Andrew Kerr (1878-1969)
Andrew Kerr IV was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on October 7, 1878 the son of Andrew and Mary Elizabeth Kerr. His family moved east to Carlisle, Pennsylvania and the young Kerr attended most of his secondary schooling there. He entered the local Dickinson College with the class of 1900 in 1896 and graduated in the Latin Scientific section with his class four years later. In the meantime, he had joined the Theta Nu Epsilon fraternity, been active in the Belles Lettres Society, and had been chosen senior class secretary. He had also played three years on the varsity baseball team and still holds the College record in the discontinued "standing high jump" field event at 4 feet 8 inches. Most ironically, as it concerns his future career, he felt himself at 135 pounds too light for football.
Immediately following graduation, Kerr eschewed a minor-league baseball contract and began teaching mathematics at the Rowe School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The following year he moved to the Johnstown High School. His began his coaching in Johnstown and when he moved to the Pittsburgh area, he came to the attention of Glenn "Pop" Warner, then at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1914, Kerr left what had already been an extended career as a mathematics teacher and joined Warner's staff at Pitt. He was to coach football for the rest of his life, becoming one of the most influential college football coaches in history as he did so.