Collection inventory

Summary
Creator:	Syracuse University.
Title:	Syracuse University Football Collection
Dates:	1889-2016
Size:	39.75 linear feet
Abstract:	Programs, tickets, schedules, office files, memorabilia, and other materials related to football at Syracuse University
Language:	English
Repository:	University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives

Historical Note

Syracuse University's football team is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Football at Syracuse University officially began on November 23, 1889 with an intercollegiate game against the University of Rochester. Though they lost their first game, football teams at Syracuse University would go on to produce a strong organization. Syracuse University has had over 60 All-American players throughout its history including Jim Brown, Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Vic Hanson, Tim Green, Larry Csonka, Don McPherson, and Donovan McNabb. Notable coaches with winning seasons include Ben Schwartzwalder, Frank Maloney, Dick MacPherson, Paul Pasqualoni, Doug Marrone, and Dino Babers. Syracuse University has had two undefeated seasons, the first in 1959 under Coach Ben Schwartzwalder that included a championship victory against the University of Texas at Austin in the Cotton Bowl, and the second in 1987 under Coach Dick MacPherson. Syracuse University has played in more than 25 bowl games.

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Scope and Content Note

The Syracuse University Football Collection includes game programs, tickets, promotional materials, game records, schedules, publications, office files, and other materials about football at Syracuse University from 1889 to 2016. The collection is divided into seven series.

The Administrative series comprises internal documents used and created by Syracuse University football coaches and staff. These records include information about fundraising efforts and documentation about player recruitment. Only a small sample of recruitment files have been retained in the collection, and the names and personal information of the students that these records concern have been redacted to protect their privacy.

The Events series primarily includes programs for various dinners and banquets hosted by or for the football program, such as the Hall of Fame dinner.

The Game and team records series provides information about games, practices, and plays. These records include playbooks, game rosters, and game tickets. Also present are season summaries for the 1889-1945 seasons, records of games from 1908-1988, and team yearbooks for 1965-2013.

The Histories series consists of published histories/works about the Syracuse University Football program. Also included is a manuscript of "Year on the Road," a project to document the football program's year of away games to allow for the demolition of Archbold Stadium and the construction of the Dome.

The Memorabilia series comprises awards won by players and coaches as well as calendars containing depictions of vintage football programs.

The Reference materials series, labeled as REF boxes, are comprised of programs, prospectuses, and schedules that are readily available to researchers. They provide mostly published information about Syracuse University football.

The Subject files series includes four clipping books about the football team, a scrapbook of clippings from the 1950 season, several newsletters and magazines, and photographs of the team, both posed and during games.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Please note that portions of the collection are housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Among the Reference materials, posters were moved to the Syracuse University Poster Collection, and some clippings were moved to the Syracuse University Clipping Files.

Materials related to Syracuse University football can be found in the Syracuse University Poster Collection, the Syracuse University Photograph Collection, and the Syracuse University Clipping Files. The University Archives also holds collections for specific football players, coaches, and seasons, such as the Ernie Davis Collection, the Ben Schwartzwalder Papers, and the 1959 Championship Football Team Collection. Additionally, the University Archives holds clipping and portrait files on some individual football players and coaches.

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Selected Search Terms

Names

Subjects

Types of material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Syracuse University Football Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfers from the Syracuse University Athletics Office and gifts of outside donors.

Processing Information

Reference materials were reorganized and placed in new folders and boxes as needed.

All other materials were processed in 2026 by Calvin Silver. Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Oversize items were placed in oversize boxes. A small sample of recruitment files were selected for the collection, and the names and personal information of the students that these records concern were reacted to protect their privacy. Playbooks were removed from their binders and placed in acid-free folders. The binders that originally held these playbooks were placed in the Memorabilia series and housed in an acid-free box. The clipping books were disbound and placed in acid-free folders in an acid-free oversize box.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: Nicole Morello
Date: 2019
Revision history: Jan 2021 - added 1 folder (MAM); June 2022 - updated access restriction for unprocessed materials (MAM); April 2026 - processed all other materials and added to finding aid (CPS)

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Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically and chronologically, where applicable.

