Robert Acton (July 26, 1867 – November 22, 1900) was an Irish-American college football player and coach and physician. He attended Harvard Medical School and he played football as a left guard for the Crimson from 1893 to 1895 and was also a member of the rowing team.[1][2] Acton was the fifth head football coach at Vanderbilt University, serving for three seasons, from 1896 to 1898, and compiling a record of 10–7–3.[3] He died on November 22, 1900, at Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan after an overdose of morphine.[4]
 Acton at Harvard, c. 1894 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1867 Kinsale, Ireland |
| Died | November 22, 1900 (aged 33) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1893–1895 | Harvard |
| 1896–1898 | Vanderbilt |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1896–1898 | Vanderbilt |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 10–7–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| SIAA (1897) | |
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Commodores (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1896–1898) | |||||||||
| 1896 | Vanderbilt | 3–2–2 | 3–0–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1897 | Vanderbilt | 6–0–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1898 | Vanderbilt | 1–5 | 1–2 | 8th | |||||
| Vanderbilt: | 10–7–3 | 7–2–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 10–7–3 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Caduceus of Kappa Sigma". 1896.
- ^ "Recent Deaths - Dr. Robert Acton". Boston Evening Transcript. November 23, 1900 – via Google News.
- ^ Caduceus of Kappa Sigma, Volume 11. 1896. p. 524.
- ^ "Dr. Robert Acton Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. New York, New York. November 23, 1900. Retrieved September 14, 2021.