Leigh Allen "Polly" Wallace (February 10, 1898 – February 9, 1971) was an American football player, wrestler and wrestling coach.

Polly Wallace
Personal information
Born:(1898-02-10)February 10, 1898
Died:February 9, 1971(1971-02-09) (aged 72)
Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Weight:181 lb (82 kg)
Position:Center

Early years edit

Wallace was born in 1898. He graduated from Oklahoma City High School in 1916, where he played football and basketball. He then played football at the center position for the Iowa State Cyclones football team. His athletic career was interrupted by military service during World War I. He returned to Iowa State after the war and was selected by Walter Eckersall as a first-team player on the 1920 College Football All-America Team.[1]

Coaching career edit

Wallace later became the wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma.[2]

Wallace served as the head football coach and athletic director at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa in 1924.[3] He was the head football coach at East Central University (then known as East Central State Normal School) in Ada, Oklahoma form 1927 to 1933.[4]

Family and later years edit

Wallace moved to Great Falls, Montana, in 1937 to work with lumber dealers. He later operated a lumber yard there. He also served several terms as the county's treasurer.[5][6]

Wallace died in 1971. He was jogging along Tenth Avenue South near Great Falls when he was struck by a car as he tried to cross the street.[5][6]

Wallace was posthumously inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame in 2000.[2][7]

Wallace and his wife, Nellie, had two children, a son and a daughter.[6] His son, Leigh A. Wallace Jr., became an Episcopalian bishop.[8]

Head coaching record edit

Football edit

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Cornell Purple (Midwest Conference) (1924)
1924 Cornell 6–0–1 3–0–1 T–1st
Cornell: 6–0–1 3–0–1
East Central Tigers (Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference) (1927–1928)
1927 East Central 1–6–1 0–6–1 10th
1928 East Central 4–3–2 3–2–2 T–5th
East Central Tigers (Oklahoma Collegiate Conference) (1929–1933)
1929 East Central 5–3 3–1 2nd
1930 East Central 8–1 4–0 1st
1931 East Central 6–3–1 2–2–1 3rd
1930 East Central 4–3–2 2–2–1 4th
1933 East Central 2–5–2 0–3–2 T–5th
East Central: 30–24–8 14–16–7
Total: 36–24–9
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References edit

  1. ^ "Weston on Second All-American Team". Janesville Daily Gazette. 1920-12-13.
  2. ^ a b "Leigh "Polly" Wallace - Hall of Fame Class of 2000". Iowa State University. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  3. ^ "Polly Wallace". Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Polly Wallace". Ada Weekly News. August 11, 1927. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Car Hits, Kills Pedeestrian". Great Falls Tribune. February 10, 1971. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Polly Wallace Is Killed". Des Moines Tribune. February 10, 1971. p. 44 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Leigh "Polly" Wallace, Iowa State University, 1960". Des Moines Register. June 11, 2005.
  8. ^ "Leigh Allen Wallace, Jr". Missoulan. Retrieved February 13, 2018.

External links edit