While leading the TCU Horned Frogs to undefeated season and the National Championship in 1938, Little Davey O'Brien also managed to make the entire country take notice of his skills as a quarterback. For his accomplishments, O'Brien received the prestigious Heisman Trophy as the nation's best player. (Full text below)
As a bonus, here's the front page on this edition of the NYT. Most interesting is the story at the top right detailing the Non-War "Good Neighbor" agreement between France and Germany. That worked out well... less than 2 years later, Germany marched into Paris and occupied France. Meanwhile, 3 years to day after this paper hit the newsstands, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Davey O'Brien Receives Heisman Trophy at Downtown A.C.
NEW YORK HONORS SOUTHWEST PLAYER
O'Brien, After Whirl of Entertainment, Off to Rejoin Texas Christian Team
LA GUARDIA GREETS STAR
Davey Rides to City Hall in Stagecoach-1,000 Attend Downtown A. C. Dinner
by ROBERT F. KELLEY
A small, pleasant-mannered young man under a wide-brimmed sombrero is heading home for Texas today after twenty-four hours in New York crammed with unusual excitement for a college senior. Davey O'Brien, the 150-pound quarterback of unbeaten Texas Christian University, has another game of football to prepare for, the Sugar Bowl battle with Carnegie Tech at New Orleans Jan. 2. In his baggage as he started back to practice was the Heisman Memorial Trophy, and in his memory thousands of pleasant words from New Yorkers and old football figures from many sections of the East.
Arriving by train Monday evening after fog had grounded his plane, young O'Brien put in a very busy day yesterday. Official ceremonies started at noon when he drove to City Hall in a stagecoach to be greeted by Mayor La Guardia and be photographed with him on the City Hall steps in the traditional New York manner, and they ended last evening at the Downtown Athletic Club with the awarding of the Heisman Trophy, granted after the vote of 600 sports writers on the outstanding player of the year.
And through all his talk there was evident the fact that he was looking forward to the game with Carnegie. "We haven't finished the job yet," he said. "We have a real tough one ahead of us."
The daytime festivities began when O'Brien, accompanied by his mother, Dr. E. M. Waits, president of T. C. U.; Meyer, Colonel Amon G. Carter, Fort Worth Publisher; Lieutenant Governor Walter Woodul of Texas and Ki Aldrich and I.B. Hale, team-mates, arrived at City Hall. There was a mounted police escort and a cowboy-hatted band. All the male members of the party wore cowboy hats and they were received in the Mayor's office. The Mayor congratulated the young player, talked football with him a minute or two and then the party repaired to the City Hall steps for the photographers.
Mr. Holcombe, in presenting the trophy, paid graceful compliment to the player, and O'Brien replied briefly, stressing the part his team-mates had played in making the success of the team possible. With the award, the officials of the club made public the final tabulation, which showed O'Brien far ahead of his nearest competitors, Marshall Goldberg of Pitt and Sid Luckman of Columbia.
Among those at the dinner, in addition to the Texas party, were C. I. Smith, president of American Air Lines; Asa S. Bushnell, director of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association; Dean Hill, president of the Touchdown Club; Judge Samuel E. Hoyt, president of the Amateur Athletic Union; Bill Langford, secretary of the football rules committee; William H. (Pa) Corbin, old Yale star; William H. (Big Bill) Edwards, old-time Princeton star; Julian Curtiss, Larry Kelley, winner of the award in 1936; Herb Kopf, Manhattan coach and Captain Bill Wood, Army mentor.
Others who attended were Postmaster General James A. Farley, Mayor La Guardia, Coach Lou Little of Columbia, George (Potsy) Clark, coach of the Dodgers and Elmer Oliphant, famous West Point player of yesteryear.
O'Brien is the fourth winner of the trophy, succeeding Jay Berwanger of Chicago, 1935; Kelley in 1936 and Clint Frank of Yale in 1937. The Texan also received a gold watch from the New York Sun for his selection as a member of that paper's Al-America team.
Davey O'Brien Receives Heisman Trophy at Downtown A.C.
