Even though I am telling the story, much credit must be given to my father, Robert Wintersmith "Red" Robertson, M.D. ( 1903-1988 ), who was there at Centre from the fall of 1921 until graduating in 1925 and to whom this book is dedicated.
Robert Wintersmith Robertson, M.D. - Centre, 1925
Dad left me old programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, and most importantly, memories from constantly telling me stories about his days at Centre which certainly were highlights of a wonderfully full life.
His love of Centre College extended from the days of his entrance in the fall of 1921 throughout his life, culminated by being designated a Distinguished Alumni in 1981 and serving as a member of Centre's Board of Trustees from 1962-74, later serving as an emeritus until his death in 1988.
Photograph taken in the 1980's in Paducah, Kentucky, home of Centre emeritus board member, Robert Wintersmith "Red" Robertson, M.D. James Evans, Centre '43, and David Grissom, Centre '60, were members of the Board at Centre when this photo was taken and Grissom remains as a Life Member. Richard Morrill was Centre's president from 1982-1988. The portrait in the background is of Mary Eyre Wintersmith Robertson, "Red" Robertson's mother, and was painted in 1901 by Katherine Helm, the niece of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. The portrait now hangs in the home of the author's son, Robert Wintersmith Robertson III , Centre '92, in Franklin, Tennessee.
FROM TIME TO TIME, YOU WILL FIND RECOLLECTIONS INTERFACED FROM MY FATHER IN BOLD FACE WHICH ARE STORIES HE TOLD ME AND WHICH I HAVE RECONSTRUCTED AS CLOSELY AS I REMEMBER THEM.
There is more specific information about my father in Chapter 133 and interspersed throughout the book.
The many photographs which you will see came from contemporary sources, my personal collection, and from those who were so generously given to me by Ann and Jim McCurry. Ann, Centre Coach “Uncle Charlie” Moran’s granddaughter, helped me understand her grandfather’s role in helping build Centre’s team, and Jim reproduced so many of the photographs which had been preserved in Coach Moran’s scrapbooks.
My hardcopy book, "The Wonder Team," was enhanced in a major way by the research of Tony Gaier of Versailles, Ohio, and to him I continue to owe a huge amount of gratitude as much of the material in this online edition was first published in the original 2008 book. Also, I will always be appreciative of the efforts and interest of Bill Butler of Butler Books in Louisville who was the publisher of the book.
Beth Morgan, who heads up the archival collection at Centre's Grace Doherty Library, is another person who was very generous in providing information from the scrapbooks which were donated by individuals who lived during the era of Centre's prominence in the college football world.
The present online edition was also made possible by the diligent and skillful work of another person to whom I owe an immense amount of thanks, Alan Jackson, a professor at Paducah's College of Art and Design, who helped enormously in converting and expanding my hardcopy book onto the web. Without Alan, you wouldn't be reading this.
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Dr. Milton Moreland, president of Centre College, who was so generous in writing the Foreword for the book, and Kent Stephens, the College Football Hall of Fame historian and archivist, emeritus, who was so supportive and wrote the Introduction.
Thanks Guys!
Robert Wintersmith Robertson, Jr., M.D. Centre ‘63 drrob4life@aol.com