Porter Cup
The Porter Cup was an athletic trophy awarded to the top all-around athlete at a number of Southern colleges in the early 20th century. Established by Birmingham businessman Henry J. Porter Jr., the award recognized excellence across multiple sports rather than achievement in only one. Over time, it became one of the better-known collegiate athletic honors in the South, with athletes at several institutions competing annually for the distinction.[1]
History[edit]
As a student at the Virginia Military Institute, Porter had competed for the Williamson-Graham Cup, an earlier trophy awarded for all-around athletic excellence. Porter won that honor during the 1908–09 academic year through his performances in basketball, football, track, and gymnastics.
After returning to Birmingham, AL and becoming established in business, Porter conceived the idea of creating a similar award for local colleges. The first Porter Cups were awarded in 1918 at Birmingham-Southern College and Howard College. From those beginnings, the award expanded to additional institutions, eventually being presented at nine Southern colleges.
Recipients were often prominent figures in Southern college sports, and several winners later gained wider recognition in professional baseball and other fields.
Among the most notable winners mentioned was Ed Sherling of Auburn, who won the cup four consecutive times from 1920 through 1923, a feat described as unmatched. Riggs Stephenson of Alabama won it three times before later becoming associated with Joe McCarthy's Chicago Cubs.
The cup was presented from 1918-1932, with Porter sending a letter to schools in early 1933 that he would not be awarding the cup that year.[2]
Recipients, through 1928[edit]
Birmingham-Southern[edit]
- 1917-18 - Michael Slavensky
- 1918-19 - Aubrey A. Miller
- 1919-20 - John Burney [1]
- 1920-21 - Aubrey A. Miller
- 1921-22 - Milton Wesley Griffin
- 1922-23 - Paul Maddox Norton
- 1923-24 - Hoyette Benton Levie
- 1924-25 - Osborne A. Farr
- 1925-26 - John K. Hall
- 1926-27 - Edgar Lott [2]
- 1927-28 - Hugh Ogle [3]
- 1928-29 - John King[3]
- 1929-30 - William Raines "Bill" Battle[4]
- 1930-31 - Travis "Pedro" Black[5]
- 1931-32 - Wylie Waller[6]
Howard College[edit]
- 1917-18 - Claude E. Carr
- 1918-19 - James J. Jackson
- 1919-20 - O. B. Newman, Jr
- 1920-21 - O. T. Alford
- 1921-22 - Jesse A. Lackey
- 1922-23 - "Ham" Stevens
- 1923-24 - "Ham" Stevens
- 1924-25 - William Howard Stubbs
- 1925-26 - Paul Scokel
- 1926-27 - Billy Bancroft [4]
- 1927-28 - Clifton Brown
- 1928-29 - Sam Bradley[7]
- 1929-30 - Sam Spicer[8]
- 1930-31 - Tommy Bondurant[9]
- 1931-32 - Aubrey Greshman[10]
Auburn[edit]
- 1918-19 - Charlie Scott
- 1919-20 - Edward Creech Sherling
- 1920-21 - Edward Creech Sherling
- 1921-22 - Edward Creech Sherling
- 1922-23 - Edward Creech Sherling
- 1923-24 - Joseph L. Harrison
- 1924-25 - C. E. "Pea" Green
- 1925-26 - Buck Ellis [5]
- 1926-27 - The James Twins, (W. E. James [6] and F. M. James)
- 1927-28 - Jelly Akin [7]
- 1928-29 - Frank Tuxworth[11]
- 1929-30 - James Crawford [8][12]
- 1930-31 - Joe Burt[13]
- 1931-32 - Ralph "Lefty" Jordan[14]
University Of Alabama[edit]
- 1918-19 - Riggs Stephenson
- 1919-20 - Riggs Stephenson
- 1920-21 - Riggs Stephenson
- 1921-22 - Albert Hobson Clemens
- 1922-23 - Ralph Clyde Propst
- 1923-24 - Ralph Clyde Propst
- 1924-25 - Ralph Clyde Propst
- 1925-26 - Red Barnes
- 1926-27 - Ray Pepper
- 1927-28 - John William Campbell
- 1928-29 - Earle Smith[15]
- 1929-30 - Freddie Sington[16]
- 1930-31 - Freddie Sington[17]
- 1931-32 - Stuart Aiken [9][18]
Vanderbilt[edit]
- 1918-19 - N. W. (Dochie) Sherman
- 1919-20 - J. C. (Josh) Cody
- 1920-21 - Julian Thomas
- 1921-22 - Thomas Francis Egan
- 1922-23 - Oliver D. (Doc) Kuhn
- 1923-24 - Gil Reese
- 1924-25 - Thomas Ryan
- 1925-26 - George Waller
- 1926-27 - Mal Moss
- 1927-28 - Larry Creson [10][19]
- 1928-29 - William Cleveland Schoolfield[20]
