BEEDE, Dwight Vincent "Dike"
B. 23 Jan 1903 in Youngstown, Mahoning Co. OH
D. 10 Dec 1972 in Elkton, Columbiana Co. OH
Buried in the North Chapel Section of Forest Lawn Cemetery
Dwight "Dike" V. Beede served as the first head football coach of Youngstown State University (then Youngstown College). He served there from 1937 to 1972. His career is distinguished by having the longest tenure of any coach serving on the same team in consecutive seasons in NCAA history. In the course of his entire professional coaching career, Beede counted 175 career wins.
Beede was an important influence on football not only regionally, but nationally. His most celebrated innovation was the penalty flag now used in all football competitions. The flag was first used on October 17, 1941 in a game against Oklahoma City University at Youngstown's Rayen Stadium. Prior to the introduction of the penalty flag, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. This made it difficult for the players, since they would hear the whistle and sometimes stop, even though the infraction was caused by the other team. This would deprive the non-guilty team of the yardage they might rightfully have gained. Also, the fans and media sometimes could not recognize an infraction on the field because they had failed to hear the signal.
Beede's first wife, Irma, was often jokingly referred to as the "Betsy Ross" of Football because she sewed the first penalty flag. Beede asked her to fashion a flag that was brightly colored with white stripes. Irma reportedly used pieces of their daughter's Halloween costume and an old bed sheet with curtain weights to add weight. The original flag was 16" square.
In 1957, Beede was honored as Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of American Small Colleges. In 1966, Beede was named to the Helms Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Beede was an avid tree farmer and served on Ohio's Forestry Advisory Council. In addition to his coaching duties, Beede was an associate professor of biology at Youngstown.
Beede retired from Youngstown State University on November 18, 1972. On December 10, 1972, just a month after having retired, he died in a drowning accident at Little Beaver Creek near his farm in Elkton.
Beede was preceded in death by his wife Irma (Johnson) in 1969 and a son, Rudd who drowned in 1957. He was also preceded in death by his parents Theodatus Giles "Date" and Mary Magdalene (Pfund) Beede. He left two daughters, Gretchen and Susan.
B. 23 Jan 1903 in Youngstown, Mahoning Co. OH
D. 10 Dec 1972 in Elkton, Columbiana Co. OH
Buried in the North Chapel Section of Forest Lawn Cemetery
Dwight "Dike" V. Beede served as the first head football coach of Youngstown State University (then Youngstown College). He served there from 1937 to 1972. His career is distinguished by having the longest tenure of any coach serving on the same team in consecutive seasons in NCAA history. In the course of his entire professional coaching career, Beede counted 175 career wins.
Beede was an important influence on football not only regionally, but nationally. His most celebrated innovation was the penalty flag now used in all football competitions. The flag was first used on October 17, 1941 in a game against Oklahoma City University at Youngstown's Rayen Stadium. Prior to the introduction of the penalty flag, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. This made it difficult for the players, since they would hear the whistle and sometimes stop, even though the infraction was caused by the other team. This would deprive the non-guilty team of the yardage they might rightfully have gained. Also, the fans and media sometimes could not recognize an infraction on the field because they had failed to hear the signal.
Beede's first wife, Irma, was often jokingly referred to as the "Betsy Ross" of Football because she sewed the first penalty flag. Beede asked her to fashion a flag that was brightly colored with white stripes. Irma reportedly used pieces of their daughter's Halloween costume and an old bed sheet with curtain weights to add weight. The original flag was 16" square.
In 1957, Beede was honored as Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of American Small Colleges. In 1966, Beede was named to the Helms Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Beede was an avid tree farmer and served on Ohio's Forestry Advisory Council. In addition to his coaching duties, Beede was an associate professor of biology at Youngstown.
Beede retired from Youngstown State University on November 18, 1972. On December 10, 1972, just a month after having retired, he died in a drowning accident at Little Beaver Creek near his farm in Elkton.
Beede was preceded in death by his wife Irma (Johnson) in 1969 and a son, Rudd who drowned in 1957. He was also preceded in death by his parents Theodatus Giles "Date" and Mary Magdalene (Pfund) Beede. He left two daughters, Gretchen and Susan.
