Donold Lourie
Encyclopedia
Donold B. Lourie was an American businessman, government official, and college football
player. He served for many years as the president of the Quaker Oats Company
, and held various other executive positions there and for several other businesses. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
appointed Lourie to a position in the State Department
, and he served in that capacity for one year. Lourie attended Princeton University
where he was a star quarterback
, and he was named a consensus All-American
as a junior. Lourie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1974.
. He grew up in Peru, Illinois
where he attended LaSalle-Peru High School
. He then attended boarding school at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy
. He played football
there, and in his junior season in 1916, scored the winning touchdown
against his school's "ancient rival", Andover
. On the first play in the fourth quarter, he went around the left end to rush 33 yards for the game's only score.
where he played football
and competed in track and field
. In track, he won a broad jumping championship in the United Kingdom. In football, he played as a quarterback
and was named a consensus All-American
as a junior in 1920. Teammate and fellow All-American Stan Keck
wrote a few years later that the 1920 Princeton–Yale
game "stands out in my mind as that which offered the most stirring spectacle of my career." Princeton led in the last minute of the first half, 3–0, during which they had struggled against their opponent. With the ball on the Yale 40-yard line and only enough time remaining for one play, the Elis assumed that Princeton would attempt a field goal. Keck was set to be the kicker
and Lourie the holder
. When it became apparent Yale would attempt to block the kick, Lourie made an audible
to fake a kick attempt and run the ball himself
. Keck threw a block
and allowed Lourie to run to the end zone
for a touchdown. Princeton later extended their lead and won, 20–0, and finished the season with a 6–0–1 record. Walter Camp
described Lourie as "the remarkable little general, disclosing every weak point of the opposition."
Lourie missed half of his senior season in 1921 because of an injury. He was awarded the Poe Memorial Cup
for services rendered to the team both as a junior and a senior. Lourie was named to the all-time Princeton team in 1948, and in 1964, the National Football Foundation
bestowed upon him its Gold Medal
for lifetime achievement. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1974. In his honor, Princeton created the Donold B. Lourie Award, which is awarded annually to the team's most outstanding freshman. Lourie graduated as the president of his class
in 1922. He declined an offer to play for the Chicago Bears
in the fledgling National Football League
, and instead, remained at his alma mater
as its backfield coach.
. In 1923, he married Mary Edna King with whom he later had a son, Donold K. Lourie who became an attorney, businessman, and novelist. He became the president of Quaker Oats in 1947. In 1953, he took a leave of absence from Quaker when President Dwight D. Eisenhower
appointed him as the Under Secretary of State for Administration where Lourie oversaw a reorganization of the department. He returned to Quaker the following year, and in 1956, he became the chief executive officer
, and in 1961, the chairman. At different times, Lourie also acted as director for Illinois Central Industries, the International Paper Company, International Harvester
, and the Northern Trust Company. In 1970, Lourie retired from Quaker and moved to Longwood, Florida
. He died on January 15, 1990 at the age of 90 in Wilmette, Illinois
.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player. He served for many years as the president of the Quaker Oats Company
Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.-History:Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills:...
, and held various other executive positions there and for several other businesses. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
appointed Lourie to a position in the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, and he served in that capacity for one year. Lourie attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
where he was a star quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and he was named a consensus All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
as a junior. Lourie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1974.
Early life
Lourie was born on August 22, 1899 in Decatur, AlabamaDecatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
. He grew up in Peru, Illinois
Peru, Illinois
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
where he attended LaSalle-Peru High School
LaSalle-Peru High School
LaSalle-Peru Township High School, also known as LaSalle-Peru High School, LPHS, or simply LP, is a public four-year high school located at 541 Chartres Street in LaSalle, Illinois, a small city in LaSalle County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. LPHS serves the communities and...
. He then attended boarding school at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
. He played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
there, and in his junior season in 1916, scored the winning touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
against his school's "ancient rival", Andover
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
. On the first play in the fourth quarter, he went around the left end to rush 33 yards for the game's only score.