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Inventory

	Administrative
		Coaches
Box 1			MacPherson, Dick 1993, undated
Box 1			Sweetland, E.R. 1904, 1955, 1993
Box 1		Correspondence 1984
		Fundraising
Box 1			Dome and Football Complex undated
Box 1			Ernie Davis Club and Fund 1982, undated
Box 1			Football resurgence campaign 2009
Box 1			Orange Pack and Orange Plus 1989-1992
Box 1		Media policy 1997
			See also Printed materials, Media guides
		Recruitment
Box 1			Mailing records 1994-1995
Box 1			Mailings 1994-1997
Box 1			Official visit December 15- 17, 1995
Box 1			Personalized mailings templates 1994-1995
Box 1			Student recruiting records 1992-1996 (2 folders)
Box 1			Unofficial visit September 27- 28, 1996

	Events
		Centennial celebration
Box 1			Dinner programs
Box 1			Miscellaneous 1989
Box 1		Cotton Bowl travel advertisement
		Hall of Fame dinners
Box 1			Brown, Jim 1995
Box 1			Davis, Ernie 1979
Box 1			Little, Floyd 1983
Box 1			Schwartzwalder, Ben 1982
Box 1		Harold R. Waldron Sports Dinner 1977-1981
Box 1		I Love New York brunch November 1980
Box 1		Reunion dinners 1937, 1961
Box 1		Syracuse Chamber of Commerce dinners 1940-1941
Box 1		Team banquets 1981, 1987-1988
		Testimonial dinners
Box 2			1959 National Champions 1959
Box 2			Gator Bowl bound 1966
Box 2			Schwartzwalder, Ben 1971, 1974
Box 2		Miscellaneous 1982-2011, undated

	Game and team records
Box 2		Away game trip itineraries 1971
Box 2		Bowl game brochures 1988-1999
		Camps and clinics
Box 2			Doug Marone Football Camp 2010-2013
Box 2			Paul Pasqualoni Football Camp 1992-2003
Box 2			Miscellaneous 1975-2008
Box 2		Correspondence, Scott Schwedes November 1984
Box 2		Football facts 1939
Box 1		Game records 1908-1988
Box 2		Notes on opponents 1969-1971
Box 2		Playbook, general 1984 (2 folders)
			Removed from the Playbook binders.
Box 2		Playbook, offensive 1984
			Removed from the Playbook binders.
Box 3		Playbook, offensive 1984
			Removed from the Playbook binders.
Box 3		Plays circa 1915
		Rosters
Oversize 1			Games September 1955-November 1991 (8 folders)
Box 1			Miscellaneous 1940-1941
Box 3		Rules and regulations 1894, 1934
Box 3		Season summaries 1889-1945
Box 3		Sideline passes 1940 1971
		Tickets
Box 3			Games 1892-2010 (2 folders)
Box 3			Season ticket sheets 1983/2008
Box 3		Usher cards 1941, 1970

	Histories
Box 3		Deposition of Walter A. Darby 1941
			See also Evans, Arthur L. Fifty years of football at Syracuse University
Box 3		Gentleman's agreement: the 1937 Maryland/Syracuse football controversy 1982
Box 3		Gridiron Club 1921-1924
Box 3		History of the development of football in Syracuse University 1896
Box 4		Year on the road 1979

	Memorabilia
		Awards
Oversize 3			All-America Football Award 1960
Box 4			American Sportsmanship Council Coach of the Year 1987
			Candidates
Box 4				All-American 1987-1995
Box 4				Miscellaneous 2004-2006
Box 4			Ernie Davis Memorial Award 1966, 1988
Oversize 5			National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame 1959, 1973-2009
Box 4			Professional Football Hall of Fame 1971-1992
Oversize 3			Sports Illustrated Back of the Week 1967
Oversize 3			Syracuse University Varsity Club Letterman of Distinction 1982
Box 4			Miscellaneous 1993, undated photocopies
Oversize 3		Fiesta Bowl ring sketches 1992
Oversize 2		Cartoons undated
			of John Mackey and Art Monk
Box 9		Playbook binders 1984 (2 items)
			Originally housed the materials in the folders Playbook, general and Playbook, offensive
Box 4		Score cards 1891-1892
Box 4		Stickers 1985-1997, undated
Oversize 2		Vintage Syracuse calendars 2008-2016 (4 folders)
Box 4		Yearbooks 1965-1986 (5 folders)
Box 5		Yearbooks 1987-2001 (7 folders)
Box 6		Yearbooks 2002-2004 (7 folders)
Box 7		Yearbooks 2005, 2008, 2013 (2 folders)
Box 7		Miscellaneous 1904-1996

