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Inducted 1974   Growing
up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, John attended Milwaukee East Division High
School. After high school he played football and basketball in Milwaukee
Industrial Leagues. A graduate of Carroll College, he captained the
football team and was Most Valuable Player in football and basketball.
He was also a member of three league champion teams and an undefeated football
team.
He graduated from Carroll in 1935 and began coaching freshmen teams, as well as teaching. He became Athletic Director at Carroll in 1938. In his 14 years as coach and 11 as Athletic Director at Carroll, he compiled a .700 winning percentage with his football team and he coached the basketball team to 41 consecutive wins over two years. He received his Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1942 and was then commissioned by the United States Naval Reserve. He served as Lieutenant Commander in the South Pacific during World War II. Following his duty in the Navy, John came to Lake Forest in 1949 and coached the football and baseball teams, as well as serving as Athletic Director. While at Lake Forest he received nation-wide publicity for defending the interests of small college athletics. He also represented Lake Forest College at the National Collegiate Athletic Association meeting. After guiding Lake Forest teams to eight College Conference of Illinois championships in eight years, John retired from Lake Forest in 1957. He then entered the professional sports world. John served as the director of player personnel with the Chicago Cardinals NFL team. He held the same position with the the Houston Oilers of the AFL.
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