Harry O'Connell - Chicago Bears 1924

[LJP]

Compiling Bears game by game lineups using the Chicago Tribune archives, I came across Harry O'Connell in 1924.

The lineup for the Bears-Packers game on 21 September 1924 includes an O'Connell as a sub at C. This game was subsequently deemed to be an exhibition game, so the likes of Harry Englund, Glenn Greenwood and Pep Hurst, who also played in the game, do not receive credit for playing with the Bears in 1924, as they took no part in any regular season games.

O'Connell on the other hand did also play in the Bears-Racine game on 12 October 1924 and appears at LT. The Tribune lineup appears to indicate that O'Connell started at LT and Ed Healey was the sub. Healey was the regular LT with Ralph Scott backing him up. Scott did not play against Racine and was presumably banged up or otherwise unavailable. The 13 October 1924 Decatur Review report of the game clearly lists O'Connell as the starting LT and Healey for O'Connell amongst the subs.

The NFL lists O'Connell as Harry O'Connell of the University of Chicago, born 13 February 1904 in Chicago. Other sources (PFR) have him as Harold F. O'Connell. The Bears All-Time Roster has J.F. O'Connell of Penn State on the team in 1924. An old list of Penn State lettermen has no O'Connell listed, although I suppose he may have been a freshman there, or just not lettered for some other reason. More likely though, the Bears All-Time Roster is just wrong.

Anyway, digging through the archives, I found this 28 March 1959 obituary for Harry J. O'Connell. The obituary infers his date of birth as 10 August 1895 and there are WWI and WWII Draft Registration Cards that match this. It also mentions that he played football for the Bears in 1923. Whilst the year is out by 1, there was an O'Connell on the Opel A.A. team in Chicago in 1923 and possibly earlier too. The University of Chicago reference that the NFL has may just stem from him being a "Chicago" player and not necessarilly with the Maroons. If he did play in College then it would likely be some time from 1913/14 onwards.

A bit more excavating found this 1938 Chicago Daily News Photo and his full name - Harry Joachim O'Connell.

[TodMaher]

Compiling Bears game by game lineups using the Chicago Tribune archives, I came across Harry O'Connell in 1924.

The lineup for the Bears-Packers game on 21 September 1924 includes an O'Connell as a sub at C. This game was subsequently deemed to be an exhibition game, so the likes of Harry Englund, Glenn Greenwood and Pep Hurst, who also played in the game, do not receive credit for playing with the Bears in 1924, as they took no part in any regular season games.

O'Connell on the other hand did also play in the Bears-Racine game on 12 October 1924 and appears at LT. The Tribune lineup appears to indicate that O'Connell started at LT and Ed Healey was the sub. Healey was the regular LT with Ralph Scott backing him up. Scott did not play against Racine and was presumably banged up or otherwise unavailable. The 13 October 1924 Decatur Review report of the game clearly lists O'Connell as the starting LT and Healey for O'Connell amongst the subs.

The NFL lists O'Connell as Harry O'Connell of the University of Chicago, born 13 February 1904 in Chicago. Other sources (PFR) have him as Harold F. O'Connell. The Bears All-Time Roster has J.F. O'Connell of Penn State on the team in 1924. An old list of Penn State lettermen has no O'Connell listed, although I suppose he may have been a freshman there, or just not lettered for some other reason. More likely though, the Bears All-Time Roster is just wrong.

Anyway, digging through the archives, I found this 28 March 1959 obituary for Harry J. O'Connell. The obituary infers his date of birth as 10 August 1895 and there are WWI and WWII Draft Registration Cards that match this. It also mentions that he played football for the Bears in 1923. Whilst the year is out by 1, there was an O'Connell on the Opel A.A. team in Chicago in 1923 and possibly earlier too. The University of Chicago reference that the NFL has may just stem from him being a "Chicago" player and not necessarilly with the Maroons. If he did play in College then it would likely be some time from 1913/14 onwards.

A bit more excavating found this 1938 Chicago Daily News Photo and his full name - Harry Joachim O'Connell.

The reason he is not listed playing is because the Racine Journal-News does not show him playing. And because the Racine account is more detailed, that's what has been used as the "official" lineup. There are other Chicago papers back then. If someone could find those accounts/lineups that would help clarify things.

Also, that Sept. 21 game was never considered a league game even at the time of the game. The league season clearly started on Sept. 28.

Also, I am not sure how the obit "infers" his birthdate is 8/10/1895. Yes, there is "Harry J. O'Connell" from Chicago born on that date who registered for the draft, but the Family records on Ancestry.com say "Harry Joachim O'Connell" was born 7/26/1895. The family could be mistaken - but it's difficult to tell one way or the other.

Also, from what data I have he is a "no college" player who went to prep school at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL.

[LJP]

From the obituary "...retired last Aug. 10 on his 63d birthday". So, either he was born August 10, or was just 63 at the time he retired on August 10 1958. Depends on the author I suppose, but why write it like that if it was not his birthday? Given the seemingly matching draft records and the 1900 US Census which also has him born August 1895, it may well be his date of birth.

The Tribune report cites no author or other source, although being the Bears first home game of the season, you would think that one of their own writers was responsble for the contents. The Tribune's buildup to the game listed Heal(e)y at LT in the projected lineup. Would a writer from the Racine paper know of, or recognize, O'Connell?

The Decatur Review carried a different and somewhat more detailed report of the Ocrober 21 game that included O'Connell at LT in the starting lineup. The same report also appeared in the Davenport Democrat and Leader. Neither has an author or source quoted. I don't have access to any other Chicago papers to see what they say, but there are at least two different reports that quote O'Connell as playing against Racine.

Do you have a copy of the Racine Journal-News report of the game at all?

[TodMaher]

From the obituary "...retired last Aug. 10 on his 63d birthday". So, either he was born August 10, or was just 63 at the time he retired on August 10 1958. Depends on the author I suppose, but why write it like that if it was not his birthday? Given the seemingly matching draft records and the 1900 US Census which also has him born August 1895, it may well be his date of birth.

The Tribune report cites no author or other source, although being the Bears first home game of the season, you would think that one of their own writers was responsble for the contents. The Tribune's buildup to the game listed Heal(e)y at LT in the projected lineup. Would a writer from the Racine paper know of, or recognize, O'Connell?

The Decatur Review carried a different and somewhat more detailed report of the Ocrober 21 game that included O'Connell at LT in the starting lineup. The same report also appeared in the Davenport Democrat and Leader. Neither has an author or source quoted. I don't have access to any other Chicago papers to see what they say, but there are at least two different reports that quote O'Connell as playing against Racine.

Ugghh! You're right - I missed that bit about his "63d birthday." Why can't they just say what the birth and death dates are!??! And the NFL does use the Tribune lineup as the official lineup given that they officially credit him with one game played on nfl.com. I've always used the Racine lineup.