W. Earl Dodge

William Earl Dodge III (October 17, 1858 – September 14, 1884), was an American college football player at Princeton University, captain of the national champion 1877 Princeton Tigers football team.^[1]

Earl Dodge

Princeton Tigers
Position	Halfback
Class	1879
Personal information
Born:	(1858-10-17)October 17, 1858
Died:	September 14, 1884(1884-09-14) (aged 25)
Career history
College	Princeton (1876–1878)
Career highlights and awards
National championship (1877)

Early life

Dodge was born in New York City on October 17, 1858.^[2][3] Commonly known as Earl,^[2][3] he was the eldest son of William E. Dodge Jr. Along with his younger brother Cleveland Hoadley Dodge,^[4] he attended Williston Seminary at Easthampton, Massachusetts, and was a good friend of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton.

Career

Dodge was the captain of the national champion 1877 Princeton Tigers football team.^[1]

He also led the meeting of the group on Nov. 18, 1876, in East College that launched the collegiate branch of the International YMCA.^[5]

Personal life

Earl Dodge Memorial (The Princeton Student), Daniel Chester French

In 1879, he was married to Emmeline Harriman (1859–1938), daughter of Oliver Harriman and the sister of Anne Harriman Vanderbilt, Oliver Harriman, Jr., J. Borden Harriman, and Herbert M. Harriman. Together, they were the parents of two children:^[6]

• Annie Cleveland Dodge (b. 1880), who married John H. McCullough.^[6]
• William Earl Dodge IV (1883–1927), who married Jessie Sloane (1883–1968),^[7] daughter of Henry T. Sloane. They divorced and she later remarried to George D. Widener Jr.^[8]

Dodge died on September 14, 1884.^[9] After his death, she married Stephen Henry Olin,^[6] the one-time acting president of Wesleyan University^[10]

Legacy

Dodge is the namesake of Dodge-Osborn Hall.^[11] His brother Cleveland commissioned sculptor Daniel Chester French to build a memorial to Earl, dedicated May 30, 1913. Officially titled Earl Dodge Memorial (The Princeton Student), the statue became popularly known as 'The Christian Student'.^[5]

References

1. Presbrey, Frank; Moffatt, James Hugh (1901). "Athletics at Princeton". google.com.
2. Frank Presbrey; James Hugh Moffatt (1901). Athletics at Princeton: A History. Frank Presbrey Company. pp. 594–.
3. Wm. Earl Dodge, 1858-1884. New York: Gilliss Bros. & Turnure. 1884.
4. Mellby, Julie (July 10, 2017). "William Earl Dodge". graphicarts.princeton.edu. Princeton, N.J.: Graphic Arts Press. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
5. Lange, Gregg (May 13, 2013). "Rally 'Round the Cannon". Princeton Alumni Weekly.
6. Times, Special To The New York (August 14, 1938). "MRS. EMELINE H. OLIN IS DEAD AT NEWPORT; Daughter of Oliver Harriman Is Stricken After Brief Illness" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
7. "Mrs. George Widener, 84, Wife. of Sportsman, Dies". The New York Times. March 12, 1968. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
8. Times, Special To The New York (December 9, 1971). "George Widener, Racing Figure, Dies at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
9. "THE TWO DODGES". Democrat and Chronicle. September 20, 1884. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
10. "S. H. OLIN DIES AT 78; 50 YEARS A LAWYER; Specialized on Copyright Law and Represented Foremost Publishing Houses. ACTING HEAD OF WESLEYAN For 30 Years He Was Trustee of the New York Public Library -- A Founder of Players Club" (PDF). The New York Times. August 7, 1925. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
11. "Dodge-Osborn Hall". princeton.edu.

External links

• W. Earl Dodge at Find a Grave