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Roy Beechler

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Roy Beechler
Beechler from 1902 Alma football team portrait
Biographical details
Born(1880-10-17)October 17, 1880
Ithaca, Michigan
DiedNovember 14, 1946(1946-11-14) (aged 66)
Clinton County, Michigan
Playing career
1902Alma
1904Michigan
Position(s)Center, tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1905Mount Union
1909Michigan (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall2–6

LeRoy Garfield "Roy" Beechler (October 17, 1880 – November 14, 1946) was an American football player and coach. He played football for the University of Michigan's 1904 "Point-a-Minute" team. He was the head football coach at Mount Union College in Ohio in 1905.

Early years

Beechler was born in Ithaca, Michigan in October 1880 and educated in the Ithaca public schools.[1] His parents, Jacob Sidney Beechler and Dora (Rasor) Beechler were of Dutch descent. In 1900, the family was living in Newark Township, Gratiot County, Michigan.[2]

University of Michigan

Beechler began his education at Alma College and played football for Alma's 1902 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship football team. He later enrolled in the Department of Engineering at the University of Michigan.[3] In 1907, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.[4] While attending Michigan, he played football for the 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team. Beechler played at the center and tackle positions for Michigan.[5][6] He suffered an injury that sidelined him for a portion of the season.[7] The 1904 Michigan team was the fourth of Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams.[5][8] The team compiled a record of 10–0 and outscored its opponents 567 to 22.[5]

Coaching

After playing for Yost's "Point-a-Minute" team in 1904, Beechler was hired as the head football coach at Mount Union College for the 1905 season.[9] He compiled a 2–6 record as the team's head coach. Beechler was referred to among the student body at Mt. Union as "our Michigan University coach."[10]

In September 1906, Beechler was hired as coach for the Ann Arbor High School football team.[11] Beechler also served as an assistant coach under Fielding Yost at Michigan for the 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 6–1 record and outscored opponents 116 to 34.[12] At the post-season football banquet on November 23, 1909, Yost thanked his coaching staff: "Mr. Redden, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Beechler and all the others who have been with us throughout the season deserve their full share of the credit.[13]

Family and engineering career

In August 1907, Beechler was married to Margaret Willets (1882-1958) in Essex County, Ontario.[14] They had two children, Jack Sidney Beechler (born April 26, 1910 in Detroit) and Richard Willets Beechler.[1]

Beechler's professional career was spent with manufacturing firms in Detroit. He began his career working for the Detroit Stoker & Foundry Company.[1] As of 1912, Beechler was employed by the Metal Products Co. in Detroit.[4] He became the chief engineer at Metal Products Co. where spent three years and was responsible for designing axles and tools. During World War I, he tested trucks manufactured for use by the government. After Metal Products was acquired by the Timken Company, he became the manager of the former Metal Products plant and later became the assistant chief engineer at Timken's main plant. Beechler was also an inventor who had several patents registered with the U. S. Patent Office.[1]

In January 1920, Beechler and F. C. Gilbert co-founded the Vulcan Motor Axle Co. to build a complete line of axles for automobiles. Beechler served as the company's chief engineer.[1][15][16] At the time of the 1920 United States Census, he was working as a mechanical engineer for an axle company in Detroit. He was living in Detroit with his wife Margaret and their two sons, Jack and Richard.[17] By 1930, Beechler and his family had moved to Jackson, Michigan, where Beechler was employed as a mechanical engineer with a horn and radio corporation.[18]

Beechler later became the owner of the Clinton Theater in St. Johns, Michigan. He died in a hospital near St. John's in November 1946 after an illness lasting three years.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Clarence Monroe Burton; William Stocking; Gordon K Miller (1922). The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 4. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 567.
  2. ^ Census entry for Jacob Beechler and family. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1900; Census Place: Newark, Gratiot, Michigan; Roll: T623_712; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 53.
  3. ^ General Register, University of Michigan, 1904, p. 312.
  4. ^ a b General Catalogue of officers and students, 1837-1911, University of Michigan, 1912, p. 268.
  5. ^ a b c "1904 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  6. ^ 1905 Michiganensian, p. 164 (listing Roy Beechler at the center position).
  7. ^ "Beechler and Longman Out: Latter Being Saved for the Ohio State Game; First Named Suffered Injury in Practice". Detroit Free Press. October 12, 1904.
  8. ^ 1904 Michiganensian, p. 164.
  9. ^ "New Coach for Mt. Union". Pittsburgh Daily Post. August 6, 1905. p. 15.
  10. ^ The Delta of Sigma Nu fraternity, Volume 23, by Sigma Nu, 1905, p. 141.
  11. ^ "Beechler Coaches A.A. High". Detroit Free Press. September 26, 1906. p. 9.
  12. ^ "1909 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.
  13. ^ The Michigan Alumnus, "The Michigan Union Banquet, November 23, 1909," December 1909, p. 123.
  14. ^ Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928 [database on-line]. Archives of Ontario, Series MS932, Reel 140.
  15. ^ "Vulcan Motor Axle To Offer New Line". Automobile Topics, vol. 58. May 22, 1920. p. 27.
  16. ^ "Formation of Vulcan Axle Co". The Accessory and Garage Journal. May 1920. p. 90.
  17. ^ Census entry for Roy G. Beechler, age 39, born in Michigan, and family. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. 1920;Census Place: Detroit Ward 21, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_819; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 650; Image: 442.
  18. ^ Census entry for Roy G. Beechler, age 49, born in Michigan, and family. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1930; Census Place: Jackson, Jackson, Michigan; Roll: 996; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 24; Image: 221.0.
  19. ^ "Roy Beechler". Lansing State Journal. November 15, 1946. p. 12.
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