1883 Football Team

Overall Record: 2-3Conference Record:
Coach: No coach
Captain: William J. Olcott
Manager: Horace Prettyman

OpponentDateSiteResult Attend.
Detroit Independents 5/12 H W 40-5 -
Wesleyan 11/19 A L 6-14 -
Yale 11/21 A L 0-46 400
Harvard 11/22 A L 0-3 500
Stevens Institute 11/27 A W 17-5 200
Total Points63-73

The outcome of the Stevens Institute is disputed by some. Michigan has always claimed the victory, but Stevens partisans claim the final score was 5-1 in favor of the New Jersey school. The referee's confusion over the rules and several reversals of his own decisions led to the disputed claims.
For the Michigan acount of the game see articles from the Student newspapers:
Michigan Argonaut, Dec. 1, 1883
Michigan Chronicle, Dec. 8, 1883
Michigan Chronicle, Dec. 8, 1883 [includes an account by a Stevens student]
New York Times, Nov. 28, 1883 [gives Stevens as the winner by 5-1 score]
Richard Dott's account of 1881 and 1883 trips from Alumnus Magazine, Nov. 19, 1938


Starting Lineups                  
PositionPlayer
forwards Elmer Beach
Harry Bitner
Horace Prettyman
Henry Killilea
Hugh Borden
Richard Dott
quarterback Tom McNeil
halfbacks Robert Gemmell
Albert Moore
fullback William Olcott
substitutes Tom Gilmore

View full 1883 roster (from all-time roster database, includes non-lettermen and freshmen)


1883 Team Photo
1883 team photo
view larger image

Back Row
Elmer Beach, Thomas Gilmore, Hugh Borden, Henry Killilea
Middle Row
Colin Wright, Raymond Beach, Horace Prettyman, Robert Gemmel
Front row
Richard Dott, William Olcott, Tom H. McNeal, Albert Moore, Henry S. Mahon