus, Scotland, and arrived in Pittsburgh in 1907. He worked at Dixmont Hospital while taking night classes at the YMCA and later attended the Oberlin Academy in Oberlin, OH, to prepare him for college courses. In 1914, he was admitted to the University of Pittsburgh to study dentistry.

In his first year of school, Sutherland joined the football team despite reportedly never playing the game before. Under coach Glenn "Pop" Warner, Sutherland demonstrated a great skill for the sport. During his time as a player, the Pitt football team lost only one game. Pitt claims two national championships from the time Sutherland was a student: 1915 and 1916. The 1917 team, sometimes called the Fighting Dentists for the number of dental students playing, was also extremely successful.

After graduating, Sutherland became the head coach of the Lafayette College football team from 1919 to 1923. He returned to Pitt in 1924 when Warner left to coach at Stanford. In addition to serving as the head football coach, Sutherland also served as a professor in the School of Dentistry. During this time, his teams produced a number of All-Americans and future College Football Hall of Famers, including Marshall Goldberg, Joe Donchess, Averell Daniel, and many others. Pitt also claims five national championships from Sutherland's time as coach: 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937.

Toward the end of his time at Pitt, Sutherland found himself at odds with the university's administrators, including Chancellor John G. Bowman, who wanted to lessen the focus on athletics. As a result, a new set of guidelines for athletics was developed which stated, among other things, that the school would not recruit students to play sports. There was also contention over whether the school should provide financial support to the athletes. Unhappy with these decisions, Sutherland resigned from the University of Pittsburgh on March 4, 1939.

After ending a 25-year association with the university where he had been a player, student, professor, and coach, Sutherland took his talents to professional football. He became the coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers football team in 1940, where he found minor success. He left the Dodgers to join the Navy during World War II, despite being 53 years old at the time. After the war ended he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a coach, leading the team to some success. While on a scouting trip for the Steelers, Sutherland was diagnosed with a brain tumor after being found wandering along the side of a road in Kentucky. An attempt by surgeons in Pittsburgh to remove the tumor was unsuccessful, and he died on April 11, 1948.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Preferred Citation

John Bain "Jock" Sutherland Collection, 1917-1961, UA.91.2, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series:

Series I. Correspondence

Series II. Football

Series III. Press

Series IV. Personal

Scope and Content Notes

The collection focuses mainly on Jock Sutherland's resignation as head football coach of the University of Pittsburgh on March 4, 1939. Correspondence both to and from Sutherland documents the public reaction to his departure, as well as some personal asides on his part. There are also various momentos of that time, including resolutions from Pitt Clubs and a notice regarding student support for the coach. There are also records relating to the time before and after his resignation, and a focus on Sutherland's overall career as a coach, including magazine and newspaper articles and practice materials. The Sutherland Collection also includes photographs of Jock Sutherland, event programs, and a manuscript copy of Harry Scott's posthumous biography of the coach.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kathleen Donahoe in June 2018.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by the University of Pittsburgh's Archives & Special Collections in March 2018.

Custodial History

The materials in the collection were originally owned by the Sutherland family and were later given to the daughter of Eddie Schultz, a former player and assistant coach for Sutherland and a family friend. The collection was later acquired by Dan Means and then by the University of Pittsburgh's Archives & Special Collections.

Related Material

Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, John Gabbert Bowman, Administrative Files, 1921-1945, UA.2.10.1921-1945, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Subjects

Corporate Names

• Lafayette College (Easton, Pa.)
• Pitt Panthers (Football team)
• University of Pittsburgh

Personal Names

• Weber, John
• Parcell, Malcolm
• Carlson, Henry Clifford
• Toomey, Regis
• Rowswell, Albert Kennedy
• Bowman, John G. (John Gabbert)
• Sutherland, John Bain

Genres

• Correspondence

Other Subjects

• University of Pittsburgh
• Football coaches -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
• College sports
• College athletes

