Wilfred C. Bleamaster

Wilfred C. Bleamaster

Gem of the Mountains 1918, Idaho yearbook (spring 1917)
Biographical details
Born	(1883-06-08)June 8, 1883 Lyons, Iowa, U.S.
Died	December 19, 1973(1973-12-19) (aged 90) Los Altos, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Grinnell College, B.S. 1908
Playing career
Football
c. 1907	Grinnell
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1909–1911	Carroll (WI)
1912–1915	Alma
1916–1917	Idaho
1924–1925	Corvallis HS (OR)
1926–1927	Albany (OR)
Basketball
1909–1912	Carroll (WI)
1912–1916	Alma
1918–1919	Idaho
1924–1926	Corvallis HS (OR)
Baseball
1917–1919	Idaho
1925–1926	Corvallis HS (OR)
Track
1924–1926	Corvallis HS (OR)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1916–1920	Idaho
1924–1926	Corvallis HS (OR)
1926–1928	Albany (OR)
Head coaching record
Overall	28–29 (college basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 2 MIAA (1912, 1915) Basketball 1 Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate Conference (1919)

Wilfred Charles Bleamaster (June 8, 1883 – December 19, 1973) was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Carroll College—now Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin from 1909 to 1911, Alma College from 1912 to 1915, and the University of Idaho from 1916 to 1917, and Albany College—now known as Lewis & Clark College—from 1926 to 1927. Bleamaster was also the head basketball coach at Alma from 1912 to 1916 and at Idaho for the 1918–19 season, tallying a career college basketball mark of 28–29.

Bleamaster was captain of the football team at Grinnell College in Iowa and graduated in 1908.

Coaching career

Carroll

Bleamaster the eighth head football coach for the Carroll College located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1909 until 1911. His coaching record at Carroll was 12–6–2.

Alma

Bleamaster was the head football coach at Alma College in Alma, Michigan for four seasons (1912–1915), and compiled a record of 11–13–3.

Idaho

Bleamaster went west in 1916 to the University of Idaho in Moscow to become its eighth head football coach and the athletic director. He coached the Idaho Vandals for the 1916 and 1917 seasons, and his teams posted a record of 5–8 in two seasons. Idaho did not field a football team in 1918, but Bleamaster succeeded Hec Edmundson as head coach of the basketball team for one season. He led Idaho to a 10–2 record and a championship in the Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate Conference in 1919, and also led the baseball program for three seasons.

Corvallis High School and Albany College

In August 1924, Bleamaster was hired as athletic director and football coach at Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Oregon. He also coached basketball, baseball, track at Corvallis. In August 1926, Bleamaster moved on to Albany College—now known as Lewis & Clark College—in Albany, Oregon, to take charge of all athletics at the school. He resigned from his post at Albany College after two years.

Late life and death

Bleamaster returned to Corvallis in 1929 and worked as salesman there until 1958. From 1964 to 1969, he lived at the Hotel Benton in Corvallis. Bleamaster later resided with his daughter in Stanford, California. He died after a brief illness, on December 19, 1973, at a convalescent hospital in Los Altos, California.

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Carroll Pioneers (Independent) (1909–1911)
1909	Carroll	6–0
1910	Carroll	3–2–1
1911	Carroll	3–4–1
Carroll:		12–6–2
Alma Maroon and Cream (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1912–1915)
1912	Alma	6–1	3–0	1st
1913	Alma	3–4	2–1	T–2nd
1914	Alma	1–5–1	0–2
1915	Alma	1–3–2	1–0–2	T–1st
Alma:		11–13–3	6–3–2
Idaho (Northwest Conference) (1916–1917)
1916	Idaho	3–5
1917	Idaho	2–3	1–3	5th
Idaho:		5–8
Albany Pirates (Independent) (1926–1927)
1926	Albany
1927	Albany
Albany:
Total:
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

External links

• Wilfred C. Bleamaster at Find a Grave