Bill Roper (American football)#William Winston Roper Trophy
{{Short description|American athlete and coach (1880–1933)}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bill Roper
| image = BillRoper.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Roper in 1909
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|8|22}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1933|12|19|1880|8|22}}
| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1899–1902
| player_team1 = Princeton
| player_positions = End (football)
Outfielder (baseball)
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1903–1904
| coach_team2 = VMI
| coach_years3 = 1906–1908
| coach_team3 = Princeton
| coach_years4 = 1909
| coach_team4 = Missouri
| coach_years5 = 1910–1911
| coach_team5 = Princeton
| coach_years6 = 1915–1916
| coach_team6 = Swarthmore
| coach_years7 = 1919–1930
| coach_team7 = Princeton
| coach_sport8 = Basketball
| coach_years9 = 1902–1903
| coach_team9 = Princeton
| overall_record = 112–38–18 (football)
8–7 (basketball)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships = Football
4 national (1906, 1911, 1920, 1922)
1 MVC (1909)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
| CFBHOF_year = 1951
| CFBHOF_id = 1444
}}
William Winston Roper (August 22, 1880 – December 10, 1933) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach.
He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (1903–1904), Princeton University (1906–1908, 1910–1911, 1919–1930), the University of Missouri (1909), and Swarthmore College (1915–1916), compiling a career college football record of 112–38–18. Roper's Princeton Tigers football teams of 1906, 1911, 1920, and 1922 have been recognized as national champions, and his 89 wins are the most of any coach in the history of the program.
Roper was also the head basketball coach at Princeton for one season in 1902–03, tallying a mark of 8–7. Roper played football as an end, basketball, and baseball as an outfielder at Princeton, from which he graduated in 1902. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951.
Early life and playing career
Roper was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 22, 1880. He attended the William Penn Charter School where he played football, basketball, and baseball, and continued all three sports in college at Princeton University.{{cite news |title=Bill Roper Is Dead |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 11, 1933 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1933/12/11/105827569.pdf |access-date=October 11, 2010}}
Coaching career
=VMI=
Roper was the sixth head football coach at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia, serving for two seasons, from 1903 to 1904, and compiling a record of 5–6. Roper had planned to study medicine, but was unable to, for health reasons. While a coach at VMI, he studied law, and later in life he became qualified as an attorney.
=Princeton=
In 1906, Roper was the head coach at Princeton and held that position through the 1908 season. During his first stint as the head coach at Princeton, he compiled a 21–4–4 record.
=Missouri=
Roper coached football at the University of Missouri for the 1909 season, where his team went 7–0–1 and won the Missouri Valley Conference title.
=Return to Princeton=
His second stint at Princeton lasted from 1910 to 1911. During that tenure, he compiled a 15–1–2 record.
=Swarthmore=
In 1915 and 1916, Roper coached at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. In his two seasons at Swarthmore, the team compiled a record of 11–4–1.
=Third term at Princeton=
In his final stint at Princeton, Roper held his longest-tenured coaching position. His term lasted from 1919 to 1930, but ended due to an illness. He continues to hold the record for most wins by a Princeton coach.
