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]
 Tharpe in 1925 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 12, 1903 Moultrie, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 1945 (aged 41) North Pacific Ocean, off Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japanese Empire |
| Alma mater | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Playing career | |
| 1925–1926 | Georgia Tech |
| Position(s) | T |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1928-1941 | Georgia Tech (assistant) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| All-Southern (1926) Tech Athletic Hall of Fame | |
Georgia Tech
editTharpe 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- ^ a b "Bobby Dodd and Mack Tharpe". Georgia Tech Library. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (May 25, 2015). "Remembering Mack Tharpe, a fallen Tech war hero". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ "Alabama Places 4 Men On Newspaper All-Southern Team". The Kingsport Times. November 28, 1926.
- ^ Brimmer, Adam Van; Rice, Homer (October 2011). 100 Things Yellow Jackets Fans Should Know and do Before They die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781617495748.
- ^ "Alexander-Tharpe Fund".
- ^ "Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
External links
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