Herman Gundlach, Jr. (July 16, 1913 – May 5, 2005) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Boston Redskins. He played at Worcester Academy, then college football at Harvard University.
| No. 29 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Guard | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | July 16, 1913 Houghton, Michigan | ||||||
| Died: | May 5, 2005 (aged 91) Rochester, Minnesota | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Houghton (Houghton, Michigan) | ||||||
| College: | Harvard (1931–1934) | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Early life edit
Born and raised in Houghton, Michigan,[1] Gundlach captained the football team at Houghton High School.[2] After graduation, he attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts.[3]
College career edit
Gundlach played college football at Harvard, beginning on the freshman team before playing three years on varsity.[4] He earned a spot in the starting lineup as a sophomore and was elected the team captain ahead of the 1934 season – the first guard to receive the honor since 1923.[5][6] Gundlach played in the 1935 Chicago College All-Star Game.[7]
Professional career edit
In 1935, Gunlach signed with the Boston Redskins to play under his former college coach, Eddie Casey.[4] He played in two games that season.[8]
Later life edit
From 1935 to 1941, Gundlach was employed by Sinclair Refining Company in Chicago and Atlanta, followed by the General Construction Company in Atlanta.[3] He served as a major in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.[3] After the war, Gunlach took over as president Herman Gundlach, Inc, a construction firm founded by his father, Hermann Gunlach, Sr., in 1898.[1] Following in his footsteps, he held the position until his retirement in 1987. Gundlach was also named director of the Upper Peninsula Power Company in 1965.[3] Additionally, he was president of Copper Country Copper Corp., president of Douglass Houghton Hotel Corp and chairman of the board of the Houghton National Bank.[3] Gunlach was inducted into the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2004.[1]
Gunlach was also heavily involved in the community, winning many awards for his service.[1][3] He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, Chi Epsilon, the Houghton Rotary Club, the American League, Veterans of Foreign Wars and a trustee with Goodwill Farm.[1][3] He served as the director and chairman of the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home for Abused Women as well as the director of Oak House Inc.[1] Gunlach also served as the president of the Michigan chapter of Associated General Contractors.[1]
Gunlach married Barbara Kettle and they had four daughters.[3] He died on May 5, 2005, in Rochester, Minnesota.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g "Member Biographies: 2004 Inductees | Michigan Construction Hall of Fame". Ferris State University. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Herman Gundlach". Michigan Tech Huskies Athletics. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Gundlach Named Utility Director". Escanaba Daily Press. January 18, 1965. p. 2. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Gundlach Is Signed By Boston Redskins". The Boston Globe. June 3, 1935. p. 10. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gunlach New Harvard Captain". The Boston Globe. December 5, 1933. p. 25. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sullivan, Donal M. (November 9, 1934). "Gundlach, Harvard Captain, Iron Man". The Boston Globe. p. 26. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Heikkinen, Nurmela Put In U.P. Hall of Fame". Ironwood Daily Globe. February 6, 1973. p. 5. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Herman Gundlach Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2023.