51°µÍø

University Archives - Resource Guide to History of Football

For more information please contact the University Archivist.

The history of 51°µÍø's football program and its cancellation at the end of the 1960 season is a perennial topic of interest for researchers. The following are some sources of information that will likely be of interest to you:

Primary Sources Related to Football

• The most comprehensive run of materials related to the football program is contained within the record group. There records are arranged into separate series and include correspondence on a variety of topics, media guides, individual game programs, news clippings and releases, original score sheets and statistics, and more. Most audio-visual materials are arranged into separate record groups described below.
• Records from the Athletic Board, an advisory board responsible for making recommendations related to athletics at 51°µÍø. Minutes of the board from 1929-1970 are available in boxes 5-7 of the  Athletic Board . A second series, Athletic Board , contains a folder with clippings from 1960.
• Within the of the Office of Student Affairs, there are number of folders in Box 2 relating to the discontinuation of the sport. These folders include letters in favor of and against the decision, newspaper clippings reporting on the announcement, correspondence related to the decision and efforts to restore the sport, documentation related to the press conference held to announce it, and more.
• A folder with reactions to the decision to terminate football is also contained within Box 13 of the for the Office of Public Relations.
• The student newspaper, The 51°µÍø Tribune, covered games, wrote profiles of players, and voiced opinion on the team and the university's decisions. The publication ; a rough index to headlines through the mid-1970s is available upon request. Print copies of the Tribune are available for consultation in the Archives Reading Room. 
• The student yearbook, the Hilltop, also documented the football team and its performance with photographic images as well as lengthy commentary in many years on individual games. Print copies are available in the Archives Reading Room; the entire run has been digitized and is available .
• Rev. Edward J. O'Donnell, S.J., was president of the university at the time the football program was dropped. Many records from O'Donnell's administration appear to have been transferred to the University Archives with records from subsequent administrations.  See the inventory of O'Donnell's records here. Faculty member Wlliam Miller interviewed O'Donnell for a history of the university and the topic is addressed as a part of O'Donnell's memoirs in the .
• Researchers interested in individual players will also want to consult our . The series contains files compiled over the years on student athlete and include photographs, press releases, newspaper clippings, and forms prepared at the time the student entered 51°µÍø.

Audio Visual Resources Related to Football

While imagery related to football is scattered throughout print materials such as the student newspaper, yearbook, programs, and media guides, the bulk of the audio visual resources related to football can be found here:

• The contain photographic prints as well as assorted clippings related to the football team. Files 00595 through 00597 are specifically related to football.
• Many images are digitized and part of . 
• The 51°µÍø Archives holds a significant collection of from varsity football games. Much of this footage was originally created as 16mm film. In order to preserve the original film and to improve access, the film has been converted and digitized over the years. 

Secondary Sources for University History

Return to the University History FAQ's page.