NEW YORK HONORS SOUTHWEST PLAYER
O'Brien, After Whirl of Entertainment, Off to Rejoin Texas Christian Team
LA GUARDIA GREETS STAR
Davey Rides to City Hall in Stagecoach-1,000 Attend Downtown A. C. Dinner
by ROBERT F. KELLEY
A small, pleasant-mannered young man under a wide-brimmed sombrero is heading home for Texas today after twenty-four hours in New York crammed with unusual excitement for a college senior. Davey O'Brien, the 150-pound quarterback of unbeaten Texas Christian University, has another game of football to prepare for, the Sugar Bowl battle with Carnegie Tech at New Orleans Jan. 2. In his baggage as he started back to practice was the Heisman Memorial Trophy, and in his memory thousands of pleasant words from New Yorkers and old football figures from many sections of the East.
Arriving by train Monday evening after fog had grounded his plane, young O'Brien put in a very busy day yesterday. Official ceremonies started at noon when he drove to City Hall in a stagecoach to be greeted by Mayor La Guardia and be photographed with him on the City Hall steps in the traditional New York manner, and they ended last evening at the Downtown Athletic Club with the awarding of the Heisman Trophy, granted after the vote of 600 sports writers on the outstanding player of the year.
"Terribly Exciting Time"
Davey made a pleasing impression on all who encountered him during the day. New York, he said, had been very kind to him and he would carry home cherished remembrances of "a terribly exciting" time. He was proud to receive the trophy , but in his modest speech of acceptance after the presentation by Walter P. Holcombe, president of the club, he gave credit to his team-mates and to his coach, L. R. (Dutch) Meyer, who accompanied him throughout the day and sat on the dais at the dinner as nearly 1,000 guests gathered to pay tribute to the great little forward-passing star.And through all his talk there was evident the fact that he was looking forward to the game with Carnegie. "We haven't finished the job yet," he said. "We have a real tough one ahead of us."
The daytime festivities began when O'Brien, accompanied by his mother, Dr. E. M. Waits, president of T. C. U.; Meyer, Colonel Amon G. Carter, Fort Worth Publisher; Lieutenant Governor Walter Woodul of Texas and Ki Aldrich and I.B. Hale, team-mates, arrived at City Hall. There was a mounted police escort and a cowboy-hatted band. All the male members of the party wore cowboy hats and they were received in the Mayor's office. The Mayor congratulated the young player, talked football with him a minute or two and then the party repaired to the City Hall steps for the photographers.
Afternoon of Sight-Seeing
The afternoon was spent in sightseeing and at 7 P. M. the distinguished guests and the hundreds of football figures began to gather at the clubhouse for the dinner.Mr. Holcombe, in presenting the trophy, paid graceful compliment to the player, and O'Brien replied briefly, stressing the part his team-mates had played in making the success of the team possible. With the award, the officials of the club made public the final tabulation, which showed O'Brien far ahead of his nearest competitors, Marshall Goldberg of Pitt and Sid Luckman of Columbia.
Among those at the dinner, in addition to the Texas party, were C. I. Smith, president of American Air Lines; Asa S. Bushnell, director of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association; Dean Hill, president of the Touchdown Club; Judge Samuel E. Hoyt, president of the Amateur Athletic Union; Bill Langford, secretary of the football rules committee; William H. (Pa) Corbin, old Yale star; William H. (Big Bill) Edwards, old-time Princeton star; Julian Curtiss, Larry Kelley, winner of the award in 1936; Herb Kopf, Manhattan coach and Captain Bill Wood, Army mentor.
Others who attended were Postmaster General James A. Farley, Mayor La Guardia, Coach Lou Little of Columbia, George (Potsy) Clark, coach of the Dodgers and Elmer Oliphant, famous West Point player of yesteryear.
O'Brien is the fourth winner of the trophy, succeeding Jay Berwanger of Chicago, 1935; Kelley in 1936 and Clint Frank of Yale in 1937. The Texan also received a gold watch from the New York Sun for his selection as a member of that paper's Al-America team.
