Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-26
ARMY AND NAVY
ARE FORTUNATE TO
GET W. S. LANGFORD
Referee in Saturdays Great
Battle Is Specialist in Role
of Gridiron Judge Comes
From Trinity.

Few OF the thousands gathered at
franklin Field on Saturday will give
more than passing attention to the slim,
agile, red-haired man, clad In sweater,
bicycle trousers and stockings, who VIII
take the leaders of the Army and Navy
team to the centre Of the field for con-
ference and then send the glistening
coin spinning in the air. They VIII be
too buslly engaged watching the various
players to pay specific attention to him.
This man, upon whose unerring tudg-
ment hangs the result of this all-im-
portant game. is William S. Langtord,
referee, graduate and gridiron star OF
Trinity Langford, like the successful
man in every calling, is a specialist For
some years after he broke Into the
officiating game he worked sometimes as
referee and sometimes as an umpire
but during the past few years he has de-
voted his entire football time to the
study Of the referees position, and has
requested Herbert w. Taylor, secretary
of the Central Board of football Of
ncials, TO list him among the referees
only.
In 1899 Langford entered Trinity. He
soon was recognized as one OF the most
finished players I'm college, and was
/ member OF the varsity teams In 1S92-ls96.
He played tackle, where he gained wide
reputation as a player, The year alter
he left college, 1897. he began officiating.
At first his engagements were only
among the smaller colleges and In minor
games. but he gradually demonstrated
that he was an Official as we'll as an eN-
star II was not long before his SER
vices began to be sought by the larger
elevens for their big games. and this ul-
timately led him to the top OF ranking
football officials When Langford be-
gan his career as an official he was as
sociated with Vance Mccormick, the re-
Gently defeated candidate for the Cover
norshp OF Pennsylvania, and also with
Paul DashIel, Buckley" Vail and Pa
Corbin. He now serves on the Associate
Committee of officials along with w. n.
Morice and n. \. Tufts.
There was big demand for Lang
ford's services by many colleges UP to
1905. In that year the Central Board of
officials was suggested by DIR. James A.
Babbltt, of this city, and the board be-
came a reality upon his recommendation
TO the Rules Committee, of which he was
a member
nation OF the Central Board, Langford
hns been In Just as great demand as he
was formerly, the only difference now
being that the applications for his serv-
ices are made through the board and not
to him personally.
",Just look over his games Of the last
few years" said Mr.. Taylor. "and you
will see Just what the opinion OF Mr..
I,anrford is as an official The big games
in which he has worked prove conclusive
" that he Is one of the ablest officials
In the country
Acting on this suggestion and looking
over Langford's game for the past
years, 1t Is indeed evident that he
ID hrst among officials. For instance
take the games in which he acted as ref
cree In 1919 and this year. Last season
he had the following assignments: Yale
HOLY Cross, Penn-Lafayette, Cornell-Car-
isle Carlislo-Pttsburgh Penn-Carlisle.
IIorya Cornell Harvard Princeton
Yale Princeton, Harvard-fa cornell
Penn and Army-Navy.
This season Langford has Just as many
big games as he did last. He will finish
his season Saturday with the Army-Navy
game here on Franklin field. His other
games this season have been: Penn
Gettysburg, Princeton -Bucknell, Harvard
Washington and Jefferson. Carlisle-Pttts-
burgh. Penn-C Carlisle. Harvard Michigan,
Harvard Princeton. Harvard Brown. Hav-
erford- -Swarthmore. Plttsburgh-Penn
State (today's game).
Beside his work on the football field
as an official. Langford's suggestions to
the rules committee have been Invaluable.
He has been in position to give that
body many ideas for clarifying and
calculating the code. Like all other ref
erees, points are constantly being brought
to his attention which have never come
up before in games and 1t is his quick
decisions of these matters. as we'll as the
routine work which has given his great
prestige.
The only time Langford was ever crit
icised severely was In the Princeton-Dart-
mouth game, played November H. 1911,
On that occasion he proved that he was
as correct in his decision of an absolutely
unheard of play as he was quick in de-
Gliding. Princeton had been unable to
score on Dartmouth, but had the ball
near the 20-yard line. William #. Dewitt,
OF the Tigers stepped back to the S5-
yard line and attempted goal from field.
The ball shot low through hole in the
line and bounded along the ground finally
bouncing over the crossbar. Langford de-
clared II a legitimate ield goal. He proved
his contention by reading the rules,
which did not then provide that the bali
had TO go between the posts and over the
bar before touching the ground. This
bizarre play led to a change In the rules.
which makes It no longer possible for
such an unfortunate accident to happen.
Lcngford has studied the forward pass
carefully and many of the prohibitions
against it's varied use are the result OF his
clear-cut, logical suggestions.