BEEDE, Dwight Vincent "Dike"
B. 23 Jan 1903 in Youngstown, Mahoning Co. OH
D. 10 Dec 1972 in Elkton, Columbiana Co. OH
Buried in the North Chapel Section of Forest Lawn Cemetery
Dwight "Dike" V. Beede served as the first head football coach of Youngstown State University (then Youngstown College). He served there from 1937 to 1972. His career is distinguished by having the longest tenure of any coach serving on the same team in consecutive seasons in NCAA history. In the course of his entire professional coaching career, Beede counted 175 career wins.
Beede was an important influence on football not only regionally, but nationally. His most celebrated innovation was the penalty flag now used in all football competitions. The flag was first used on October 17, 1941 in a game against Oklahoma City University at Youngstown's Rayen Stadium. Prior to the introduction of the penalty flag, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. This made it difficult for the players, since they would hear the whistle and sometimes stop, even though the infraction was caused by the other team. This would deprive the non-guilty team of the yardage they might rightfully have gained. Also, the fans and media sometimes could not recognize an infraction on the field because they had failed to hear the signal.
Beede's first wife, Irma, was often jokingly referred to as the "Betsy Ross" of Football because she sewed the first penalty flag. Beede asked her to fashion a flag that was brightly colored with white stripes. Irma reportedly used pieces of their daughter's Halloween costume and an old bed sheet with curtain weights to add weight. The original flag was 16" square.
In 1957, Beede was honored as Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of American Small Colleges. In 1966, Beede was named to the Helms Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Beede was an avid tree farmer and served on Ohio's Forestry Advisory Council. In addition to his coaching duties, Beede was an associate professor of biology at Youngstown.
Beede retired from Youngstown State University on November 18, 1972. On December 10, 1972, just a month after having retired, he died in a drowning accident at Little Beaver Creek near his farm in Elkton.
Beede was preceded in death by his wife Irma (Johnson) in 1969 and a son, Rudd who drowned in 1957. He was also preceded in death by his parents Theodatus Giles "Date" and Mary Magdalene (Pfund) Beede. He left two daughters, Gretchen and Susan.
B. 23 Jan 1903 in Youngstown, Mahoning Co. OH
D. 10 Dec 1972 in Elkton, Columbiana Co. OH
Buried in the North Chapel Section of Forest Lawn Cemetery
Dwight "Dike" V. Beede served as the first head football coach of Youngstown State University (then Youngstown College). He served there from 1937 to 1972. His career is distinguished by having the longest tenure of any coach serving on the same team in consecutive seasons in NCAA history. In the course of his entire professional coaching career, Beede counted 175 career wins.
Beede was an important influence on football not only regionally, but nationally. His most celebrated innovation was the penalty flag now used in all football competitions. The flag was first used on October 17, 1941 in a game against Oklahoma City University at Youngstown's Rayen Stadium. Prior to the introduction of the penalty flag, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. This made it difficult for the players, since they would hear the whistle and sometimes stop, even though the infraction was caused by the other team. This would deprive the non-guilty team of the yardage they might rightfully have gained. Also, the fans and media sometimes could not recognize an infraction on the field because they had failed to hear the signal.
Beede's first wife, Irma, was often jokingly referred to as the "Betsy Ross" of Football because she sewed the first penalty flag. Beede asked her to fashion a flag that was brightly colored with white stripes. Irma reportedly used pieces of their daughter's Halloween costume and an old bed sheet with curtain weights to add weight. The original flag was 16" square.
In 1957, Beede was honored as Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of American Small Colleges. In 1966, Beede was named to the Helms Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Beede was an avid tree farmer and served on Ohio's Forestry Advisory Council. In addition to his coaching duties, Beede was an associate professor of biology at Youngstown.
Beede retired from Youngstown State University on November 18, 1972. On December 10, 1972, just a month after having retired, he died in a drowning accident at Little Beaver Creek near his farm in Elkton.
Beede was preceded in death by his wife Irma (Johnson) in 1969 and a son, Rudd who drowned in 1957. He was also preceded in death by his parents Theodatus Giles "Date" and Mary Magdalene (Pfund) Beede. He left two daughters, Gretchen and Susan.
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