 On April 6, 2002, former Ohio State lacrosse and soccer players met to honor Howard “Skip” Knuttgen, the charter varsity coach of these two sports. Dr. Knuttgen coached soccer at OSU from 1954-57 and lacrosse from 1955-59. Nineteen lacrosse players and nine soccer players from that era were in attendance (three players played both sports). A total of fifty-three people enjoyed a banquet at the Longaberger House, including: Dr. Knuttgen, Professor Emeritus of Applied Physiology at The Pennsylvania State University and now Senior Lecturer at the Harvard School of Medicine and Chair of the International Olympic Committee Publications in Sports Medicine; Dr. Chalmer Hixson, the founder of the first lacrosse club at Ohio State and retired Ohio State faculty member; and, Dr. Paul Hartman, former Ohio State lacrosse coach (1960-70) and Ohio State Hall of Fame member.
When Paul Hartman was inducted into The Ohio State University Hall of Fame last year, I called to congratulate him on this important honor. We renewed the old friendship we had had while playing soccer together during the middle 50s. While getting up-to-date on each other’s careers, Paul mentioned that we should have a reunion to honor Skip for the important part he had played in our lives during those formative years. I agreed with his idea and we started to work. Finding all of the players from nearly fifty years ago proved to be a difficult task, but we finally made contact with nearly forty players from skip’s teams and twenty-five attended the reunion. Players and their spouses came from Washington, California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
 Players told stories about lacrosse, soccer and Skip. Most were funny, but some were from deep in the heart… one former player told of Skip helping him to change his life.
Dr. Hixson was honored for starting lacrosse at The Ohio State University, Joe Breschi, the current coach of lacrosse, gave us an update on the lacrosse program and the remainder of the evening was spent honoring Skip…and listening to him talk about former players (us) and teams. To conclude the evening, Skip’s players gave him a clock and Varsity O Blanket…commemorating his years of service, and thanking him for being our mentor, teacher, coach and friend. It was a wonderful evening, which none of us will ever forget.
Other Facts
Darrell Apt (lacrosse) went back to the earliest years---1952
Fred Keller, Paul Hartman and Jon Mercer played both sports
Fred Keller played four years on both teams
Hank Douglas played lacrosse in 58,59,60…..65 and was Assistant Coach in 1966
Dr. Hixson is 86
Skip married a Swedish woman and now pronounces his last name differently than when we knew him.
Of the attendees, College Professors (4) out-numbered Veterinarians (3) and Dentists (3)
Soccer Reunion - Attendee List
Name
|
Guest
|
Lacrosse
|
Soccer
|
Attendees
|
|
Darrell Apt, DVM
|
Carol
|
52,53,54,55
|
|
2
|
|
Eugene Bak
|
|
|
53,55,56
|
1
|
|
John "Jack" Beisner, DDS
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
Joe Berwanger
|
Marlene
|
58,59,60
|
|
1
|
|
Joe Breschi
(Current Lacrosse Coach)
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Carl Bussey
|
|
|
53,54
|
|
|
Dan Cheney, DDS
|
|
56,57,58,59
|
|
2
|
|
Don Sloan Corrigan, OD
|
|
53,54,55,56
|
|
|
|
Hank Douglas
|
Mary
|
58,59,60,65
|
|
2
|
|
Lawrence "Jim" Frank
|
|
|
54,55
|
1
|
|
Denny Graham
|
|
55,56
|
|
|
|
David Harris
|
|
|
55,56,57
|
2
|
|
Barry Hartley
|
Mary Lou
|
|
55,56
|
2
|
|
Paul Hartman, PhD
|
Janie
|
55,56,57
|
55,56
|
3
|
|
William Haagenson, DVM
|
Nora
|
|
59,61,62,63
|
|
|
Alfred "Duke" Heller, DDS
|
|
|
56,57
|
2
|
|
Dr. Chalmer Hixon
|
Dee
|
|
|
1
|
|
Richard Hoover
|
Karen
|
55
|
|
|
|
Philip Irion, OD
|
