Joseph Atherton Gilman was an All-American football player at Harvard University.[1][2] A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Gilman attended Exeter before enrolling at Harvard.[3] As a freshman, Gilman played on Harvard's freshman football team in 1912, and varsity in 1913.[4] In his third year at Harvard, he was declared ineligible due to poor academic performance.[5] He returned to Harvard in 1915 and "came through in a marvelously gritty manner, winning his old position at tackle back and eventually winning the choice on all the leading selections for All-American tackles."[5] Gilman was the first football player from Hawaii to be named as an All-American.[6] In December 1915, as a reward for his "plucky comeback,"[5] Gilman was voted by his teammates as captain of Harvard's 1916 football team.[7][8] In March 1916, after being selected as captain, Gilman was expelled by Harvard's Administrative Board due to poor academic performance.[9] He died in Honolulu in 1983.

Joseph Gilman
Harvard Crimson
PositionTackle
Personal information
Born:Honolulu, Hawaii in 1891
Career history
CollegeHarvard (1915)
Career highlights and awards

Ancestry

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His grandfather was Henry D Gilman of Connecticut. His grandmother, Sarah Atherton[10] was the sister of Joseph Ballard Atherton, who relocated to Honolulu from Readville, Massachusetts in 1875. His father, Joseph A. Gilman (1864-1936) was a Honolulu shipping and commission merchant [11] who was active in the real estate business in Honolulu, and who died in Berkeley, California.

References

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  1. ^ "High Praise for Atherton Gilman". Honolulu Star Bulletin, November 25. 1913.
  2. ^ "Gilman elected Harvard Captain (portrait)". Boston Post, December 11. 1915.
  3. ^ "Atherton Gilman Home for Visit". Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 21. 1916.
  4. ^ "Gilman elected Harvard Captain (bio)". Boston Post, December 11. 1915.
  5. ^ a b c "Harvard Drops Capt. Gilman and Two Other Football Stars Because of Poor Standing". The Evening Times (Pawtucket). March 8, 1916.
  6. ^ Lyle Brown (August 4, 1952). "Sports Quiz". Fresno Bee Republican.
  7. ^ "Gilman Harvard Captain". New York Times, December 11. 1915.
  8. ^ "Chosen Crimson Chief: Gilman Elected Captain of Harvard Football Team". The State. December 11, 1915.
  9. ^ "Harvard Drops Football Stars, Down in Studies: Capt.-Elect Gilman, Enwright and Boles Must Quit College". Boston Morning Journal. March 8, 1916.
  10. ^ "One Name Study".
  11. ^ "Joseph A. Gilman Snr".