The Game at Dickinson, 1929-2001

Forty-five seasons of Men's Soccer at the College over seventy-two years.

The origins of the men's varsity soccer program at Dickinson can be traced to 1929 when the College Athletic Association appropriated a small amount of money for equipment and actual practice began under the direction of E.M. Bowman. Soon after, the College played its very first inter-collegiate match, beating Mt. Alto Junior College by a score of 1-0.
Matches continued in 1930 and in 1931 the sport was raised to full varsity status, including the awarding of letters which signified this. Despite the initial success on the field, enthusiasm outstripped success during the initial nine years, with the full record standing at twelve victories against forty-four defeats.

The 1934 Varsity

By 1940, with the lingering effects of the Depression combining with the advent of conscription and other preparations to join the world war then being fought, men's athletics programs in general at the College were beginning to suffer and the soccer program became one of the first to be suspended. Basketball was the last to survive but even that was gone one year after the United States entered the war.

Basketball returned in 1946 and 1947 but the men's soccer program took much longer than that to recover its varsity status. A twenty-three year lapse ended in 1963. Thanks to the efforts of Arthur Lambo, Tony Herman and with the assistance of Coach Vaughn Pratt and advisor Professor Heddendorf, soccer returned to full club status that year. The following year, the 1964 varsity men's soccer team under the legendary Coach Dave Eavenson took up where thepre-war pioneers had left off.

Forty full varsity seasons were completed with the 3-1 victory at Gettysburg College on November 9, 1996. These years have produced a proud tradition of Dickinson Soccer which promises a long and fruitful history to come.
 

Glenn Whitman, class of 1990, captain of men's soccer and an history major, produced an independent study project on the early days of Dickinson Soccer while an undergraduate. This text was taken from his introduction to this project. Glenn until recently taught at the Blair Academy.


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Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania