# 1939 Southern California Conference football season

The 1939 Southern California Conference football season was the season of college football played by the five member schools of the Southern California Conference (SCC) as part of the 1939 college football season.
The Whittier Poets, led by head coach Wallace Newman, won the SCC championship with an 8–2–1 record (3–0–1 against SCC opponents) and outscored opponents by a total of 214 to 97. Halfback Gene Wineinger and tackle Myron Claxton were unanimous picks as first-team players on the 1939 SCC all-star team. The 1939 Occidental–Whittier football rivalry game gave birth to Myron Claxton's Shoes, a traveling trophy that has been awarded to the winner of the game since 1945.
The Pomona Sagehens, led by head coach Earl J. Merritt, finished in second place with a 4–3–1 record. Tackle Stan Jolivette and halfback Normal Nagel were first-team picks on the SCC all-star team.

## Conference overview

| Conf. rank | Team | Head coach | Conf. record | Overall record | Points scored | Points against |
| 1 | Whittier | Wallace Newman | 3–0–1 | 8–2–1 | 214 | 97 |
| 2 | Pomona | Earl J. Merritt | 2–1–1 | 4–3–1 | 89 | 98 |
| 3 | Occidental | Bill Anderson | 2–2 | 3–5 | 82 | 138 |
| 4 | Redlands | Cecil A. Cushman | 2–2 | 3–7 | | |
| 5 | Caltech | Fox Stanton | 0–4 | 2–6 | 89 | 98 |

## Teams
### Whittier

The 1939 Whittier Poets football team represented Whittier College of Whittier, California. In their 11th season under head coach Wallace Newman, the team compiled an 8–2–1 record (3–0–1 against SCC opponents) and won the SCC championship.
Whittier players received six of eleven first-team spots on the 1939 SCC all-star team selected by the conference coaches. Whittier players receiving first-team honors were: halfback Gene Wineinger; ends Leroy Hughes and Don Craggs; tackle Myron Claxton; guard Bert Nichols; and center Alex Mecikoff.
Prior to the Occidental–Whittier football rivalry game on November 11, 1939, Occidental stole Myron Claxton's Shoes in an attempt to hinder his performance. Claxton reportedly played in work boots, leading Whittier to a 36–0 victory. Following the game, Claxton reclaimed his shoes from the Occidental sideline. Claxton's shoes were later bronzed and became a traveling trophy held each year by the winner of the rivalry game. The shoes were featured on a 2013 episode of ESPN's College Gameday.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 20 | USS Maryland* | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | W 12–0 | 4,000 |
| September 27 | at Loyola (Los Angeles)* | Gilmore StadiumLos Angeles | W 19–13 | 9,000 |
| October 7 | at Pomona | Alumni FieldClaremont, CA | T 0–0 | 4,000 |
| October 14 | at Arizona State* | Goodwin StadiumTempe, AZ | L 0–19 | 9,000 |
| October 21 | at Arizona State–Flagstaff* | Skidmore FieldFlagstaff, AZ | W 27–13 | 1,000 |
| October 27 | Caltech | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | W 47–6 | 3,000 |
| November 4 | at San Diego State* | Aztec BowlSan Diego, CA (Shrine Charity game) | W 23–12 | 8,000 |
| November 11 | Occidental | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | W 36–0 | 7,000 |
| November 17 | Fresno State* | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | L 13–27 | 5,000 |
| November 22 | at Redlands | Redlands, CA | W 27–7 | > 3,000 |
| December 1 | Santa Barbara State* | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | W 10–0 | 4,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Pomona

The 1939 Pomona Sagehens football team represented Pomona College of Pomona, California. In their fifth season under head coach Earl J. Merritt, the Sagehens compiled a 4–3–1 record (2–1–1 against SCC opponents) and finished in second place in the SCC.
Two Pomona players received first-team honors on the 1939 SCC all-star team: halfback Norman Nagel and tackle Stan Jolivette.
Pomona was ranked at No. 247 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | at Arizona* | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ | L 0–21 | |
| October 7 | Whittier | Alumni FieldClaremont, CA | T 0–0 | 4,000 |
| October 14 | at Redlands | Redlands, CA | L 9–19 | |
| October 21 | La Verne* | Claremont, CA | W 16–0 | |
| October 28 | at San Diego State* | Aztec BowlSan Diego, CA | W 12–6 | 4,500 |
| November 3 | San Diego Marines* | Balboa BowlSan Diego, CA | L 12–33 | |
| November 11 | at Caltech | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | W 20–13 | |
| November 18 | Occidental | Claremont, CA | W 20–6 | 8,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Occidental

