Harry Joseph “Rocky” Rockafeller (Born: August 26, 1894 - Died: April 5, 1978)
*Rutgers Head Coach 1927-30, 1942-45
*One of four men to coach Rutgers in two different eras.
*One of seven former Rutgers players to become Rutgers head coach.
*One of three former players to serve as Rutgers Athletic Director.
*Rockafeller Road leading to the RAC (a.k.a. Jersey Mike's Arena) is named for him.
And for you military inclined, here's a little something you probably didn't know about "Rocky"......
The October 13, 1953 Targum reported that acting Rutgers athletic director Harry J. Rockafeller was visited by his old Army buddy and commanding officer who had just retired six months earlier – four star general James Van Fleet. The two met as football players, Rockafeller for Rutgers (1912-15) and Van Fleet for Army (1912-14). [Future Army Chief of Staff, Matthew Ridgway, became an undergraduate football manager when he started at West Point in 1913.]
The two were together in the final major German defeat of World War I - the Meuse-Argonne Offensive with Van Fleet wounded five days before the Armistice was signed. Van Fleet stayed in the military but coached Florida in 1923-24 in his spare time. “Rockafeller and Van Fleet had corresponded together right along. But since the war started they wrote even more often. After the war the two men met many times, Van Fleet frequently visited Rutgers to inspect the ROTC…..” His obituary in the September 24, 1992 New York Times reported the key roles he served in World War II. But during the Korean conflict President Harry Truman replaced Douglas MacArthur with Matthew Ridgway as Supreme Commander, Van Fleet was promoted to Ridgway’s spot. Truman later said Van Fleet was, “The greatest general we ever had. I sent him to Greece and he won the war. I sent him to Korea and he won the war.” Van Fleet died in 1992 at the age of 100½.
www.bing.com
*Rutgers Head Coach 1927-30, 1942-45
*One of four men to coach Rutgers in two different eras.
*One of seven former Rutgers players to become Rutgers head coach.
*One of three former players to serve as Rutgers Athletic Director.
*Rockafeller Road leading to the RAC (a.k.a. Jersey Mike's Arena) is named for him.
And for you military inclined, here's a little something you probably didn't know about "Rocky"......
The October 13, 1953 Targum reported that acting Rutgers athletic director Harry J. Rockafeller was visited by his old Army buddy and commanding officer who had just retired six months earlier – four star general James Van Fleet. The two met as football players, Rockafeller for Rutgers (1912-15) and Van Fleet for Army (1912-14). [Future Army Chief of Staff, Matthew Ridgway, became an undergraduate football manager when he started at West Point in 1913.]
The two were together in the final major German defeat of World War I - the Meuse-Argonne Offensive with Van Fleet wounded five days before the Armistice was signed. Van Fleet stayed in the military but coached Florida in 1923-24 in his spare time. “Rockafeller and Van Fleet had corresponded together right along. But since the war started they wrote even more often. After the war the two men met many times, Van Fleet frequently visited Rutgers to inspect the ROTC…..” His obituary in the September 24, 1992 New York Times reported the key roles he served in World War II. But during the Korean conflict President Harry Truman replaced Douglas MacArthur with Matthew Ridgway as Supreme Commander, Van Fleet was promoted to Ridgway’s spot. Truman later said Van Fleet was, “The greatest general we ever had. I sent him to Greece and he won the war. I sent him to Korea and he won the war.” Van Fleet died in 1992 at the age of 100½.
Harry J. Rockafeller and Rutgers - Bing
Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.
