Monmouth College opens Iowa football stadium

Tracking HIstory

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The University of Iowa football stadium, now known as Kinnick Stadium, was constructed in only seven months, between March and October 1929. Horses and mules were the primary heavy equipment movers during construction. Animals that died during the around-the-clock work were buried under what is now the north end zone.

Just before completing the new stadium, the university received a major blow when the Big 10 announced it was suspending Iowa for failure to have faculty control of its athletic program. Despite the unfortunate pitfalls, the first football game in the new modern stadium pitted Iowa against Monmouth College on Oct. 5. In 1929 Monmouth College was officially known as the Bulldogs by virtue of a student vote. It was a few years later that Harold Hermann, a 1927 Monmouth graduate, was successful in penning the Fighting Scots nickname.

The Monmouth Bulldogs, coached by Herbert L. Hart, lost to Iowa 46-0, with Willis Glassgow scoring the stadium's first touchdown. Monmouth College finished the 1929 season with a 5-4 record, beating Augustana 19-6 and losing to archrival Knox 7-0. During the early teens Monmouth also played games with Illinois and Purdue from the Big 10 conference.

Two weeks after beating Monmouth, the dedication game of the new stadium was played with the University of Illinois. Glassgow ran 78 yards for Iowa's only touchdown and Doug Mills scored Illinois' only points for a 7-7 tie. Years later Mills become the Illinois basketball coach and athletic director. Galesburg's Doug Mills, who starred at Illinois in football, basketball, baseball and golf during the late '50s, was named after the elder Illinois legendary coach. Doug's father, Culver Coke Mills, played basketball at Illinois under Mills.

Less than three weeks after Monmouth College played Iowa to open the new stadium, the stock market crashed and the nation fell into the Great Depression.

Abingdon says no to MHS

Also in 1929, Monmouth High School and Abingdon High School got into a tiff over scheduling a football game. Monmouth High principal Perrine and coach Taylor tried for more than a year to schedule a game with their natural rival from southern Knox County. Principal LeMarr and coach Johnson of Abingdon said a flat "no" to the request. The Abingdon officials didn't want the game because most of their stellar athletes had graduated the prior spring.

It was also noted by Abingdon that their football schedule was full and there was no date available for the Maroon and Gold from Warren County. Monmouth officials became quite puzzled and very irritated when Abingdon added a game with Peoria Manual late in the season. Despite the fact that only one starter returned from the Little 8 champs of 1928, the Big 12 champion Manual team from Peoria defeated Abingdon 14-0.

Monmouth High school officials remained puzzled for many years over the snub from Abingdon.

MHS vs. GHS in 1929

Although Abingdon declined to play Monmouth in football during the 1929 season, Galesburg High took on the Maroon and Gold. Monmouth enjoyed a rare victory over the GHS Tigers by a 7-0 score. The future Silver Streaks and Zippers first played in 1906, with GHS winning 5-4. Galesburg and Monmouth played 47 times. GHS won the last encounter 55-7 in 1957. Abingdon attempted to schedule a game with Galesburg in 1928 and 1929. The two schools played only once, Galesburg winning 19-0 in 1920.

Knox played the big boys

A recent column highlighted games between Lombard College and Notre Dame. Knox College also played major college teams in the early teens, including Notre Dame. A future column will feature Knox defeating the Fighting Irish on a neutral field.

Tom Wilson is a local historian. Write to him at wilsont29@insightbb.com or at The Register-Mail, 140 S. Prairie St., Galesburg, IL 61401.