Monday, September 25, 2017

Full Circle 161

This Full Circle began with an email.

Hi,

Photo #2400 is my dad. I’ve never seen it before. Do you have any more information about it, such as the name of the shop in Pequot Lakes? I see the thread is about a year old, so I hope it’s still there. My cousin forwarded the info to me last night.

Vic

I replied that I had purchased the photo and I still had it and would mail it as soon as I had a snail mail address.


Vic Spadaccini Number 2400 (2)


Photo Number 2400 Vic Spadaccini

The photo arrived “home” safe and sound. Vic wrote “Got the photo. Thanks!”

Vic was so kind to share the following information about his father.

Vic (Victor M.) Spadaccini Sr. 1916-1981 Keewatin High School 1931-1934

  1933 Named ‘All Range’ and ‘All State’ fullback.

  1934 Honor Student graduate of Keewatin High School, where he was a member of the football, basketball, baseball, and track teams.

  1934 District 28 Basketball scoring champion.

  1934 American Legion Award for outstanding boy graduate.

University of Minnesota 1934-1938 lettered in football, hockey, and boxing.

  1935-1937 fullback and quarterback. Two National Championships and three Big Ten Championships.

  1935 &1936 U of M Heavyweight Boxing Champion (undefeated).

1937 Voted Chicago Tribune Collegiate All-American and in 1938 played in the College All-Star Game in which the All-Stars beat the World Champion Washington Redskins.

1935-1937 University Singers.

  Member of The Galloping Gophers, one of the best independent basketball teams in the northwest.

Professional Football 1938-1941, 1945-1946 1938-41 Cleveland Rams.  Quarterback and placekicker.
  1940 voted a National Professional League All-Star.  Statistically was league’s 2nd best pass receiver and the teams #1 quarterback.  As a two-way player, he played every minute of every game and had more playing minutes than any other player in the league.

  1938 & 1940 voted to the All-Coaches Team.

  1946 Green Bay Packers.  During the off-season assisted Coach Bernie Bierman at the U of MN.

Military 1941-1945 Captain-U.S. Army Air Force

  Appointed athletic director and football player/coach at Ft. Snelling in 1941. Coached Ft. Snelling football and basketball teams to championships.

  Transferred to the Second Air Force and quarterbacked the Second Air Force Bombers football team to all-service championship and was the only undefeated major football team in the country in 1942.  Defeated Hardin-Simmons University in the Sun Bowl.

  Voted to Army’s Eastern All-Star Team as quarterback.

Other Noteworthy Information
  Member of the Union Board of Governors, U of MN, 1934-1938.
  Traveled with Max & Buddy Baer, sparring in exhibitions.
  President of the Chamber of Commerce, Keewatin, 1948-1952.
V.F.W. award for outstanding citizen, Keewatin, in 1956.
  ‘Lead’ on Harold Lauber Rink that won the Minnesota State Curling Championship.  Due to a knee injury, Vic was notable to participate when that same team went on to win the national title.
  Named “Itasca County (MN) Centennial Sports Champion” by the Minnesota Statehood Centennial Commission in 1958 with an award signed by Gov. Orville Freeman.
  Coached St. Joseph School football team in W. St. Paul in 1960-1961.
  Chaired the Twin City Rangers for Passage of the Taconite Amendment in 1964.


Vic was born March 2nd, 1916 in Keewatin and was the son of Nick and Domenica Spadaccini.  He moved with his wife Colleen and three sons, Vic Jr., Charles, and Nicolas to W. St. Paul in 1959 where he lived until his death April 28, 1981.

I was very happy to learn a bit more about this handsome young man.

Thanks for stopping by.

4 comments:

  1. Love these Full Circles. So happy this photo went home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This young man became quite an amazing athlete and an influential community leader.

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  3. Wow! With a list of accomplishments as long and significant as that, it's a wonder a collector didn't snatch up that photograph before you ever found it, Far Side! But I'm glad it was you who spotted it at the shop, so it could make its way home to family.

    ReplyDelete

Hi, Thanks for the comments, your input on these old photos is appreciated! English only please! All comments will be moderated! Connie