Education and college football
He attended college at Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
where he played football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and competed in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In track, he won a broad jumping championship in the United Kingdom. In football, he played as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and was named a consensus All-American
1920 College Football All-America Team
The 1920 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations for the 1920 college football season.-Key:* WC = Walter Camp* UP = Henry L...
as a junior in 1920. Teammate and fellow All-American Stan Keck
Stan Keck
James Stanton Keck was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at Princeton University as a tackle and guard, and was selected as an All-American in 1920 and in 1921...
wrote a few years later that the 1920 Princeton–Yale
Yale Bulldogs football
The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . Yale's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing in the sport in 1872...
game "stands out in my mind as that which offered the most stirring spectacle of my career." Princeton led in the last minute of the first half, 3–0, during which they had struggled against their opponent. With the ball on the Yale 40-yard line and only enough time remaining for one play, the Elis assumed that Princeton would attempt a field goal. Keck was set to be the kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
and Lourie the holder
Holder (American football)
In American football the holder is the player who receives the snap during field goal and extra point attempts made by place kick. The holder is usually positioned between seven and eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. The holder kneels down and places the hand farthest from the line of...
. When it became apparent Yale would attempt to block the kick, Lourie made an audible
Audible
Audible may refer to:* Sound that is capable of being heard* Audible, a tactic used by quarterbacks in American football to change a play at the line of scrimmage* Audible.com, an online audiobook store-See also:*Audio...
to fake a kick attempt and run the ball himself
Quarterback keeper
A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage...
. Keck threw a block
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
and allowed Lourie to run to the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
for a touchdown. Princeton later extended their lead and won, 20–0, and finished the season with a 6–0–1 record. Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
described Lourie as "the remarkable little general, disclosing every weak point of the opposition."
Lourie missed half of his senior season in 1921 because of an injury. He was awarded the Poe Memorial Cup
Johnny Poe
John P. "Johnny" Poe, Jr. was an American college football player and coach, soldier, Marine, and soldier of fortune, whose exploits on the gridiron and the battlefield contributed to the lore and traditions of the Princeton Tigers football program.-Family:John Prentiss Poe, Jr., known as...
for services rendered to the team both as a junior and a senior. Lourie was named to the all-time Princeton team in 1948, and in 1964, the National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
bestowed upon him its Gold Medal
National Football Foundation Gold Medal Winners
Each football season, The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame pays tribute to a select few with awards of excellence for exhibiting superior qualities of scholarship, citizenship and leadership. Additionally, the Foundation also recognizes individuals who demonstrate...
for lifetime achievement. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1974. In his honor, Princeton created the Donold B. Lourie Award, which is awarded annually to the team's most outstanding freshman. Lourie graduated as the president of his class
Class President
A class president is usually the leader of a student body class, and presides over its class cabinet or organization within a student council, in a grade school class presidents are generally elected by the class, a constituency composed of all students in a grade level.The practice of electing a...
in 1922. He declined an offer to play for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fledgling National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and instead, remained at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
as its backfield coach.
Professional career
Lourie then went to work for the Quaker Oats CompanyQuaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.-History:Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills:...
. In 1923, he married Mary Edna King with whom he later had a son, Donold K. Lourie who became an attorney, businessman, and novelist. He became the president of Quaker Oats in 1947. In 1953, he took a leave of absence from Quaker when President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
appointed him as the Under Secretary of State for Administration where Lourie oversaw a reorganization of the department. He returned to Quaker the following year, and in 1956, he became the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, and in 1961, the chairman. At different times, Lourie also acted as director for Illinois Central Industries, the International Paper Company, International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
, and the Northern Trust Company. In 1970, Lourie retired from Quaker and moved to Longwood, Florida
Longwood, Florida
Longwood is a city in Seminole County, Florida, USA. The population was 13,745 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,491. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He died on January 15, 1990 at the age of 90 in Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
.