Exceptionally Early Football Team Photo c. November 1875 / Harvard Class Of 1879 Football Team

 In their freshman year, in November of 1875, the ’79 class football team played Adams Academy at Quincy to a draw, one touchdown apiece. The roster included Cushing, Swift, Perry, Blanchard, Conant, Grant (Captain), Lincoln, Sheldon and (?).

Patrick Grant Jr. and William Conant had been classmates at Adams Academy.

Also in November of 1875 the class of ’79 played the class of ’78 on Holmes Field, ’79 winning by one goal. The roster of this game included Cushing, Swift, Perry, Nunn, Conant, Blanchard, Austin, Lincoln, Grant (Captain) and Houston.

Their next game was on May 22, 1876, “79 vs. the Tufts second eleven at Medford. At this point the roster was as follows: rushers – Cushing (Captain), Swift, Perry, Holmes, Nunn, Conant; Half-tends – Blanchard, Austin, Lincoln; Tends – Cowdin, Houston. Austin was injured in the game and was replaced by Harding. ’79 won the game by two goals.

It appears that they also lost a second game with Adams as well as a game with Philips Andover Academy.

Their sophomore year the ’79 played ’80 November 23, 1876 on Holmes Field winning an easy match by a score of more than 3 goals and 5 touchdowns. (see blog entry dated March 31, 2022, 1876 Harvard Freshman Football Team (Class of 1880)). '79 Roster: Cushing (Captain), Swift, Perry, Nunn, Conant. Half-tends: Blanchard, Austin, Lincoln. Tends: Sheldon, Houston.

The game was won by ’79 by “more than three goals and five touchdowns”.

Also in their sophomore year they played and won a game against the Boston Resolutes on Holmes Field. The Resolutes apparently had a good number of Harvard alumni playing for them. The listed '79 roster: Cushing (captain), Swift, Perry, Holmes, Nunn, Conant, Blanchard, Lincoln, Harding, Houston, Sheldon.

In the photo is Captain Patrick Grant (pictured with the ball) who left Harvard in 1877, going into business in Boston. Livingston Cushing (see blog entry dated August 25, 2013) took over the captaincy of the ’79 team in May of 1876. He also played for the varsity in 1876 through 1879, captaining the University Eleven in 1877 and 1878. Patrick Grant was the brother of Henry Rice Grant (see blog entry dated June 13, 2015) Harvard’s first varsity football captain, their father graduating from Harvard in 1828 and both brothers being from the father’s second marriage.

Of those listed as playing for the ’79 class team, a good number went on to play for the University Eleven:

 William Russel Austin (’79 and LS) played for the varsity in 1876, 1877, 1879 (front right on ground in photo)

Frederick Gardiner Perry played for the varsity in 1877, 1878

Livingston Cushing played for the varsity in 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879 (1877 and 1878 as captain)(back row second from the right in the photo)

Jireh Swift played for the varsity in 1877, 1878

Frank Augustine Houston (’79 and LS) played for the varsity 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881

Jabish Holmes played for the varsity 1877, 1878

George Rumsey Sheldon played for the varsity 1877

John Elliot Cowdin played varsity 1878 (back row center in the photo)

Benjamin Seaver Blanchard played varsity 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878

A true “White Whale”. One of the earliest photos of an American team, playing by rugby style football rules, taken less than 6 months after the Tufts – Harvard game and the year after the Harvard – McGill matches in 1874. One of the earliest American football photos we have come across. An important photo from the very beginnings of American football.

Photo is affixed to the back of the flyleaf, inside the front cover of a Victorian photo album. The front of the flyleaf page is inscribed “Aunt Susan, from Lillian, September 1878”.