Chief Boston
 Boston in The Granite yearbook of New Hampshire, during the 1949 season | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1917 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | May 4, 2002 (aged 85) Nashville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard (1939) |
| Playing career | |
| 1936–1938 | Harvard |
| Position(s) | Quarterback[a] / Kicker[1] |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1939 | University School, Ohio (HS) |
| 1940–1941 | Harvard (freshmen) |
| 1946–1947 | Harvard (junior varsity) |
| 1948 | Army (backfield) |
| 1949–1964 | New Hampshire |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 60–57–10 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4× Yankee Conference (1950, 1953, 1954, 1962) | |
| Awards | |
| Bronze Star, Legion of Merit (U.S. Army) | |
Clarence Elijah "Chief" Boston[1] (April 13, 1917 – May 4, 2002) was an American football player, college football coach—most notably at the University of New Hampshire—and United States Army officer.
Early years
[edit]Boston was born in Providence, Rhode Island, graduated from Moses Brown School there, and attended Harvard.[2] His father, a newspaper reporter, was also nicknamed "Chief", as his father had been the chief of police in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.[3] At Harvard, Boston competed in wrestling, baseball, and football.[2] He was a champion wrestler, and graduated from Harvard in 1939.[2]
Coaching career
[edit]Boston coached high school football at University School near Cleveland,[4] before returning to Harvard in 1940 as coach of the freshman football team.[5] After coaching football for two seasons, and also coaching wrestling, Boston entered the United States Army in February 1942.[6] Boston served in the Third Army, commanded by George S. Patton, and received a Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit,[2] while rising to the rank of major.[7] Boston returned to Harvard in 1946, coaching the junior varsity football team and wrestling.[8] In May 1948, he was named as backfield coach for Army, under head coach Earl Blaik.[9]
In March 1949, Boston was named head coach of the New Hampshire Wildcats, succeeding Bill Glassford, who had resigned to coach Nebraska.[10] Boston coached the Wildcats from 1949 to 1964, compiling a record of 60–57–10.[11] During his 16 seasons with New Hampshire, the Wildcats won four Yankee Conference titles,[12] and in 1962, he was named New England small college coach of the year by the Boston Football Writers Association.[13] He resigned in January 1965, after the team had gone a combined 3–12–1 during the 1963 and 1964 seasons.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Boston was inducted to the Harvard Varsity Club hall of fame in 1971,[1] and the University of New Hampshire athletic hall of fame in 1995.[14] He remained active in the Army Reserve, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel in the 1960s while serving as executive officer of the 304th Infantry Regiment based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[15] Boston and his wife, Mary, had two daughters and a son.[2] Boston died in May 2002 at his home in Nashville, Indiana, and was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery there.[2]
Head coaching record
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire Wildcats (Yankee Conference) (1949–1964) | |||||||||
| 1949 | New Hampshire | 4–4 | 1–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1950 | New Hampshire | 8–0 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1951 | New Hampshire | 5–2–1 | 1–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1952 | New Hampshire | 3–4–1 | 0–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1953 | New Hampshire | 6–2 | 3–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1954 | New Hampshire | 7–1 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1955 | New Hampshire | 2–4–2 | 1–1–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1956 | New Hampshire | 3–4–1 | 2–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1957 | New Hampshire | 0–7–1 | 0–3–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1958 | New Hampshire | 2–6 | 0–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1959 | New Hampshire | 3–3–2 | 1–2–1 | T–4th | |||||
| 1960 | New Hampshire | 4–3 | 2–2 | 4th | |||||
| 1961 | New Hampshire | 3–5 | 1–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1962 | New Hampshire | 7–0–1 | 4–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1963 | New Hampshire | 2–6 | 2–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1964 | New Hampshire | 1–6–1 | 0–4–1 | 6th | |||||
| New Hampshire: | 60–57–10 | 26–33–8 | |||||||
| Total: | 60–57–10 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ During the era that Boston played, the quarterback position was a "blocking back".
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Clarence Elijah Boston '39". harvardvarsityclub.org. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Clarence E. Boston, Nashville". The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. May 8, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ ""Chief" Boston Dead; Newsman Was Father of Harvard Grid Star". The Boston Globe. August 26, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Boston, Daughters, Harvard Grid Stars, Get Coaching Jobs". The Boston Globe. AP. May 9, 1939. p. 21. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Chief" Boston Returns". The Cincinnati Enquirer. INS. March 13, 1940. p. 19. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Coach Enters Service". The Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. AP. February 12, 1942. p. 22. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bonne Chance". The Boston Globe. January 15, 1946. p. 22. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "40-Man Wrestling Squad at Harvard". The Boston Globe. December 1, 1946. p. 33. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Miller, Vern (May 11, 1948). ""Chief" Boston to Coach Army Varsity Backfield". The Boston Globe. p. 11. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Chief" Boston Named Head Grid Coach at N.H." The Boston Globe. UP. March 8, 1949. p. 32. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Official Site of UNH Athletics-Legendary UNH Football Coach Clarence E. "Chief" Boston Dies at Age 85". New Hampshire Wildcats. May 6, 2002. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Boston Quitting As N.H. Grid Coach". The Boston Globe. UPI. January 21, 1965. p. 39. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Birtwell, Roger (December 4, 1962). "Spiezio Wins Senior Award". The Boston Globe. p. 25. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "UNH Wildcats - Hall of Fame". unhwildcats.com. December 1, 2019.
- ^ "Self Discipline Important Says Lt. Col. Boston". Leavenworth Times. Leavenworth, Kansas. May 8, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.