	Reference materials
		Books
			Csonka, Larry and Kiink, Jim with Anderson, Dave. Always on the run 1973
			Evans, Arthur L. Fifty years of football at Syracuse University 1939 (2 copies)
				See also Deposition of Walter A. Darby
			Football programs 1952
			Gallagher, Robert C. The express the Ernie Davis story 2008
			Mullins, Michael A. Syracuse University football a centennial celebration 1989 (2 copies)
			Pitoniak, Scott. Syracuse University football 2003
			Rappoport, Ken. The Syracuse football story 1975 (2 copies)
			Syracuse football 1948-1958
			Youmans, Gary and Youmans, Maury. '59 the story of the 1959 Syracuse University national championship football team 2003
REF-Box 2		Pre-game checklists undated
REF-Box 2		Programs 1894-1930 (9 folders)
REF-Box 3		Programs 1931-1940 (8 folders)
REF-Box 4		Programs 1941-1951 (7 folders)
REF-Box 5		Programs 1952-1957 (7 folders)
REF-Box 6		Programs 1957-1959 (7 folders)
REF-Box 7		Programs 1960-1962 (6 folders)
REF-Box 8		Programs 1962-1965 (6 folders)
REF-Box 9		Programs 1965-1967 (7 folders)
REF-Box 10		Programs 1968-1971 (7 folders)
REF-Box 11		Programs 1971-1973 (8 folders)
REF-Box 12		Programs 1974-1975 (6 folders)
REF-Box 13		Programs 1976-1977 (7 folders)
REF-Box 14		Programs 1978-1980 (7 folders)
REF-Box 15		Programs 1980-1981 (7 folders)
REF-Box 16		Programs 1981-1982 (7 folders)
REF-Box 17		Programs 1982-1983 (7 folders)
REF-Box 18		Programs 1982-1984 (7 folders)
REF-Box 19		Programs 1984-1985 (6 folders)
REF-Box 20		Programs 1985-1986 (7 folders)
REF-Box 21		Programs 1986-1987 (7 folders)
REF-Box 22		Programs 1988 (6 folders)
REF-Box 23		Programs 1988-1989 (7 folders)
REF-Box 24		Programs 1989-1990 (6 folders)
REF-Box 25		Programs 1990-1991 (8 folders)
REF-Box 26		Programs 1992 (6 folders)
REF-Box 27		Programs 1992-1993 (6 folders)
REF-Box 28		Programs 1994 (6 folders)
REF-Box 29		Programs 1995-1997 (7 folders)
REF-Box 30		Programs 1997-2001 (8 folders)
REF-Box 31		Programs 2004-2013 (8 folders)
REF-Box 32		Prospectuses 1941-1972 (7 folders)
REF-Box 33		Prospectuses 1973-1983 (7 folders)
REF-Box 34		Prospectuses 1984-1989 (7 folders)
REF-Box 35		Prospectuses 1989-1992 (8 folders)
REF-Box 36		Prospectuses 1992-1996 (8 folders)
REF-Box 37		Prospectuses 1996-1999 (7 folders)
REF-Box 38		Prospectuses 1998-2002 (7 folders)
REF-Box 39		Prospectuses 2002-2005 (6 folders)
REF-Box 40		Prospectuses 2005-2010 (9 folders)
REF-Box 41		Prospectuses 2011-2014 (6 folders)
REF-Box 1		Schedules 1903-2011 (5 folders)

	Subject files
Oversize 2		"Bill Orange" song undated
Box 7		Blind Men and Criers Marching and Chowder Society circa 1951
		Clipping books
Oversize 5			#1 November 1938-January 1962 (4 folders)
Oversize 6			#2 September 1962-Dec. 1971 (2 folders)
Oversize 7			#3 September 1972-November 1986 (4 folders)
Oversize 8			#4 November 1938-January 1962 (2 folders)
Oversize 9		Clipping scrapbook August 1950-November 1950
Box 7		Clippings, miscellaneous 1936-2002
Box 7		Holiday cards 1966-1968
		Magazines
Box 7			Gridiron magazine 1964
Box 7			Syracuse football 1989, 1995
Box 7			Syracuse sports 1979-1984
Box 7		Media guides 1991-1992 (2 folders)
			See also Administrative, Media policy
Box 8		Media guides 1993-1995 (3 folders)
Box 8		National Football Conference of Universities and Colleges 1905
		Newsletters
Box 8			Football letter 1940-1945
Box 8			The huddle August 2007-February 2008
		Photographs
Oversize 3			Davis, Ernie undated
Oversize 3			Games undated (3 folders)
			Gifts to team
Box 8				174th Tactical Fighter Wing 1991
Box 8				U.S.S., Philippine Sea CG-58 circa 1996
Oversize 3			Schwartzwalder, Ben November 1978
Oversize 4			Team 1985-1990, undated (4 folders)
Oversize 4			Miscellaneous undated
Oversize 4		Press releases 1948, 1983
Box 8		Schedule postcards 1956-1961
Box 8		Scheduling controversy, segregated schools 1964
Box 3		Songs and yells circa 1921-1930
Oversize 4		Syracuse newspapers May 4, 1995
Box 8		Ticket solicitations 1930-2006, undated

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