Sandy
|
55,56,57,58
|
|
2
|
|
Fred Keller, DVM
|
Mary
|
55,56,57,58
|
54,55,56,57
|
2
|
|
Howard "Skip" Knuttgen, PhD
|
|
Coach
|
|
1
|
|
Thomas Kutrosky, OD
|
Nancy
|
55,56,57
|
|
2
|
|
Ron Martin
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
Larry McCullough
|
|
|
55,56,57
|
|
|
Jon Mercer, DVM
|
Carol
|
55,56,57,58,59
|
54,55,56,57,58
|
|
|
Roger Moser
|
Shirley
|
55,56,57
|
|
2
|
|
Steve Potter
|
Barbara
|
57,58
|
|
2
|
|
Robert Reyda
|
Elena
|
58,59,60
|
|
2
|
|
Jon Riches
|
Nancy
|
|
53,54,55
|
2
|
|
Glenn Rudy
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
Glenn Saltzman, PhD
|
Ruth
|
|
54,55,56
|
2
|
|
Robin Schmidt
|
Janice
|
53,54,55,56
|
|
2
|
|
Bob Schwyn, MD, PhD
|
Jane
|
|
|
|
|
John Shafer
|
Pat
|
59,60,61
|
|
|
|
Charles Stoup, DDS
|
Kathleen
|
56,57,58,60
|
|
2
|
|
Ron Strausbaugh, LLD
|
|
55,56,57
|
|
2
|
|
Bob Wagner
|
Jean
|
58,59
|
|
2
|
|
Mr. Larry Wess
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Wilcox
|
Nancy
|
53,54,55,56,57
|
|
2
|
|
Dick Wootten
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kenneth Zeisler, LLD
|
Paula
|
56,57,58,59
|
|
2
|
Biographical Sketch of Howard "Skip" Knuttgen
|
Biographical Information
|
|
Coach
|
Soccer Coach, OSU
|
1954-1957
|
|
|
Lacrosse Coach, OSU
|
1955-1959
|
|
Born
|
May 5, 1931
|
|
|
Education
|
Bachelor of Science, Springfield College
|
1952
|
|
|
Master of Science, Penn State University
|
1953
|
|
|
PhD, OSU
|
1959
|
|
|
Fulbright Scholar, University of Copenhagen
|
1959-1961
|
|
Personal
|
Married to Birgitta (Beer-geet-ah) and they have two children, Annika and Helena. Annika has Skip's first grandson, Noah(3) and Helena is expecting as we speak.
|
|
Professional Career
|
Assistant Professor, OSU
|
1954-1959
|
|
|
Chairman/Associate Dean, Boston University
|
1961-1989
|
|
|
Associate in Medicine, Harvard
|
1966-1977
|
|
|
Professor of Applied Physiology and Director of Sports Medicine, PSU
|
1989-1997
|
|
|
Professor Emeritus of Applied Physiology
|
1997-present
|
|
|
Senior Lecturer Of Physiology Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard
|
1997-present
|
|
|
Member of IOC Medical Commission & Chairman of the IOC Publication in Sports Medicine. (His group publishes the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine & The Handbooks of Sports Medicine and Science.)
|
|
|
Skip has received 18 Academic awards, the most recent being the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee in 2000.
|
|
|
He has membership in two pages of professional societies and has published 127 professional papers.
|
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Lacrosse - Soccer Photo Gallery
|
|
|
1954 - 1957 Soccer Team
l to r: Coach Knuttgen, Paul Hartman, Glenn Saltzman, Fred Keller, Gene Bak, Jim Frank, Jon Riches, Dave Harris, and Barry Hartley |
1955 - 1959 Lacrosse Team
l to r: Back Row- Robin Schmidt, Joe Berwanger, Tom Kutrosky, Steve Potter, Chalmer Hixson (faculty advisor emeritus), Howard "Skip" Knuttgen (coach), Paul Hartman, Fred Keller, Ron Strausbaugh, Ken Zeisler, Dan Cheney, Bob Wagner, and Bob Wilcox (manager). Front Row- Charley Stoup, Phil Irion, Hank Douglas, Roger Moser, Darrel Apt, and Bob Reyda. |
Skip Knuttgen, Paul Hartmen, and Joe Breschi |
|
|
|
Dr. Chalmer Hixson, Founder of OSU Lacrosse |
Joe Breschi, Current OSU Lacrosse Coach |
Dr. Howard "Skip" Knuttgen, OSU Lacrosse Coach 55-59, OSU Soccer Coach 54-57 |
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|
|
Skip receiving Varsity Blanket from Dave Harris |
Skip receiving commerative clock from Robin Schmidt |
Dr. Paul Hartman |
|
|
|
Skip Knuttgen, Phil Irion, and Ken Zeisler |
Ron and Judy Strausbaugh, Ruth and Glenn Saltzman |
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