Undefeated Since 1938!

Location:

Installed: Aug 2018

One of the activities that practically every educational institution in the United States took on enthusiastically, was the American phenomenon of football. It did not matter how big or small your school was, if your school had male students, you had to have a football team. And for forty years DePaul did too.

Playing mostly in what was the athletic field behind St. Vincent’s Church (now a parking lot), the Blue Demons played home games there, with Wrigley Field and Soldier Field as well. Opponents being mostly Midwestern rivals, Marquette, Loyola, Valparaiso, Crieghton, St. Thomas, St. Louis, were some of the usuals. Others included Catholic U. (from D.C.), Texas Tech, Niagara, and Northwestern too.

The Demons had some good years,1933 being the biggest. 6-0-1 was the record at that time. And they could boast of being one of 15 schools in the nation that year that went undefeated. But lack of real funding and facilities spelled the end of football at DePaul in 1938. Football was too much of a financial burden for the ever-growing school under the ‘L’. So we’ve been undefeated ever since. This composition is a memorial to the men, the day, and the game.

Inspiration/Background:

Historical yearbook photos used on the pillar itself or found in research leading to the creation of the composition in question include:

1) The top is a bad play vs Illinois at Champaign....Oye! The bottom is another play vs Ripon...the week before. Both '37.

2) 1936 action agst Ark St. @ Wrigley Field

3) 1933 Dycke Stadium Northwestern...a tie!