Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Robert Cook Jr. FOLWELL
Robert Cook "Bob" Folwell, Jr. (February 17, 1885 – January 8, 1928) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Lafayette College (1909–1911), Washington & Jefferson College (1912–1915), the University of Pennsylvania (1916–1919), and the United States Naval Academy (1920–1924), compiling a career college football record of 109–31–9. Folwell then moved to the professional ranks, coaching the NFL's New York Giants (1925), the Philadelphia Quakers of the American Football League (1926), and the Atlantic City Roses of the Eastern League of Professional Football (1927).
Funeral services were held for Robert C. (Bob) Folwell yesterday afternoon as many of the gridion notables of the past and present gathered to honor the memory of the former Pennsylvania coach and player. Folwell died suddenly on last Sunday night following an operation on his hip and the services yesterday were held at No. 3925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
Following the funeral services in Philadelphia, the body was taken immediately to Mullica Hill, New Jersey which for many years had been Folwell's residence when not coaching football.
The wide circle of friends and the real devotion felt for Folwell by his many friends was easily seen as hundreds paid tribute to his memory and floral tributes from all parts of the country; old-timers and younger men were all present.
Rev. John Hart, chaplain of the Pennsylvania football team when Folwell was coach, in company with Rev. Burleigh Cruikshank, captain of the Washington and Jefferson 1914 football team, which was coached by Folwell, conducted the services and eulogized the memory of the dead in a brief sermon.
Nearly 100 floral offerings were linked around the coffin. The most conspicuous was a tall blanket of red roses, with a real football in the center and lettered at the top "Our Captain"," from "Members of the 1907 team." A standing anchor came from the United States Naval Academy Athletic Association and a spray of red roses from Hugo Bezdek, Penn State coach. A basket of flowers came from the 1919 Penn team. The Pennsylvania Council of Athletics sent a wreath of roses and violets. A spray of palms and flowers came from Bert Bell, also a Penn captain and coach. One wreath bore the inscription "In Memory of Randy Smith's love for Bob."
Folwell prepared for Penn at Haverford School, where he captained the football team and also played baseball. He entered Penn in the fall of 1904 and played with the Freshman gridion squad as a substitute in the backfield. In his second year, he was regular fullback on Bob Torey's great 1905 team. During the next two years, he played as halfback and was rated as one of the best in the country. In his senior year, he was elected captain of the Penn eleven. He was well known in other sports at Penn and won honors as weight man on the track team as a heavyweight wrestler.
After graduation he accepted the post as coach of football at Lafayette and remained there for three seasons. He turned out teams there that beat Princeton, Swarthmore, Lehigh and other big opponents of the time. He then went to Johns Hopkins for one year, and following his short stay there, accepted the coaching position at Washington and Jefferson College.
For 1912 to 1915 he served with the Presidents and his teams beat Yale twice. W & J teams won 37 games and lost only 5 during his stay there. It was while he was coaching at W & J, that he started the plays that brought him country-wide fame--the famous short passing over the center of the line.
When Penn was casting for a new coach after the losing season of 1915, Bob was summoned to the Red and Blue gridiron. He remained with his alma mater for four seasons and was successful. He was mentor of the Penn eleven that invaded the Pacific coast and lost to Oregon in a 14-0 decision.
He went to the Naval Academy after Gil Dobie left the midshipmen and coached there for four years. One of his teams last defeated the Army. He was forced out of college football by ill-health and the first attach of his hip trouble. He could not keep away from football, however, and in the fall of 1926 coached the Philadelphia Quakers, American League professionals, and in the 1927 season tutored the Atlantic City Roses, an Eastern League pro team.
He is survived by his widow, Elizabeth Folwell, three sons, Robert C. Folwell, III, 9 years, George Pennock Folwell, 6 years, William Nathan Folwell, 3 years; and two brothers Thomas Folwell, California and Charles Folwell, Allentown. Bob was born at Mullica Hill, son of the late Mary Steward and Robert Cook Folwell, Sr. He was known in later years as the Mullica Hill farmer and had many friends in this section.
In the historic old "Friends Meeting House in Mullica Hill, dating back to 1770, short services were held at 3:30 PM. Interment was in the burial ground adjoining the Meeting House, where many of Mr. Folwell's anscestors were buried. The Pallbearers were Charles E. Folwell, a brother, of Allentown: cousins, William N. and P. Donald Folwell, of Merion, Nathan T. Folwell, 2nd of Merion, Samuel S. and George L. Pennock, brothers of Mrs. Folwell.
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