Death of the Founder Henderson E. vansurdarn (1882-1982)
I : E SPORTING NEWS <arried his obituary: "Henderson E. (Harry) VanSurdam , a member of the National College Football Hall of Fame, died May 28 [1982] at the Hoosick Falls (N.Y.) Health Center. He was 100 years old. VanSurdam , a star halfback at Wesleyan University in 1905, coached at Marietta College, University of the South and El Paso Military Institute, now Texas Western [sic] . "VanSurdam and famed sportswriter Grantland Rice became friends when Rice was a young reporter on the Nashville Tennessean. Later VanSurdam, an accomplished musician, set to music some of Rice's football verses. "A longtime official in rnajor college games. VanSurdam helped John Heisman form the Touchdown Club in Washington. VanSurdam was elected to college football's Hall of Fame in 1972."
We last heard from Harry VanSurdam on October 13, 1981, when he wrote Alumni Association president John Kelly to thank him , the association, President Haskell Monroe , Carl Hertzog, and others for the cards, letters and gifts he received for his 100th birthday. And we last visited personally with Harry around the time of the Sun Bowl Game in January, 1978. That occasion, in which Harry spent some time with us in our old offices on Hawthorne Street, produced the cover story (by Nancy Hamilton) and photos (by Russell Banks) which appeared in the March, 1978, NOVA . We called him "The Founder," and while the details are rather sketchy on his exact work in getting the old Texas School of Mines off the ground , we know he did great work as a lobbyist for the school - helping get the bill in-
troduced in the State Legislature, and helping raise the $50,000 for the land and buildings of the old El Paso Military Institute. If anyone deserved to be called "The Founder," Harry did . When visiting with us in 1978 , he said: "I consider this University my monument to education, which pleases me probably more than anything else that has happened in my life. I am leaving something worthwhile ; no money, I don't have it, but I can't ask for anything greater than this one thing." In his 100 years, he accomplished many things he could be proud of: he was a very talented musician (a clarinetist), and won a music scholarship to Michigan Military Academy. At Wesleyan he became captain of the freshman football team and played varsity for three years as a star halfback. He (Continued on page 14)
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