| As a beloved sports editor for the Chicago Tribune, Arch Ward certainly had an impressive guest list at his funeral. This guest book, signed by over a thousand attendees includes signatures from Harry Stuhldreher and Elmer Layden (of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame), Joe Stydahar, Paddy Driscoll, Elmer Otto, Ollie Matson, Fred Lindstrom, Gabby Hartnett, William Harridge, Charles Comiskey, Tom Meany, and many more.
Offered is just one page from that guest book. The more notable signatures on this page include the following:
Dick Axman (D. 1969) was an pioneer American sports publicist, sportswriter, magazine creator and magazine editor. Dick began his career in 1927 writing a column about boxing, and is most notable for his promotion of Professional Wrestling.
Ray Richards (D. 1974) was an American football player and coach on both the collegiate and professional levels, including head coach for the National Football League's Chicago Cardinals. He played for Nebraska and was part of the 1951 LA Rams championship team.
Tommy P. Thompson (D. 1989) was an American football quarterback in the NFL and CFL. He was blind in one eye, from a childhood incident, but nevertheless served in the US Army for two years during World War II, which put his professional career on hold. He was an off-and-on starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, and led them to three consecutive NFL championship appearances, including the 1948 and 1949 title-winning seasons. His 25 touchdown passes led the league in 1948.
Otis Douglas (D. 1989) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Akron (1941–1942) and the University of Arkansas (1950–1952). Douglas played for the Philadelphia Eagles for four seasons (1946–1949 – 2 NFL championship teams) and coached the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (1955–1960). In 1979, Douglas was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Johnny Coulon (D. 1973) was the bantamweight boxing champion of the world from March 6, 1910, when he wrested the crown from England's Jim Kendrick, until 1914, when he was defeated by Kid Williams. Member of the Boxing HOF.
Edward Walter "Moose" Krause (D. 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator. He lettered in four sports at the University of Notre Dame, where he was a three-time consensus All-American in basketball (1932–1934). Krause served as the head basketball coach at Saint Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota, now Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, from 1934 to 1939, at the College of the Holy Cross from 1939 to 1942, and at Notre Dame from 1943 to 1944 and 1946 to 1951, compiling a career college basketball record of 155–114. He was Notre Dame's athletic director from 1949 to 1981. Krause was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Leo H. Fischer (D. 1970) was an American sports writer, editor, and organizer. He also served on the boards of charitable organizations and headed the National Basketball League in the early 1940s before it merged with another professional organization to become the National Basketball Association that continues to exist today.
John Thomas (Jack) Tobin (D. 1969) was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played in the Federal League with the St. Louis Terriers (1914–1915), and for the St. Louis Browns (1916, 1918–1925), Washington Senators (1926[start]) and Boston Red Sox (19261927) of the American League. Tobin batted and threw left-handed.
The signatures range from 8 - 10/10. The page measures 6.5” x 8.” Included with this item is a copy of the full LOA from PSA/DNA that covered the overall funeral book.
Note: The more notable signatures have been boxed in red on the scan, but the red boxes are not present on the actual page.
Item: 6289
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