Colgate University has seen many impressive coaches and athletes since its start in varsity athletics, but none have been as influential as Andy Kerr. Kerr was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming and attended Dickinson College where he played football, baseball, and track. He has coached at four institutions and has an overall football record of 137 wins and 14 losses. Kerr began coaching football at Colgate in 1929 and has since had an unmatched impact as a coach here at Colgate. By the time he moved on to coach Lebanon Valley in 1947 he had recorded 95 wins and only 7 losses with the team; but it was the things he did off the field that earned him a stadium in his name which still stands today. Kerr earned many awards from the school over the years…show more content… Coach Kerr had a very close relationship with James B. Colgate, a generous donor who was very involved in the university. The two men shared a correspondence that revealed much about Kerr and his style of coaching. Colgate repeatedly thanks Kerr for boosting the moral on campus with his success on the football field, he also reminds Kerr that “A coach has an influence on the students which nobody else can exert.” Kerr strongly agrees with him on the matter, saying “With you, I believe that we develop the finest traits of character through the school of adversity.” This goes to show Kerr’s intent with his team-- he was not bothered with losses and obstacles his team would have to hurdle because he understood that it would only serve to shape the players character. In 1932 Kerr led a perfect 9-0 Colgate team, who didn’t concede a single point all year, and was eventually named National Champions for that year. Even with all this success Kerr stated in a letter to Colgate—“In spite of our great American tradition of always desiring victory, we cannot fail to see the advantage of having a group of boys who will give their best in any contest. Whether they win or lose, in doing so, I think is somewhat besides the point.” Kerr was a man of…show more content… It is because of this kindness that Kerr is such a decorated raider, he won booster of the year, the Civic Award, was recognized by the rotary club, and earned many more notions for his work in the community. In the 1950’s a plan was formed to construct a hospital in Hamilton, Kerr stepped up and took the head role of the board of directors, he was also president of the officers committee and of the executive committee; he did not simply help out with the project, but led the charge to finance and build the hospital. The civic award commended him for his efforts—“He will be honored by those who know how important he was to a hospital in Hamilton… to his church, to boys’ clubs and to community chests, in brief, for a lifetime devoted to the service of others.” This was how Kerr lived his life, with constant gestures of selfless ness and charity; he again showed the impact he could have on a community with his efforts and donations to the first Baptist church in Hamilton. Howard L. Jones, the chairman of the church, wrote to Kerr and his wife explaining the financial difficulties the church was facing. Kerr did not hesitate to pledge money and he continued to support the church through it’s struggles. It was well-known that Kerr was heavily involved in his church, he