Container List

Series I. Correspondence, 1917-1941

Scope and Content Notes

The correspondence in the collection focuses on Jock Sutherland's resignation as head football coach of the University of Pittsburgh. The bulk of the material documents reactions to Sutherland leaving the university, as well as his responses to each letter. There is also correspondence from before his resignation, including two letters written to Sutherland as a student. Also included is correspondence between Sutherland, Chancellor John G. Bowman, and other university officials documenting the build-up to Sutherland's resignation. All correspondence in the collection comes from a scrapbook, which due to preservation concerns was disbound and the documents removed from the book where possible. In the cases where a document could not be removed, photocopies were made and the location of the original was written on the back. The photocopies were then filed in the document's correct chronological location. All correspondence has been filed chronologically with some letters singled out due to the importance of the sender. The scrapbook also contained memorabilia, which has been placed together at the end of this series to preserve the provenance of the material.

Subseries 1. Pre-Resignation Correspondence, 1917-1939

Scope and Content Notes

The material in this subseries accounts for all correspondence in the collection from the time before Jock Sutherland's resignation from the University of Pittsburgh. It includes letters written to Sutherland as a student, including one from then-chancellor Samuel McCormick. It also includes letters written during or about football seasons, such as the letters discussing the 1937 victory over Nebraska from Dana Bible, then-athletic director of Nebraska, and Biff Jones, the coach of the Nebraska team. The correspondence from Pitt personnel includes some telegrams sent in support of Sutherland during earlier tensions with the university's administration and Sutherland's opinions on Athletic Council decisions.

Letters to Sutherland as a student, 1917-1918

Containers

box 1, folder 1

Letter from Lafayette College student council, 1922

Containers

box 1, folder 2

John G. Bowman, 1937-1938

Containers

box 1, folder 3

Dana X. Bible, February 6, 1937

Containers

box 1, folder 4

Lawrence McCeney "Biff" Jones, November 17, 1937

Containers

box 1, folder 5

Pitt personnel, 1937-1939

Containers

box 1, folder 6

General, 1937

Containers

box 1, folder 7

Subseries 2. Resignation Statement and Correspondence, 1939

Scope and Content Notes

In this subseries, the material focuses on Jock Sutherland's resignation from the University of Pittsburgh on March 4, 1939. Included here is a copy of Sutherland's statement on his resignation, as well as correspondence reacting to it. The letters to Sutherland include those written by friends, colleagues, current and former players, and general fans. Sutherland's responses are included. There is also a note from the Pitt chapter of the American Student Union announcing support for their coach. Several well-known people wrote to Sutherland at this time, including actor and fellow Pitt alumnus Regis Toomey, Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Albert "Rosey" Rowswell, future legislator Eugene Caputo, and Harold A. Bruce, coach of the Austrian National Track Team. The correspondence also includes telegrams of encouragment for Sutherland from former players and colleagues such as Marshall Goldberg, Frank Walton, Joe Donchess, and Herb McCracken, among others.

Sutherland resignation statement, March 4, 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 8

John G. Bowman, 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 9

Harold Bruce, March 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 10

Eugene Caputo, March 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 11

Albert "Rosey" Rowswell, March 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 12

Regis Toomey, March 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 13

Pitt personnel, March 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 14

General, March-April 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 15

Outside schools and athletic organizations, March-April 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 16

Subseries 3. Post-Resignation Correspondence, 1939-1941

Scope and Content Notes

The correspondence in this subseries focuses on the time after Sutherland's resignation and is mostly unrelated to the resignation itself. It contains correspondence on several subjects, including job offers and requests for advice on hiring, the potential Sutherland Room in the Cathedral of Learning, post-resignation events, and congratulatory messages sent to Sutherland. Included also are telegrams from Marshall Goldberg, former Pittsburgh Pirates managers Pie Traynor and Jewel Ens, writers Frank Graham and Les Biederman, restaurateur Toots Shor, and many more regarding topics such as an April 1939 testimonial dinner, Sutherland's hiring as coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and simple birthday wishes. There are letters both to and from Sutherland, including one written to Bill Stern of the National Broadcasting Company regarding a radio broadcast, and a letter to the Erie Dispatch-Herald where Sutherland describes the situation that forced him to leave Pitt.

