Contact Information
Hoskins Library
1401 Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37996-4000
865-974-4480
e-mail: special@utk.edu

(c)The University of Tennessee Special Collections Library

Linear feet: 7.5 linear feet

Abstract: The collection consists of Neyland's personal files, photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, an autobiographical manuscript of his college days, service records, scrapbooks, and yearbooks. Possibly most interesting are 2 ledgers containing Neyland's handwritten notes on various teams, hand-diagrammed plays, notes on player progress and other fascinating insights into his coaching style.

Administrative Information

Provenance: The collection was donated by the Neyland Family in 1992.

Copyright statement: Copyright (c) 2001. The University of Tennessee Libraries. All Rights Reserved.  Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these materials for educational, research, and not-for-profit purposes, without fee and without a signed licensing agreement, is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph appear in all copies, modifications, and distributions.  For commercial license to use contact, University of Tennessee Libraries, Office of the Dean, Permissions, 1015 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN  37996-1000.

Biographical Note:  Robert Neyland grew up in East Texas. His first brush with local fame came as a semi-pro baseball player while in High School. He attended Texas A&M for one year, playing football and baseball under Charles Moran, former University of Tennessee stand-out. In the fall of 1911, Neyland took an examination to be a nominee for West Point.  Neyland entered West Point in the summer of 1912. His next four years were filled with sports accolades. Neyland won 20 consecutive games pitching for Army, was a starting end on the Cadets' 1914 National Championship team and was the academy's heavyweight boxing champ his final three years.  Upon graduation, Neyland served with distinction in France in World War I, on the Mexican border against Pancho Villa and in Asia during World War II, rising to the rank of Brigadier General. He was highly decorated by several governments for his work coordinating supplies to war-ravaged, isolated China.
He came to UT in 1926 and coached until 1934 when he was called to active duty in the Panama Canal Zone.  He returned to coach in 1936 and was recalled to active duty in World War II.  Neyland came back to coach in 1946 until 1952, and he then had to retire due to poor health and became the athletic director until his death in 1962.  During his career as football coach, the team won the the national championship in 1952, and his complete record was 173-31-12.
Neyland's career as the football coach of the Volunteers covered 21 seasons, twice interrupted by military duty. He was a contemporary of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and long considered his biggest rival.

Scope and Content Note:  The collection consists of Neyland's personal files, photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, an autobiographical manuscript of his college days, service records, scrapbooks, and yearbooks. Newspaper clippings, and publications contain information about Neyland's U.T. career and U.S. Army career. There are service records and papers concerning his time in the U.S. Army. Possibly most interesting are 2 ledgers containing Neyland's handwritten notes on various teams, hand-diagrammed plays, notes on player progress and other fascinating insights into his coaching style.  The photograph collection includes Neyland and his family, his coaching career, Army photographs, and other various U.T. sports. Of particular interest, there are photographs of the U.T. football team and coaches in Hollywood just before the 1940 Rose Bowl, showing the team with famous celebrities such as Lana Turner, Florence Rice, and Clarence Brown.

LCSH
University of Tennessee (Knoxville campus) - Football
Football - History
Neyland, Robert Reese, 1892-1962
Football - Coaches

Keywords
Clarence Brown
Florence Rice
Gator Bowl
Gene Autrey
Lana Turner
NCAA
Orange Bowl
Rose Bowl
Southeastern Conference
Texas A&M
U.S. Army
U.T. Football
West Point

Series/Container List

Series I: Personal and Biographical
Box 1:
Folder 1:   Autobiographical manuscript of college days
Folder 2:   Biography
Folder 3:   Brief historical and vital statistics of  graduates of the military
                  academy (1802-1925)
Folder 4:   Christmas present tags
Folder 5:   Greenville High School transcript (1909)
Folder 6:   Photocopies of service record and papers I
Folder 7:   Photocopies of service record and papers II
Folder 8:   Photocopies of service record and papers III
Folder 9:   Remembrance card (March 28, 1962)
Folder 10: Scrapbook with newsclippings on Neyland in high school and at West
                  Point
Folder 11: State Summer Normal Certificate (1909)
Folder 12: Twenty Second Annual Field Day, West Point (June 9, 1915)
Folder 13: University of Tennessee resolution (1962)
Folder 14: Wallet photo album

