Chester C. Dillon

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Chester C. Dillon
Dillon pictured in The Birmingham News, 1919
Biographical details
Born(1887-01-14)January 14, 1887
Normal, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 22, 1971(1971-10-22) (aged 84)
Anniston, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1905–1907Illinois State Normal
1910–1912Illinois
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1913–1914Brookings HS (SD)
1915Dakota Wesleyan
1916–1917Simpson (IA)
1919Howard (AL)
1920Oshkosh Normal
1921–1924Coffeyville HS (KS)
1925Howard (AL) (backfield)
1926Howard (AL) (freshmen)
1927–1928Howard (AL)
1929–1930Georgetown (KY)
1931–1935Pontiac HS (IL)
1937Jacksonville State (line)
1938–1939Jacksonville State
1945Jacksonville State
Basketball
1913–1915Brookings HS (SD)
1916–1917Simpson (IA)
1918–1920Howard (AL)
1925–1927Howard (AL)
1929–1931Georgetown (KY)
1931–1936Pontiac HS (IL)
Baseball
c. 1915Dakota Wesleyan
1920Howard (AL)
1925Howard (AL)
Track
1913–1915Brookings HS (SD)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1913–1915Brookings HS (SD)
1915–1916Dakota Wesleyan
1916–1918Simpson (IA)
1919–1920Howard (AL)
1920–1921Oshkosh Normal
1921–1924Coffeyville HS (KS)
1925–1929Howard (AL)
1929–1931Georgetown (KY)
1937–1962Jacksonville State
Head coaching record
Overall40–48–10 (college football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 WNAC (1920)

Chester C. Dillon (January 14, 1887 – October 22, 1971) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and educator. He was the head football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University (1915), Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa (1916–1917), Howard College in Birmingham, Alabama—now known as Samford University (1919, 1927–1928), Oshkosh State Normal School—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (1920), Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky (1929–1930), and Jacksonville State Teachers College—now known as Jacksonville State University (1938–1939, 1945). Dillon also served as the athletic director at each of those schools.

Early life and playing career[edit]

Dillon was born on January 14, 1887, in Normal, Illinois.[1] He graduated from high school in Normal in 1905 and then attended Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—also located in Normal. He played football at Illinois State Normal from 1905 to 1907 as a halfback and captained the 1907 team.[2] In March 1907, Dillon was hired as a teacher of literature and Latin and track coach at the University of Middle Tennessee, located in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He returned to Illinois State Normal that fall to complete his studies and captain the football team.[3]

Dillon went to the University of Illinois in 1909 and was elected captain of the freshmen football team. He played for three seasons, from 1910 to 1912, for the Illinois varsity football team at halfback before graduating in 1913.[2]

Coaching career[edit]

From 1913 to 1915, Dillon was the principal and athletic director at the high school in Brookings, South Dakota. There he also coached football, basketball, and track. In 1915, he was hired at the athletic director at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota.[2] He resigned a year later to take on the same role at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.[4]

In 1919, Dillon was hired as athletic director and coach at Howard College—now known as Samford University—in Birmingham, Alabama.[5] A year later, he left Howard to take on the same role at Oshkosh State Normal School—now known as University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.[6] From 1921 to 1924, Dillon was the athletic director and coach for the city schools in Coffeyville, Kansas.[7] In 1925, he returned to Howard College as athletic director.[8] He served as the backfield coach for 1925 Howard Bulldogs football team, assisting head coach Jenks Gillem. In 1926, Dillon coached the freshmen football team before resuming the role of head coach of the varsity football team in 1927.[9]

Dillon spent two years, from 1929 to 1931 at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky as athletic director and head coach.[10] In 1931, he returned to him home state to coach football and basketball at Pontiac High School in Pontiac, Illinois. He coached there for five years before resigning in 1936.[11]

Dillon earned a master's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1937. The same year, he was hired at Jacksonville State Teachers College—now known as Jacksonville State University—Jacksonville, Alabama as a physical education instructor and line coach for the football team, assisting head coach T. B. Shotts.[12][13]

Death[edit]

Dillon died on October 22, 1971, at Anniston Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Alabama.[14][15]

Head coaching record[edit]

Football[edit]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Dakota Wesleyan (Independent) (1915)
1915 Dakota Wesleyan 7–2
Dakota Wesleyan: 7–2
Simpson Red and Gold (Independent) (1916–1917)
1916 Simpson 2–3
1917 Simpson 0–5–1
Simpson: 2–8–1
Howard Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1919)
1919 Howard 3–5–2 0–4 T–22nd
Oshkosh Normal Titans (Wisconsin Normal Athletic Conference) (1920)
1920 Oshkosh Normal 6–1–1 4–0–1 1st
Oshkosh Normal: 6–1–1 4–0–1
Howard Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1927–1928)
1927 Howard 7–2–2 1–2–1 13th
1928 Howard 6–4–1 4–2–1 9th
Howard: 16–11–5
Georgetown Tigers (Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1929–1930)
1929 Georgetown
1930 Georgetown
Georgetown: 7–11
Jacksonville State Eagle Owls (Independent) (1938)
1938 Jacksonville State 1–6–1
Jacksonville State Eagle Owls (Alabama Intercollegiate Conference) (1938)
1939 Jacksonville State 0–8–2 0–3–1 T–5th
Jacksonville State Eagle Owls (Independent) (1945)
1945 Jacksonville State 1–1
Jacksonville State: 2–15–3 0–3–1
Total: 40–48–10
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Chester C Dillon". Ancestry.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Chester C. Dillon In A New Position". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. May 5, 1915. p. 10. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ "Takes Position in Tennessee". The Weekly Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. March 5, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "Dillon Quits College Coach". The Mitchell Capital. Mitchell, South Dakota. June 29, 1916. p. 7. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Dillon Is Signed To Coach Howard". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. May 25, 1919. p. 11. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ "Marshall To Lead Howard Bulldogs". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. August 29, 1920. p. 46. Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  7. ^ "Coach Dillon Quits Coffeyville". The Caney News. Caney, Kansas. November 21, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. ^ "Dillon Picked As Athletic Director At Howard". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, Alabama. December 8, 1924. p. 6. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ Putnam, John (January 4, 1929). "Post Mortems". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, Alabama. p. 8. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ "Chester Dillon To Leave Georgetown". The Sun-Democrat. Paducah, Kentucky. Associated Press. March 17, 1931. p. 8. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "Dillon Resigns Coaching Post at Pontiac High School". Streator Daily Times-Press. Streator, Illinois. April 23, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  12. ^ "Ex-Howard Coach Is S. T. C. Assistant". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. June 24, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  13. ^ "Four Are Added To Jacksonville College Faculty". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. August 11, 1937. p. 3. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  14. ^ "Former AD at Jax State died at 79". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. October 23, 1971. p. 17. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  15. ^ White Sawyer, Effie (1983). The First Hundred Years; The History of Jacksonville State University; 1883 - 1983 (PDF). Jacksonville, Alabama: Centennial Committee, Jacksonville State University. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
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