- 1929-30 - none given
- 1930-31 - none given
- 1931-32 - none given
Sewanee[edit]
- 1918-19 - Charles Hammond
- 1919-20 - William Coughlin
- 1920-21 - Charles Capers Satterlee
- 1921-22 - Charles Duncan Convas
- 1922-23 - "Blood" (V. G.) Miller
- 1923-24 - James Ewing Sanders, Jr
- 1924-25 - George Henry Barker
- 1925-26 - R. Delmas Gooch
- 1926-27 - Orin Greenhill Helvey
- 1927-28 - Thomas Adams Young
- 1928-29 - none given
- 1929-30 - none given
- 1930-31 - Charles Henry Barron[21]
- 1931-32 - Ward Phillips[22]
University Of Tennessee[edit]
- 1918-19 - Frank Burnett Calloway
- 1919-20 - Willis McCaba
- 1920-21 - A. A. Hatcher
- 1921-22 - Lacy Roe Campbell
- 1922-23 - James F. Smith
- 1923-24 - none given
- 1924-25 - none given
- 1925-26 - William S. Harkness, Jr
- 1926-27 - John Henry Barnhill
- 1927-28 - John Henry Barnhill[23]
- 1928-29 - none given, discontinued at University of Tennessee[23]
Virginia Military Institute[edit]
- 1923-24 - Worthington Faulkner
- 1924-25 - Paul E. Caldwell
- 1925-26 - Wyndham Robertson White, Jr
- 1926-27 - Albert Joseph Barnes
- 1927-28 - Luther Burton Hewlett[24]
- 1928-29 - Frank "Slick" Harner[25]
- 1929-30 - Virgil Byron Grow[26]
- 1930-31 - Roy Franklin Dunn[27]
- 1931-32 - Ralph Waite[28]
Tulane[edit]
- 1922-23 - Lester Lautenschlager
- 1923-24 - C. Ellis Henican
- 1924-25 - Priestly (Peggy) Fleurnoy
- 1925-26 - Ed Morgan
- 1926-27 - Patrick (Pat) Walsh Brown
- 1927-28 - John C. Menville[29]
- 1928-29 - Dick Baumbach[30]
- 1929-30 - Harry "Wop" Glover[31]
- 1930-31 - none given
- 1931-32 - none given
References[edit]
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Sun, May 27, 1928, Page 25
- ↑ Nashville (TN) Banner, Thu, Mar 16, 1933, Page 11
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Tue, May 14, 1929, Page 13
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Fri, May 16, 1930, Page 21
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Sun, Apr 19, 1931, Page 33
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Fri, May 20, 1932, Page 15
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Thu, May 23, 1929, Page 14
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Sun, May 25, 1930, Page 36
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Sun, May 31, 1931, Page 35
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Tue, May 17, 1932, Page 13
- ↑ The LaFayette (AL) Sun, Wed, May 15, 1929, Page 1
- ↑ The Montgomery (AL) Advertiser, Sun, May 04, 1930, Page 26
- ↑ The Huntsville (AL) Times, Sun, May 03, 1931, Page 12
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Sat, May 14, 1932, Page 10
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Wed, May 29, 1929, Page 13
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) Post, Mon, May 26, 1930, Page 8
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Wed, May 13, 1931, Page 2
- ↑ The Decatur (AL) Daily, Tue, May 24, 1932, Page 6
- ↑ Nashville (TN) Banner, Tue, Jun 12, 1928, Page 17
- ↑ Nashville (TN) Banner, Tue, Jun 11, 1929, Page 1
- ↑ Chattanooga (TN) Daily Times, Fri, May 15, 1931, Page 14
- ↑ Nashville (TN) Banner, Fri, May 27, 1932, Page 10
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Knoxville (TN) Journal, Sun, Jan 27, 1929, Page 11
- ↑ Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Tue, Jun 12, 1928, Page 15
- ↑ Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch, Thu, Jun 13, 1929, Page 12
- ↑ The Springfield (MO) Press, Sat, Jul 05, 1930, Page 7
- ↑ The News and Advance (Lynchburg, VA), Tue, Jun 09, 1931, Page 11
- ↑ The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA), Sun, Jun 12, 1932, Page 14
- ↑ The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), Sun, Jun 03, 1928, Page 23
- ↑ The Birmingham (AL) News, Sun, Jun 02, 1929, Page 19
- ↑ The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), Sun, May 25, 1930, Page 57
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