Folder 15: Wedding Invitation (July 16, 1915)
Item 1: The Black Knights of West Point: history of football at West Point,
             1890-1953
Item 2: Yearbook,The Howitzer, West Point, 1916
Item 3: Yearbook, The Howitzer, West Point, 1916 [copy 2]
Item 4: Yearbook, The Longhorn, Texas A&M, 1912

Series II:  Correspondence
Box 2:
Folder 1: Chief of Military History
Folder 2: Commendations
Folder 3: Neyland's Death
Folder 4: Robert R. Neyland Academic Scholarship Fund
Folder 5: Miscellaneous

Series III:  UT Sports Materials
Folder 6:   Football analysis, plays, and predictions (handwritten)
Folder 7:   NCAA Remembrance Award (1963)
Folder 8:   Orange Bowl Committee resolution (1962)
Folder 9:   Southeastern Conference Football Officials Association resolution
                  (1962)
Folder 10: U.T. sports program (1950-1951)
Item 1: Football notes in ledger with organization, maxims, plays, etc.
Item 2: Football notes in on 1936-1940 seasons, with Table of Contents
Item 3: Guest Sign-in book 1928 Tennessee Football Squad Silver Anniversary
             Reunion
Item 4: Guide to 18th Annual Gator Bowl, 1962

Series IV: Articles, Clippings, and Essays
Box 3:
Folder 1: "Assembly" Association of Graduates of U.S.M.A. (Fall 1962)
Folder 2: "Bob Neyland: 37 Years a Volunteer"
Folder 3: The Columbus Athletic Club Journal (Nov. 2, 1917)
Folder 4: "The General"
Folder 5: Neyland Day (December 8, 1934)- U.T. verses L.S.U.
Folder 6: PIC: The Magazine for Young Men (October 1948)
Folder 7: "The Psychology of Coaching"
Folder 8: "Twenty Years After U.S.M.A."
Folder 9: Newspapers- Bob Neyland: 37 Years a Volunteer
Folder 10: Newspapers- Dedication of Neyland Stadium
Folder 11: Newspapers- Greenville High School- class of 1909
Folder 12: Newspapers- Neyland
Folder 13: Newspapers- Neyland Athletic Director
Folder 14: Newspapers- Neyland's Death (1962)
Folder 15: Newspapers- Neyland's Family
Folder 16: Newspapers- Neyland's Honors
Folder 17: Newspapers- Neyland- U.T. Head Football Coach
Folder 18: Newspapers- Neyland at West Point
Folder 19: Newspapers- U.T. Football under Neyland
Folder 20: Newspapers- Miscellaneous

Series V: Photographs and Prints
Folder 21: Negatives
Folder 22: Neyland and Family
Folder 23: Neyland, Army
Folder 24: Neyland Portraits
Folder 25: Neyland, U.T. Coach
Folder 26: U.T. Basketball
Folder 27: U.T. Campus
Folder 28: U.T. Football
Folder 29: U.T. Football, Rose Bowl, 1940, [coaches and players with Hollywood
                  Celebrities including U.T. Alumn Clarence Brown, Lana Turner, and
                  Florence Rice]
Folder 30: U.T. Swimming (1950-1951)
Folder 31: U.T. Tennis (1951)
Folder 32: U.T. Track and field (1950-1951)
Folder 33: Miscellaneous

Series VI:  Other Personal Publications
Item 1: Collection of Pages from the Histories of Neylandville and St. Paul
             School
Item 2: U.S. Army in World War II: The China-Burma-India Theatre

Item 3: Wedemeyer Reports!

Series VI:  Oversize Scrapbooks
Unboxed
Item 1: "The Command Post" [Military Newspaper]
Item 2: "East All Star Army Football Team (1942)" [Newsclippings]
Item 3: "East All Star Army Football Team (1942)" [Newsclippings]
Item 4: "University of Tennessee" [Newsclippings]
Item 5: "West Point" [Newsclippings]
Item 6: "1927" [Newsclippings]
Item 7: "1928" [Newsclippings]
Item 8: "1929" [Newsclippings]
Item 9: "1930" [Newsclippings]
Item 10: "1931" [Newsclippings]
Item 11: "1932" [Newsclippings]
Item 12: "1933" [Newsclippings]

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