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William Randall Crawford (November 11, 1864 – September 6, 1933) was an American football player and coach, lawyer, and railroad executive. He played college football at Yale University and served as the head football coach at Butler University from 1890 to 1891 and the University of Wisconsin—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Madison—in 1892.

Early life and college career

Crawford was born on November 11, 1864, in New Albany, Indiana. He was the son of Henry Crawford, a prominent lawyer in Chicago and an officer of the Wabash Railroad. Crawford played football at Yale University as a quarterback and halfback, lettering on the 1885 Yale Bulldogs football team. He was the lightest player in the history of the Yale Bulldogs football program. On November 17, 1885, he was injured during a practice when he collided with a member of the freshman team named Bishop. Crawford graduated from Yale in 1886 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Football in Chicago and coaching career

In 1890, Crawford played for the Chicago All-University team alongside Knowlton Ames, who had played at Princeton University, and Frank G. Peters, afellow Yale alumnus who was captain of the 1885 Yale team. Crawford scored a touchdown in a 12–8 loss to Cornell on Thanksgiving Day.

In 1890, Crawford coached the football team at Butler University, leading the team to the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. He succeeded Clinton L. Hare, who had left Butler to coach at Purdue University in 1890. Crawford was determined to "get back" at Hare, with whom he had a personal rivalry dating back to a political fight at Yale. He returned to coach at Butler in 1891. In 1892, Crawford coached the football team at the University of Wisconsin—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Legal career, family, later life, and death

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Crawford moved to Kentland, Indiana, where he was a lawyer for a large railway. He then joined his father's law firm in Chicago. Several years later, he went to Seattle, where he practiced law and purchased the Seattle, Renton and Southern electric line, a railroad that ran from Seattle to Renton, Washington.

In December 1896, Crawford was engaged to Katherine Louise Wardner. The couple were married on February 23, 1897, in Milwaukee.

Crawford spent the last two years of his life as a resident of Lexington, Kentucky. He died in Lexington, on September 6, 1933, in an ambulence headed to St. Joseph's Hospital after he had suffered a heart attack.

Head coaching record

Notes

1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Butler records indicate that "Clint Howe", an apparent mispelling of Clinton L. Hare, was Butler's coach in 1890, but contemporary coverage shows that Billy Crawford coached Butler in 1890, while Hare coached at Purdue University.
2. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Wisconsin records indicate that Frank Crawford was Wisconsin's coach in 1892, but contemporary coverage shows that Billy Crawford coached Wisconsin in 1892, while Frank coached at Baker University.

References

1. Moore, Frederick W., ed. (June 1886). The Yale '86 Class Book. New Haven, Connecticut: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Book And Job Printers. p. 20. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
2. ^ "W. R. Crawford Dies Suddenly". The Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky. September 7, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
3. "Yale Football Letterwinners". Yale University. p. 12. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
4. "A Football Player injured". The New York Times. New York, New York. November 18, 1885. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
5. "Yale Commencement". The Journal and Courier. New Haven, Connecticut. July 1, 1886. p. 4. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
6. "Three Prize Winners". Minneapolis Daily Times. Minneapolis, Minnesota. December 16, 1890. p. 5. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
7. "Cornell Wins The Game". The Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. November 28, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
8. "College Victory Celebrated". Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, Indiana. December 13, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
9. Debris 1891. Purdue University. 1891. p. 154. Retrieved November 2, 2011 – via Internet Archive.
10. "Monday's Great Game". The Lafayette Daily Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. November 7, 1891. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
11. "[untitled]". The Lafayette Daily Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. October 22, 1891. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
12. "Football Gossip". Lafayette Weekly Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. November 24, 1891. p. 4. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
13. "Wasn't In It With Purdue". Indianapolis Journal. Indianapolis, Indiana. October 20, 1892. p. 1. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
14. "Engagements Announced". The Chicago Chronicle. Chicago, Illinois. December 9, 1896. p. 5. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
15. "Some Minor Notes". The Daily Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. February 23, 1897. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
16. "Crawford Dies". The Seattle Star. Seattle, Washington. September 16, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
17. "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Clint Howe". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
18. "Butler Football School Records" (PDF). Butler University. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
19. "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Frank "Little" Crawford". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
20. "All-Time Results". Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

External links

• Billy Crawford at Find a Grave

• 1864 births
• 1933 deaths
• 19th-century players of American football
• 20th-century American railroad executives
• American football halfbacks
• American football quarterbacks
• Butler Bulldogs football coaches
• Chicago Athletic Association players
• Wisconsin Badgers football coaches
• Yale Bulldogs football players
• Harvard Law School alumni
• Coaches of American football from Illinois
• Players of American football from Chicago
• Players of American football from Lexington, Kentucky
• People from Kentland, Indiana
• People from New Albany, Indiana
• Lawyers from Chicago
• Lawyers from Seattle
• Indiana lawyers