39 Facts About Matthew McClung

Immediately establishing himself as a skilled sportsman, Matthew McClung participated on both the school's football and baseball teams.

Matthew McClung served as captain of the former in 1892 and is credited with turning it into one of the school's best ever football squads.

Matthew McClung graduated from Lehigh in 1893 with degrees in metallurgy and mining engineering.

Dibby Matthew McClung gave me one of the old practice balls of the Lehigh team.

Matthew McClung was born on December 1,1868, the fifth of seven children between Matthew McClung Sr.

The younger Matthew McClung was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, where both of his parents' families were well established.

Matthew McClung entered Lehigh University in 1889, majoring in mining engineering and metallurgy; the classes were held by students to be the hardest at the university.

Matthew McClung joined the school's chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, one of nine freshmen to be accepted In Universitate.

Matthew McClung became a member of one of the school's several clubs, the "Aetos Club", which he represented in intramural athletics.

Matthew McClung immediately made his athletic presence at the school known, joining the lawn tennis team and the freshman baseball team as a left fielder; he won the university's baseball-throwing competition.

Matthew McClung completed his first year by toasting for the university's fraternities at the year's freshman banquet.

Matthew McClung maintained membership with the Psi Upsilon and the Aetos Club, but he joined the university's Southern Club, German club, and its Chemical and Natural History Society.

Matthew McClung shifted from being the baseball team's catcher to center fielder, where he played in twelve out of twenty games.

Matthew McClung had the third worst batting stats of anyone on the team, getting only nine hits on fifty-seven at-bats.

In 1895, Matthew McClung was hired by the United States Naval Academy to replace William Wurtenburg as the head coach of their football program.

Matthew McClung was the fifth football coach for the school in as many years.

Matthew McClung took over during a period at the Academy when, according to historian Morris Allison Bealle, "football was waning in Annapolis" and that "there was no climax incentive to steam up players".

Matthew McClung scheduled seven games for the 1895 season, three of which were simply squads from nearby athletic clubs.

Matthew McClung hired Paul Dashiell, a former teammate of his at Lehigh, as his assistant coach for the year.

Matthew McClung's team played at home for the entire season, due to restrictions put forth by president Grover Cleveland following the bloody 1893 Army-Navy Game.

Matthew McClung's team finished their season with two consecutive close losses to the Orange Athletic Club and his former team, Lehigh.

Matthew McClung did not return to coach the following year's squad; instead, the job went to Princeton dropout Johnny Poe.

Shortly after he left Lehigh, Matthew McClung began a career as a college football referee.

Matthew McClung began as early as November 1895, when he partnered with Paul Dashiell to officiate a game between Yale and Princeton.

Matthew McClung was a top candidate for umpiring a contest between Wisconsin and Carlisle in what would be one of the first games played at night, but did not receive the position.

Matthew McClung gained some fame among the football community following the 1897 year, so he was selected to referee in three games the following year.

Matthew McClung was chosen before the season to again serve in the Harvard-Yale game, and was likely going to be a referee for the Yale-Princeton contest; before the game McClung was replaced by Edgar Wrightington.

Matthew McClung was selected before the season to referee the Harvard-Yale game, and officiated a game between Pennsylvania and Harvard.

Matthew McClung ended up only refereeing one game that year, his usual role in the Harvard-Yale game.

Matthew McClung was sought after for another game for Yale, but had to turn down the offer.

Matthew McClung's routine was broken in 1902, when he officiated four games.

Matthew McClung was chosen by Harvard to officiate their game against Penn, and by Penn in their game with Columbia.

In 1905, Matthew McClung refereed only two games, one of which turned out to be the biggest in his career.

The first game of the season was between Harvard and Pennsylvania, which Matthew McClung officiated alongside "Big Bill" Edwards.

Matthew McClung's selection included seven players who were later recognized as consensus All-Americans, and one of which, Tom Shevlin, would later make the Hall of Fame.

Sometime in 1898, Matthew McClung was hired as the assistant superintendent at the blast furnaces of the Cambria Steel Company.

Matthew McClung would hold the position until his death, five years later.

Matthew McClung succumbed to the latter condition on March 3,1908, at the age of just 39.

Matthew McClung's death came before those of his parents and all six of his siblings.