Mercer McCall "Mack" Tharpe (July 12, 1903 – February 21, 1945) was a college football player and coach, bomber pilot, and insurance salesman.[1] He was killed in action during the Second World War.[2]

Mack Tharpe
Tharpe in 1925
Biographical details
Born(1903-07-12)July 12, 1903
Moultrie, Georgia, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 1945(1945-02-21) (aged 41)
North Pacific Ocean, off Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japanese Empire
Alma materGeorgia Institute of Technology
Playing career
1925–1926Georgia Tech
Position(s)T
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1928-1941Georgia Tech (assistant)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
All-Southern (1926)
Tech Athletic Hall of Fame

Georgia Tech

edit

Tharpe was a prominent tackle for William Alexander's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, selected All-Southern in 1926.[3]

He returned to his alma mater to coach in 1928, promoted to line coach in 1934.[1] In 1931, he sought a scouting report on North Carolina, and Robert Neyland had Bobby Dodd explain the defense to him.[4]

Along with Alexander he is the namesake of the Alexander-Tharpe fund.[5] Tharpe was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1961.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Bobby Dodd and Mack Tharpe". Georgia Tech Library. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ^ Sugiura, Ken (May 25, 2015). "Remembering Mack Tharpe, a fallen Tech war hero". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Alabama Places 4 Men On Newspaper All-Southern Team". The Kingsport Times. November 28, 1926.
  4. ^ Brimmer, Adam Van; Rice, Homer (October 2011). 100 Things Yellow Jackets Fans Should Know and do Before They die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781617495748.
  5. ^ "Alexander-Tharpe Fund".
  6. ^ "Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
edit