Cleveland Abbott facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1894 Yankton, South Dakota |
| Died | April 14, 1955 (aged 60) Tuskegee, Alabama |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| c. 1912–1915 | South Dakota State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1923–1954 | Tuskegee |
| Basketball | |
| 1933–1936 | Tuskegee |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 203–96–28 (football) 27–18 (basketball) |
| Bowls | 4–7 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 6 black college national (1924–1927, 1929–1930) 12 SIAC (1924–1933, 1936, 1943) |
|
Cleveland Leigh "Cleve" Abbott (born December 9, 1894 – died April 14, 1955) was an important American sports figure. He was a talented football player, a successful coach, and a dedicated educator. He is best known for being the head coach of the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers football team for many years, from 1923 to 1954.
About Cleveland Abbott's Life
Cleveland Abbott was born in Yankton, South Dakota in 1894. He was one of seven children in his family.
He went to high school in Watertown, South Dakota, graduating in 1912. After that, he attended South Dakota State College (now SDSU) in Brookings, South Dakota. He was an amazing athlete in both high school and college. He earned 16 varsity letters in high school and 14 in college across many different sports.
In 1913, while still in college, he was hired by the famous educator Booker T. Washington. The plan was for Abbott to become the football coach and a dairy instructor at Tuskegee Institute after he graduated in 1916.
However, his plans changed when he joined the US Army in 1917. He served in Europe during World War I as an officer. He was part of the 366th Infantry Regiment.
After the war, in 1919, Abbott taught at a school in Topeka, Kansas. Then, in 1923, he accepted a big role at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. He became the Athletic Director, a professor, and the head football coach. He coached the Tuskegee Golden Tigers for 32 seasons!
Abbott was highly respected by other coaches. He even joined national committees to help choose the best college football players.
He also broke barriers in sports leadership. Around 1940, he became the first African-American member of the USA Track and Field Board. In 1946, he was the first African-American member of the US Olympic Committee. He coached two African-American Olympic champions in high jump: Alice Coachman (1948) and Mildred McDaniel (1956).
Cleveland Abbott was married to Jessie Harriette Scott. They had one daughter, Jessie Ellen Abbott.
He passed away on April 14, 1955, in Tuskegee, Alabama. In September 2018, Cleveland Abbott was honored by being inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
Coaching Success at Tuskegee
Cleveland Abbott had an incredible career as a football coach at Tuskegee University. He led the Golden Tigers to many victories and championships.
- Overall Record: Over his 32 seasons, his football teams won 203 games, lost 96, and tied 28. This is a very impressive record!
- National Championships: His teams won six national championships for black colleges. These were in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, and 1930.
- Conference Championships: Tuskegee also won 12 championships in the SIAC. These wins happened in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, and 1943.
- Bowl Games: His teams played in 11 bowl games, winning 4 of them.
Abbott's teams were known for their strong performance and consistency. He built a powerful football program at Tuskegee.
See also
- List of college football coaches with 200 wins