The 1939 Occidental Tigers football team represented Occidental College of Los Angeles, California. In their eighth and final year under head coach Bill Anderson, the Tigers compiled a 3–5 record (2–2 against SCC opponents) and finished in third place in the SCC.
Two Occidental players received first-team honors on the 1939 SCC all-star team: fullback James Moradian and guard Jack Thatcher.
Occidental was ranked at No. 309 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 22 | at Santa Barbara State* | State College BowlSanta Barbara, CA | L 0–20 | |
| October 6 | San Diego State* | Aztec BowlSan Diego, CA | L 6–10 | 3,000 |
| October 21 | at Caltech | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | W 15–7 | |
| October 27 | at San Diego Marines* | San Diego, CA | L 6–33 | |
| November 4 | Redlands | Patterson FieldLos Angeles, CA | W 16–6 | 4,000 |
| November 11 | at Whittier | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | L 0–36 | 7,000 |
| November 18 | at Pomona | Alumni FieldClaremont, CA | L 6–20 | 8,000 |
| December 2 | Colorado College* | Patterson FieldLos Angeles, CA | W 33–6 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Redlands

The 1939 Redlands Bulldogs football team represented the University of Redlands of Redlands, California. In their 10th season under head coach Cecil A. Cushman, the Bulldogs compiled a 3–7 record (2–2 against SCC opponents) and finished in fourth place in the SCC.
Redlands was ranked at No. 324 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 22 | at Loyola (Los Angeles)* | Gilmore StadiumLos Angeles, CA | L 0–6 | 10,000 |
| September 29 | at San Diego State* | Aztec BowlSan Diego, CA | L 0–26 | 3,500 |
| October 6 | at Santa Ana JC* | The BowlSanta Ana, CA | postponed | |
| October 14 | Pomona | Redlands, CA | W 19–9 | |
| October 21 | at San Diego Marines* | Balboa StadiumSan Diego, CA | L 14–15 | 3,500 |
| October 27 | La Verne* | Redlands, CA | W 13–12 | |
| November 4 | at Occidental | Patterson FieldLos Angeles, CA | L 6–15 | |
| November 10 | at San Jose State | Spartan StadiumSan Jose, CA | L 6–52 | |
| November 18 | at Caltech | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | W 7–6 | |
| November 22 | Whittier | Redlands, CA | L 7–27 | > 3,000 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Caltech

The 1939 Caltech Engineers football team represented the California Institute of Technology of Pasadena, California. In their 19th year under head coach Fox Stanton, the Engineers compiled a 2–6 record (0–4 against SCC opponents) and finished in last place in the SCC.
Caltech's star center Paul H. Becker Jr. died from injuries sustained in a November 22 game against La Verne. He was 19 years old, attended Caltech on a mathematics scholarship, and died at Huntington Memorial Hospital having never regained consciousness.
Caltech quarterback Stanley Sohler received first-team honors on the 1939 SCC all-star team. End Donald Walter was named to the second team.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 22 | at Cal Poly* | Mustang StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | L 6–24 | 2,000 |
| September 29 | Citrus JC* | Tournament ParkPasadena, CA | W 26–0 | |
| October 6 | at San Diego Marines* | San Diego, CA | L 3–21 | |
| October 21 | Occidental | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | L 7–15 | |
| October 27 | at Whittier | Hadley FieldWhittier, CA | L 6–47 | 3,000 |
| November 11 | Pomona | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | L 12–20 | |
| November 18 | Redlands | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | L 6–7 | |
| November 23 | La Verne* | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | W 13–7 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

## All-conference team

At the end of the season, the SCC coaches selected the following players as first-team players on the 1939 all-conference team:
* Quarterback: Stanley Sohler, Caltech
* Halfbacks: Norman Nagel, Pomona; Gene Wineinger, Whittier
* Fullback: James Moradian, Occidental
* Ends: Leroy Hughes, Whittier; Don Craggs, Whittier
* Tackles: Myron Claxton, Whittier; Stan Jolivette, Pomona
* Guards: Bert Nichols, Whittier; Jack Thatcher, Occidental
* Center: Alex Mechikoff, Whittier
Claxton and Wineinger were the only two unanimous choices.