1903-04 Volume 28 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL. 503BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES — CHAPTER GRAND,•EDWARD COOI. ROBERTSON, PL'RDUE, '01.He was born in October, 1876, at .Vlbion, Michigan, andwas killed at Indianapolis, Indiana, in the wreck of the"Puidue Special," October 31, 1903. For four years BrotherRobertson was one of the most prominent figures in westerninter-collegiate athletics, and as such is known to every onewho has followed college athletics since 1898, when he firstmade his reputation. Readers of THE SCROLL, through itspages are familiar with his name in connection with hisphysical skill, and members of Phi Delta Theta and othermen of colleges with which Purdue has had athletic relationsduring the past few years came to know him personally.He was a member of the 'varsity football and baseballteams for four years and was the. heavy-weight wrestlingchampion of the university during that time. On the footballteam he played at tackle, quarter, halfback and fullback,being captain of the team two years (being the only Purdueman who ever had that distinction), 1899 and 1900. On thebaseball team he played at second base for three years andbehind the bat his last year. He was fuUj' capable of makingany other athletic team in the university, but football, the gymnasiumand baseball occupied his spare time the year round.His greatest renown came to him as a member of the footballteam. As a punter he never was excelled; as a placekicker he hadn't a peer, and the fact that he made the world'srecord of seven place kicks in one inter-collegiate game is amatter of athletic history. His unerring foot was feared byevery team against which Purdue played, and from Michiganand Chicago down to the smallest colleges, coaches rackedtheir brains to devise a means "to stop Robertson's placekicking." How well they succeeded may be shown from thefact that for almost three years, with only a mediocre teambehind him, Purdue at least scored on every team she met (arecord that is rarely made), and among them were the best inthe west; and in nearly every case, "Captain Robbie" wasthe man who stood between Purdue and a shut out where thestrongest teams were met, and was the man whose kickingrolled up the score when weaker teams were played.These things mean much to a college man and particularlyto Purdue men. In themselves, however, they do not standfor any measure of what they represent to those who knew thestout heart that made them possible and the powerful body