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Fact File about the Invention of American Football: Invention: Football *** Date of Invention: 1880 *** Name of Inventor: Walter Camp *** Lifespan of Inventor: 1859 - 1925 *** Nationality of Inventor: American *** Historical Period: Second US Industrial Revolution / Victorian (1850 - 1914) *** Category: Sport *** Country of Origin: America *** Facts about the Inventor, Walter Camp, and the invention of
Football ***
Fact 1: Who invented Football? American Football was invented by Walter Camp in 1880 during the Second US Industrial Revolution era of inventions (1850 - 1914).
Fact 2: Who invented Football? American football diverged into a new
American game from association football and rugby football due to the rule
changes instituted by Walter Camp.
Fact 3: Who invented Football? Prior to Walter Camp's invention, the game
of soccer had been the dominant sport at American colleges, but the Ivy
League colleges of Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Harvard agreed to play rugby
instead.
Fact 4: Who invented Football? The inventor of American Football, Walter
Chauncey Camp, was born on April 7, 1859 in New Britain, Connecticut, United States and died on March 14, 1925.
Fact 5: Who invented Football? The early years of Walter Camp were spent
in New Britain, Connecticut, United States where he was raised as an only child
by his parents, Leverett Lee Camp and Ellen Sophia (Cornwell) Camp.
Fact 6: Who invented Football? Walter Camp completed his High School
education at Hopkins Grammar School and went on to study at Yale College in
1875. He went on to attend Yale Medical School from 1880 to 1883. He intended to
follow a career as a doctor but changed his direction and chose a career in
sports instead.
Fact 7: Who invented Football? Whilst at Yale, Walter Camp played rugby
as a halfback from 1876-1882. He then took on the role as team captain (head
coach) from 1888-1892 and became a member of the Intercollegiate Football
Association.
Fact 8: Who invented Football? His choice of a sporting career was a
difficult path to take as, at the time, sports were generally an amateur
endeavor. After his graduation he held a full time job in sales and management
at the New Haven Clock Company that was owned by a relative Hiram Camp
(1811‑1892). His association with the New Haven Clock Company lasted his whole
life and he became an extremely successful businessman.
Fact 9: Who invented Football? On November 23, 1876, representatives from
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House in
Springfield, Massachusetts to standardize a new code of rules The important
difference between the new American game and rugby was the replacement of a
kicked goal with a touchdown as the primary way of scoring
Fact 10: Who invented Football? On November 13, 1875, Yale and Harvard
played the new game for the first time ever and Camp was a member of the Yale
team. Harvard won 4–0.
Fact 11: Who invented Football? On November 23, 1876, representatives
from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House in
Springfield, Massachusetts to standardize a new code of rules The important
difference between the new American game and rugby was the replacement of a
kicked goal with a touchdown as the primary way of scoring a goal.
Fact 12: Who invented Football? As a prominent member of the
Intercollegiate Football Association he began working on the rules for a new
rugby-based game and proposed that the number of players were cut from 15 to 11.
Fact 13: Who invented Football? Walter Camp then invented the idea for a
static line of scrimmage, the down-and-distance rules, the quarterback position,
and the legalization of interference.
Fact 14: Who invented Football? Walter Camp's proposal that the team who
had possession of the ball would continue to hold it resulted in the more
systematic football scrimmmage instead of the far less orderly and predictable
rugby scrum.
Fact 15: Who invented Football? The new codes were at first rejected but
were eventually passed in 1880. The effect of the new rules of American Football
was to open up the game, emphasizing speed over strength. He also made a name
for himself as a sports journalist and author. He went on to write over 250
newspaper and magazine articles, and nearly thirty books, about football,
baseball and golf. He also became involved in some of the first celebrity
exercise guides.
Fact 16: Who invented Football? Walter Camp played and coached at Yale
University from 1876 - 1892, and at Stanford University from 1894 - 1895
Fact 17: Who invented Football? In 1883 Walter Camp proposed of a scale
of numerical values for scoring by touchdown, point after touchdown, field goal,
and safety.
Fact 18: Who invented Football? On June 30, 1888, Walter Camp married
Alice Graham Sumner and the couple went on to have two children, a son they
called Walter Camp Jr., and a daughter named Janet Camp Troxell.
Fact 19: Who invented Football? In 1888 Walter Camp and sportswriter
Casper Whitney devised the College Football All-America team.
Fact 20: Who invented Football? In 1904 Walter Camp took over the New
Haven Clock Company introducing modern methods of manufacturing and reducing
production costs. He remained head of the company until 1923.
Fact 21: Who invented Football? In 1910 Walter Camp resigned as coach and
advisor of the Yale team although he briefly resumed the position again in 1916.
Fact 22: Who invented Football? World War One (1939 - 1945) broke out and
when the United States entered the war Walter Camp became director of the US
Navy Training Camps Physical Development program. He initiated the 12 fitness
exercises known as the "Daily Dozen" and even worked with the cabinet of
Presdient Woodrow Wilson to keep them in shape.
Fact 23: Who invented Football? In 1920 the American Professional
Football Association was formed and the league changed its name to the National
Football League (NFL) two years later. The NFL would eventually became the major
league of American football.
Fact 24: Who invented Football? Walter Camp died of a heart attack on March 14, 1925.
Fact 25: Who invented Football? On November 3, 1928 the massive Walter
Camp Memorial Gateway was dedicated near the entrance of the Yale playing
fields.
Fact 26: Who invented Football? Walter Camp earned his place in US
history as the inventor of American Football. He was honored by his inclusion on
a US postal stamp, the first day of issue was on August 8, 2003. |
