Interview with Norris Armstrong, June 7, 1976

Partial Transcript: This is Professor Charles P. Roland of the University of Kentucky History Department.

Segment Synopsis: Norris Armstrong is introduced. He talks about playing football at Centre College in the 1910s and 1920s. He talks about his fellow players, the team captain, and others involved with the team.

Keywords: Bo McMillin; Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech); Happy Chandler; John Y. Brown; Losses; Professors; Team captains; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; Wins

Subjects: Brown, John Young, 1900-1985; Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football players.; Football.; McMillin, Bo, 1895-1952

Partial Transcript: A, as I, as I understand it, Mr., uh, Armstrong, uh, Chandler coached the freshman team at Centre later.

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong discusses Happy Chandler's involvement with the freshman team at Centre College. He talks about the team's head coach Charley Moran, and discusses the relationship between Chandler and Moran.

Keywords: "Uncle Charley"; Baseball; Beta Theta Pi; Charley Moran; Chess Shearer; Fraternities; Freshman teams; Happy Chandler; Intelligence; Sons; Tommy Moran; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; Umpires

Subjects: Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; Moran, Charles, 1878-1949

Partial Transcript: The, the year that you beat Harvard in the famous, uh, the famous, uh--the first--the, the famous defeat of Harvard was--

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong discusses Happy Chandler's involvement in the Centre College versus Harvard University football game. He talks about Chandler as a student at Transylvania University and Harvard Law School. He discusses whether Chandler scouted the Harvard team for Centre.

Keywords: 1921; Charley Moran; Claude Thornhill; Connections; Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech); Glenn Scobey Warner; Happy Chandler; Harvard Law School; Involvement; Pop Warner; Scouting; Students; Team captains; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; Wins; Wisconsin

Subjects: Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; Harvard University; Moran, Charles, 1878-1949; Thornhill, Claude; Warner, Glenn S. (Glenn Scobey), 1871-1954

Partial Transcript: I saw a picture of you in that, uh--John Y. Brown's book, you and, uh, uh--

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong talks about some of his fellow players on the Centre College team in the 1910s and 1920s. He talks about team dynamics.

Keywords: Charley Moran; Chautauqua; Danville (Ky.); Dennis Morgan; Freshman teams; Gloria Swanson; James Madison "Red" Roberts; Madison "Matty" Bell; Matty Bell; Mayor Henry Reed; Photographs; Red Roberts; Sisters; Team dynamics; Texas

Subjects: Bell, Madison; Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; Moran, Charles, 1878-1949

Partial Transcript: Well, anyway, uh, uh, at, uh, that game that we played, uh, uh, with, uh, uh, Indiana...

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong talks more about the football game between Centre College and Harvard University. He talks about Chandler singing for the team.

Keywords: 1920; 1921; Arrangements; Defeats; Happy Chandler; Indiana; Losses; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Opponents; Passes; Plays; Rivalries; Roles; Singing; Wins

Subjects: Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; Harvard University

Partial Transcript: Did he sing for you too?

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong discusses Chandler's personality, popularity, and habits, including not drinking alcohol.

Keywords: Baseball; Bo McMillin; Buying drinks; Christianity; Confectioners shops; Dice; Drinking; Friendships; Gambling; Happy Chandler; Personalities; Singing; Soft drinks; Students; Transylvania College; Transylvania University

Subjects: Alcohol; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Danville (Ky.); McMillin, Bo, 1895-1952

Partial Transcript: Do you by any chance remember, when the last, when the last play of that game when you beat Harvard occurred...

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong talks about the celebration after Centre's win over Harvard. He discusses what may have happened to the game ball. He talks about the crowd at the game.

Keywords: Bo McMillin; Celebrations; Crowds; Danville (Ky.); Football fields; Football stadiums; Friends; Game balls; Happy Chandler; John Y. Brown; Plays; Spectators; Team captains; Visiting; Winning; Wins

Subjects: Brown, John Young, 1900-1985; Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; Harvard University; McMillin, Bo, 1895-1952

Partial Transcript: --were among the pallbearers.

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong talks about his fellow teammate at Centre, Bo McMillin, who went on to have a successful career playing and coaching college and professional football teams. He talks about some of his teammates gambling.

Keywords: Bo McMillin; Deaths; Debts; Dice; Gambling; Happy Chandler; Illnesses; Indiana; James Madison "Red" Roberts; Madison "Matty" Bell; Matty Bell; Michigan; Money; Red Roberts; Sicknesses; Trouble

Subjects: Bell, Madison; Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Coaching; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football coaches; Football players.; Football.; McMillin, Bo, 1895-1952

Partial Transcript: Mr. Armstrong, th, this is fascinating information.

Segment Synopsis: Armstrong talks about John Y. Brown's involvement in the Centre College versus Harvard University football game. He talks more about his teammates' gambling.

Keywords: Dice; Football games; Gambling; John Y. Brown; Losses; Money; Police; Raids; Roles; Scores; Sidelines; Trains; Tulane University

Subjects: Brown, John Young, 1900-1985; Centre College (Danville, Ky.); Centre College (Danville, Ky.)--Sports; Coaches (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Football players.; Football.; Harvard University