Chippewas Football (IIAC, 1952)

1952 Homecoming:
Chippewas vs. Michigan State Normal Hurons

      Head Coach Kenneth "Wild Bill" Kelly was in his second season as CMC Chippewas head football coach in 1952. The team was coming off a respectable 5-3 record (4-2 IIAC) in 1951. The school was in it's third season in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which included five schools from Indiana and Michigan State Normal (now Eastern Michigan).
     The Chippewas had an excellent season in 1952, winning the IIAC championship with a 7-2 record, along with a perfect 6-0 in conference play. CMU won the conference title by one game over second-place Western Illinois. 1952 was also the start of a 20-game home winning streak, which lasted until  1956.
     Central was dominant on both sides of the ball this season. On defense, the team held opponents to a mere 85 points. The Chips pitched two shutouts (Western and Eastern Illinois) and held three other teams to seven (Northern and Southern Illinois and Michigan Normal). In their two losses  (Western Michigan and Bowling Green), the Chippewas allowed 38 points total.

"Some" and "More" of the 1952 Chippewas

     On offense, CMC scored 285 points in 9 games. They hit the 50-point barrier two times, a 56-7 win over Northern Illinois and a 55-7 win over Southern Illinois. The rushing attack was led by Vern Hawes, a 5'9", 160-lb. sophomore, who rushed for 540 yards on 69 carries, earning a spot on First Team All-IIAC. Don Koleber, a 6'1", 193-lb. senior was the top quarterback that year, connecting on 25 out 63 passes for 417 yards. His top receiver was Al Drath, standing at 6'1" and 196 pounds. Drath hauled in 16 catches for 302 yards.
     Central placed eight players on the First Team All-IIAC squad in 1952. In addition to Hawes, there was center Bill Banaszak, tackle Ken Barron, halfbacks Bill Doser, Chuck Miller and Dave Clark, and guards Loren Dietrich and Marty Klozik. Dietrich was named Central's Most Valuable Player that year.
   

Huron-Chippewa Totem Pole Trophy

     Here's an interesting photo. Apparently, Central and Michigan Normal had a rivalry trophy at this time, the "Huron-Chippewa Totem Pole". The trophy debuted in 1950, after the Chippewas defeated the Hurons 26-7 in Ypsilanti. Central would keep the trophy the next two seasons, including a 26-7 win at Alumni Field in 1952.
     Honestly, I really don't know anything about this trophy. It's obviously retired and probably has been for a long time. Eastern switched their nickname to "Eagles" in 1991. Around the same time, Central worked with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to remove all Native American imagery and any stereotypes (drum beats, mascots, war chants, etc). So I can't see this trophy flying with the Chippewa Tribe or CMU. I'm curious what happened to it and when it was retired.
     This program is from the October 25, 1952 Homecoming game against the Michigan State Normal Hurons (now Eastern Michigan Eagles). It is 25 pages long, and all but the roster insert page is in black-and-white. First off, I love the drawings that are on the programs from this era. The colors and the dramatic poses really catch your eye. Sports artist Lon Keller designed the covers for sports programs for years, and is also responsible for the New York Yankees "Top Hat" logo. I've used several of these great works for the announcement slideshow at work.
     CMC President Charles Anspach opened the program with a letter welcoming both Michigan State Normal and CMC alumni to the game. The Central coaching staff is profiled on page 3, which included freshman coach Bill Theunissen, who took over the baseball program that year to go with his freshman basketball coaching job. Coca-Cola is the sponsor of the lineup insert and is the only color ad in the entire program. The next two pages feature the Homecoming itinerary, which stretched from Friday-Sunday. The activities started at 4:00 Friday with the Freshman-Sophomore games at Practice Field and ended at Barnard Hall on Sunday at 5:00 with an open house. Michigan State Normal is introduced on page 20 and six pictures of 1952 Hurons players are on page 22.
     Local advertisements include Thompson's Jewelry, the Isabella County State Bank, Giant Super Market (317 N. Mission, where Family Video stands), Russ Tompkins Motor Sales (featuring DeSoto, Plymouth, and GMC Trucks), and Krapohl Ford Sales (114 Court Street). Showing that this is a much different time than today, Lucky Strikes cigarettes has a full page ad on page 6, with actor/singer Dorothy Collins urging people to "Be Happy, Go Lucky!" because "Lucky's Taste Better!"

References:

"The Official 2018 Chippewa Football Media Guide", CMU Athletics

"Michigan Normal vs. Central Michigan" program, CMU Athletics