William Winston Roper Trophy
Princeton University's highest honor for a male athlete, the William Winston Roper Trophy, is named in his honor and awarded annually.{{cite web|url=http://www.princetonvarsityclub.org/polAwards.cfm?doctype_code=Award&doc_id=80|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211222928/http://www.princetonvarsityclub.org/polAwards.cfm?doctype_code=Award&doc_id=80|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 11, 2010|title=Awards|publisher=Princeton Varsity Club|access-date=October 11, 2010}} Some of the more recent honorees have included NFL football player Dennis Norman (’01), lacrosse player Ryan Boyle (‘04), Olympic and world champion fencer Soren Thompson (‘05), MLB baseball player Will Venable (‘05), squash player Yasser El Halaby ('06), and lacrosse player Peter Trombino ('07).{{cite web|url=https://princetonvarsityclub.alumniathlete.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=inst_career_center.content&contentid=0d65299e-125a-45fb-ac98-2aec5d1a62fc |title=William Winston Roper Trophy |publisher=Princeton Varsity Club |access-date=January 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008054908/http://princetonvarsityclub.alumniathlete.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=inst_career_center.content&contentid=0d65299e-125a-45fb-ac98-2aec5d1a62fc |archive-date=October 8, 2007 |df=mdy }}
Political and business career
In 1912, United States President Woodrow Wilson appointed Roper as the appraiser of merchandise at the Port of Philadelphia.{{cite news |title=Bill Roper Dies at 53 |newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |date=December 11, 1933 |page=30 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6_AcAAAAIBAJ&pg=3401,3471266 |access-date=October 11, 2010 |via=Google News }} He was later a member of the Philadelphia City Council and the local manager of the Prudential Insurance Company. As a politician, he worked successfully to repeal prohibition, though he himself was a teetotaller, and to change Pennsylvania's blue laws, which did not allow sports on Sundays.
Head coaching record
=Football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = VMI Keydets
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1903
| endyear = 1904
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1903
| name = VMI
| overall = 2–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1904
| name = VMI
| overall = 3–5
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = VMI
| overall = 5–6
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Princeton Tigers
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1906
| endyear = 1908
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1906
| name = Princeton
| overall = 9–0–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1907
| name = Princeton
| overall = 7–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1908
| name = Princeton
| overall = 5–2–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Missouri Tigers
| conf = Missouri Valley Conference
| startyear = 1909
| endyear = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1909
| name = Missouri
| overall = 7–0–1
| conference = 4–0–1
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Missouri
| overall = 7–0–1
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Princeton Tigers
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1910
| endyear = 1911
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1910
| name = Princeton
| overall = 7–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1911
| name = Princeton
| overall = 8–0–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Swarthmore Quakers
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1915
| endyear = 1916
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1915
| name = Swarthmore
| overall = 5–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1916
| name = Swarthmore
| overall = 6–1–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Swarthmore
| overall = 11–4–1
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Princeton Tigers
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1919
| endyear = 1930
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1919
| name = Princeton
| overall = 4–2–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1920
| name = Princeton
| overall = 6–0–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1921
| name = Princeton
| overall = 4–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1922
| name = Princeton
| overall = 8–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1923
| name = Princeton
| overall = 3–3–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1924
| name = Princeton
| overall = 4–2–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1925
| name = Princeton
| overall = 5–1–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1926
| name = Princeton
| overall = 5–1–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1927
| name = Princeton
| overall = 6–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1928
| name = Princeton
| overall = 5–1–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1929
| name = Princeton
| overall = 2–4–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1930
| name = Princeton
| overall = 1–5–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Princeton
| overall = 89–28–16
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 112–38–18
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{College Football HoF|1444}}
- {{Find a Grave}}
{{VMI Keydets football coach navbox}}
{{Princeton Tigers football coach navbox}}
{{Princeton Tigers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Missouri Tigers football coach navbox}}
{{Swarthmore Garnet Tide football coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Bill Roper—championships
| list1 =
{{1906 Princeton Tigers football navbox}}
{{1911 Princeton Tigers football navbox}}
{{1920 Princeton Tigers football navbox}}
{{1922 Princeton Tigers football navbox}}
}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roper, Bill}}
Category:American football ends
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Princeton Tigers baseball players
Category:Princeton Tigers football coaches
Category:Princeton Tigers football players
Category:Princeton Tigers men's basketball coaches
Category:Princeton Tigers men's basketball players
Category:Missouri Tigers football coaches
Category:Swarthmore Garnet Tide football coaches
Category:VMI Keydets football coaches
Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Philadelphia City Council members
Category:University of Virginia School of Law alumni
Category:American businesspeople in insurance
Category:Prudential Financial people
Category:Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
Category:Players of American football from Philadelphia
Category:Baseball players from Philadelphia
Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Category:Presidents of the American Football Coaches Association