Percy W. Griffiths

Percy Wilfred "Red" Griffiths (March 30, 1893 – June 12, 1983) was an American football player and coach and politician. He played college football at Pennsylvania State College—now known as Pennsylvania State University and professionally for one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Canton Bulldogs. Griffiths was the head football coach at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio from 1921 to 1926 and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 1929 to 1930, compiling a career college football coaching record of 16–41–10. He was the mayor of Marietta, Ohio from 1938 and 1939 and served three terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 15th congressional district from 1943 to 1949.

Percy W. Griffiths
Griffiths on 1920 Penn State football team
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 15th district
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by	Robert T. Secrest
Succeeded by	Robert T. Secrest
Personal details
Born	(1893-03-30)March 30, 1893 Taylor, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 12, 1983(1983-06-12) (aged 90) Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Coaching career
Playing career
Football
1917–1920	Penn State
1921	Canton Bulldogs
Position(s)	Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1921–1926	Marietta
1927–1928	Penn State (assistant)
1929–1930	Dickinson
Basketball
1922–1927	Marietta
Baseball
c. 1925	Marietta
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1921–1927	Marietta
Head coaching record
Overall	16–41–10 (football) 31–34 (basketball) 17–15 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
First-team All-American (1920)

Early life and playing career

After serving in the United States Navy during World War I, "Red" Griffiths attended Bloomsburg Normal School. He moved on to Pennsylvania State College where he played college football as a guard for Hugo Bezdek's undefeated 1920 team. Griffith was named to the 1920 College Football All-America Team.^[1][2] He also lettered in lacrosse for the Nittany Lions and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Penn State in 1921. He played one professional season (1921) with the Canton Bulldogs of the National Football League (NFL).

Coaching career

Marietta

Griffiths was the athletic director and coached football, basketball and baseball at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio from 1921 to 1927. He coached football at Marietta from 1921 until the end of the 1926 season, accumulating a record of 14–28–7.^[3] While at Marietta, he also coached men's basketball^[4] from 1922 until 1927.^[5]

Dickinson

Griffiths was the 21st head football coach at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving for two seasons, from 1929 to 1930, and compiling a record of 2–13–3.^[6][7][8]

Political career and later life

Griffiths continued his education at Columbia University, graduating in 1930. He served as Marietta's mayor from 1938 to 1939 and later represented Washington County, Ohio and Ohio's 15th congressional district in the 78th, 79th, and 80th U.S. Congresses for three terms from 1943 to 1949. Griffiths retired to Clearwater, Florida in 1952, where he lived until his death at the age of 90, in 1983.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Marietta Pioneers (Independent) (1921–1925)
1921	Marietta	3–4–3
1922	Marietta	2–5–1
1923	Marietta	7–2
1924	Marietta	1–6–1
1925	Marietta	0–4–2
Marietta Pioneers (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1926)
1926	Marietta	1–7	1–6	T–19th
Marietta:		14–28–7	1–6
Dickinson Red and White (Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference) (1929–1930)
1929	Dickinson	2–7–1	0–3–1	5th
1930	Dickinson	0–6–2	0–4	4th
Dickinson:		2–13–3	0–7–1
Total:		16–41–10

^[9]