Knute Rockne Addressed the Sandusky Kiwanis Club in 1925

Image from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

A front-page article in the March 6, 1925 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that football genius Knute Rockne gave the address at a Sandusky Kiwanis banquet which was held at the Elks Club on March 4, 1925.  The Register article stated, “With raptor like forensic thrust and fairly bubbling with the college athlete spirit, the man who last year coached the first national collegiate football eleven in the nation’s history, gave what was unanimously declared to be the best address scholastic athletes ever heard here.” 

Sandusky City Solicitor Edmund H. Savord, a Notre Dame alumnus, introduced Knute Rockne to the crowd of two hundred fifty people. In his opening remarks, Coach Rockne recalled his summers at Cedar Point, where his boss had been J.F. Singler. Rev. William F. Murphy, who had officiated at the wedding of Knute Rockne to Bonnie Skiles, sat next to Rockne at the speaker’s table. 

According to Rockne, there were five components of success needed in football. They included brains, ambition, hard work, dependability, and proper psychology. Knute Rockne stated that the ideals of college athletes also “make for better men and better citizenship.”  In his closing remarks, Coach Rockne quoted the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “Don’t foul, don’t flinch; and when you hit the line, hit hard.”   

Members of the Sandusky High School football and basketball teams attended the banquet. Each of the football players have been identified in this picture from the 1925 Fram, which covered the school year of 1924-1925.

The uniforms of the basketball players for SHS in 1924-25 were quite different from the high school uniforms we see today.

After Coach Rockne’s address, George W. Wiles led the group in singing. Sandusky High School’s “Victory” song was sung by the high school athletes first, and then sung again by all guests at the banquet. Lloyd Weninger, who wrote the words and music to the “Victory” song, was given an ovation. 

   

Sandusky's Community Song Book

In April, 1922 the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce published a song book which sold for fifteen cents. Local song leader George W. Wiles wrote in the preface that the intention of community singing was “to inspire good fellowship.” He stated that the real worth of community singing “lies in its power to lift all classes out of sordid and selfish thinking, and to create an atmosphere of courage, good cheer, and receptivity.”

Many patriotic songs were included in the song booklet, as well as traditional songs and regional favorites, such as “Dixie” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” Comical songs were also included, in which new lyrics were sung to a well-known tune. For example, “The Old Family Toothbrush” was sung to the tune of “The Old Oaken Bucket.”
George W. Wiles served as the Erie County Treasurer from 1918 through 1923. It was said that during his campaign, he literally “sang himself into office.” During World War One, George was active in leading community singing, and he voice was greatly admired. After leaving office, Mr. Wiles was associated with the Zerbe-Wiles Real Estate Agency. On June 6, 1927, at the age of 45, George W. Wiles took his own life, after becoming despondent over a lingering illness. He was missed greatly by his family and friends. He had been a member of the Elks Lodge, Eagles, Loyal Order of Moose, Independent Order of Foresters, Perseverance Lodge, and the Sandusky Kiwanis Club. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for George W. Wiles is found in the 1927 Obituary Notebook in the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.