Offers and Requests, March-April 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 17

Wyoming job opportunity, 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 18

Testimonial dinner, April 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 19

Government officials, 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 20

General, 1939-1941

Containers

box 1, folder 21

Letter to Bill Stern, July 25, 1941

Containers

box 1, folder 22

Pittsburgh Athletic Association Sports Committee meeting, November 6, 1941

Containers

box 1, folder 23

Subseries 4. Memorabilia

Scope and Content Notes

The memorabilia in this subseries consists of event programs, poems written to Jock Sutherland, various certificates, a proclamation for the Brooklyn Dodgers, a draft of Sutherland's statement on political ambitions, and a copy of a check for Sutherland and the City of Pittsburgh, all of which comes from the same scrapbook as the correspondence in the series.

Certificates, programs, and other memorabilia

Containers

box 1, folder 24

Series II. Football, 1930-1946

Scope and Content Notes

This series contains material related to football teams coached by Jock Sutherland. It includes preparatory materials, such as a playbook from one of his former players, as well as partial game programs. The Mississippi State contract in this series comes from the same disbound scrapbook as the material in Series I., where there is also a copy of the contract.

Pitt vs. Notre Dame football game program, October 25, 1930

Containers

box 1, folder 25

Pittsburgh Steelers Grid Review page, 1946

Containers

box 1, folder 26

Charles "Red Dog" Fleming playbook, ca. 1938

Containers

box 1, folder 27

Nebraska scouting report, 1937

Containers

box 1, folder 28

Syracuse itinerary, 1930

Containers

box 1, folder 29

Mississippi State blank contract, 1939

Containers

box 1, folder 30

Rose Bowl football, 1937

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dean "Pete" Wesley Oldham, Sr. and family.

Series III. Press, 1936-1961

Scope and Content Notes

The press materials in the collection focus on Jock Sutherland's coaching career. They include a two-part Saturday Evening Post piece published in late 1939 discussing the resignation and aftermath. There are various magazines featuring interviews or generic articles on Dr. Sutherland and his coaching style. A later Saturday Evening Post article, written by Myron Cope and published almost 15 years after Dr. Sutherland's death, focuses on John Michelosen. Michelosen was the coach of the Panthers football team from 1955 to 1965, but had played for Sutherland and worked as an assistant for him. The article partly discusses Sutherland's influence on his former assistant. This series also includes a scrapbook of news clippings related to Sutherland's teams and his resignation from Pitt. The news clippings at the end of the series consist of loose articles from the scrapbook, organized by date.

Pittsburgh magazines, 1936-1937

Containers

box 1, folder 31

Saturday Evening Post, October 28, 1939

Containers

oversize 1, folder 1

Saturday Evening Post, November 4, 1939

Containers

oversize 1, folder 2

The American Legion Magazine, November 1940

Containers

box 1, folder 32

Huddle football magazines, 1946-1948

Containers

box 1, folder 33

Dapper Dan Dinner article, March 17, 1947

Containers

box 1, folder 34

Press release for "Jock Sutherland Day", 1954

Containers

box 1, folder 35

Saturday Evening Post, October 28, 1961

Containers

oversize 1, folder 3

News clipping scrapbook, 1937-1941

Containers

oversize 2, volume 1

Pittsburgh Press article, December 26, 1929

Containers

oversize 1, folder 5

News clippings, 1930s

Containers

oversize 1, folder 6

News clippings, 1940s

Containers

oversize 1, folder 7

Pittsburgh Press clip, March 15, 1959

Containers

oversize 1, folder 8

News clippings, undated

Containers

oversize 1, folder 9

Series IV. Personal

Scope and Content Notes

The Personal series of the collection contains material not related to football or Jock Sutherland's resignation. This includes photographs, event programs, memorabilia, and publications. The photographs include images of Sutherland in his naval uniform, as well as one of Malcolm Parcell painting his portrait.

Photographs

Containers

box 1, folder 36

Travel

Containers

box 2, folder 1

Event programs

Containers

box 2, folder 2

"Do You Know Football" article by Jock Sutherland, October 29, 1940

Containers

oversize 1, folder 4

Jock Sutherland: Architect of Men by Harry Scott, 1954

Containers

box 2, folder 3