B-W: The Tressel Family

Ohio State's loss in 1943 was Baldwin-Wallace College's gain.

In 1943, with war raging around the globe and the United States flexing its muscles to maintain liberty and freedom for so many, a young, freshman at The Ohio State University named Lee Tressel joined what was then known as the V-12 Program.

As a spring quarter freshman at OSU, Tressel had practiced, played in the spring game and planned to play for the Buckeyes in the Fall of 1943. But when the V-12 Program was established at Baldwin-Wallace, Tressel moved from the Columbus-based campus to the Berea-based campus to begin school that fall. The rest is Tressel Family history.

Lee Tressel
Lee Tressel began playing football in the fall of 1943, continued in the fall of '44 and was briefly interrupted by service to his country in World War II in 1945. He returned to finish his playing career as a Yellow Jacket in 1946 and 1947.

Read about Coach Tressel's return to B-W following a short and successful high school coaching career including his alma mater, Ada (Ohio) High School, Mentor High School, and Massillon Washington High School.

You can read about Lee Tressel's playing and coaching career at Baldwin-Wallace College and the playing career of his youngest son, Jim, now the Head Coach at The Ohio State University. It is all in a book detailing the history of football at Baldwin-Wallace College, "...And We Must Excel" by retired Plain Dealer sportwriter and 1963 B-W graduate Bill Nichols.

To purchase Bill's book on Baldwin-Wallace College Football History, "...And We Must Excel", please call Bev Lake at the B-W Alumni House at 440-826-2742, or George Schiller at the B-W Bookstore at 440-826-2345, or e-mail Bev at B-W at blake@bw.edu.

Read an excerpt from the 1943-47 section of "...And We Must Excel," the years Lee Tressel played for the Yellow Jackets.

Other excerpts include:
Lee Tressel's coaching career at B-W (1958-80)
The Yellow Jacket National Championship Year of 1978
Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel's senior season in 1974 as the quarterback of the Yellow Jackets.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Baldwin-Wallace College Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.