Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-07-09
P. ]. DASHIELL
NOTED ATHLETE
DIED TUESDAY
Visited POcOmOke In The Days
When The Virginia Base
Ball Club Ruled
WAS RECOGNIZED AS
AUTHORITY ON ATHLETICS

~N---
interest on the Eastern Shore, the
minds of some of the older heads may
revert to the days of the Red Stock
ings, a crack amateur organization of
Eastern Virginia. This team ruled
the roost until Pocomoke with the aid
of an imported battery took them into
camp for several successive games.
In those days, it was about all that
could be done here to stage one big
contest year.
The first pitcher to be called into
srvice here was Paul J. Dashiell, who
brought with him Edgar Tenant, one
of the best receivers ever turned out
in Baltimore and member of the old
Pastime club, a mighty fine collec-
ton of amateur players. Tenant
was about feet inches tall, but
his low stature never seemed to hamp-
er him; he could go into the air after
high ones better than many a man of
greater height.
Paul Dashiell came several times to
Pocomoke and was never defeated.
After graduation, he gave up active
participation in athletics but always
retained his interest in sports and
was recognized as an authority on
many athletic problems.
Resigning his position at the United
States Naval Academy where he was
instructor in mathematics for many
years, he located in Annapolis with
apartments at Carvel Hall. Here it
was that, last year, the editor of this
paper called to see him. Two hours
were spent in delightful Renaissance,
but he was sad picture of the once
superb athlete. He was a victim of
arthritis and his case had been pro-
nounced incurable. He was cheerful
through it all, tho and was looking
this phase of life in the face as he had
looked many another situation.
This wednesday, morning the
papers carry an account of his death;
he was 70 years of age. He died rath-
er Unexpectedly at the Naval hospital
in Annapolis.
The Baltimore Sun contains the fol-
lowing sketch:
Dashiell was one of group of foot
ball enthusiasts which met in 1896 in
an attempt to draw up uniform rules
for the game. At that time Princeton,
Navy and Yale used one set of rules
and Harvard, Cornell and Pennsylvan-
la another.
The rules were made uniform at
that time and the present rules COM
mittee was formed with Captain Dash
iell as chairman. He served until 1911.
He is credited with being the "fath-
er of the forward pass" In 1905,
when football was under fire because
of the number of injuries, Dashiell
suggested the pass as means of
opening up the game.
Captain Dashiell was born in An
napolis, the son of the Reverend and
Mrs. julius M. Dashiell. He was grad
uated from Lehigh University and re-
ceived his Phi d. degree from the
Johns Hopkins University.
In 1892 he went to the Naval AGA
deny as a professor of mathematics
and also aided in coaching football.
In 1906 he was commissioned in the
United States Navy corps of mathe-
MATES, no longer in existence, and
was retired as a captain in 1881. He
was unmarried and lived at Annapolis.
He was a member of the Maryland
Club, the New York Yacht Club, the
Army and Navy Club and the Off
GERS Club.
Surviving Captain Dashiell are two
brothers, Philip Thornton Dashiell,
Philadelphia, and j. M. Dashiell, Bal
timore, and one sister, Mrs. J. M.
Whitman, Cambridge, Md.
Funeral services were conducted
Thursday in the Naval Academy
chapel.
The writer was a student at st.
Johns College where Paul Dashiell's
father was Professor of Latin and
Greek. Paul was a boy of almost in
FAINT years, but from the beginning,
gave evidence of athletic ability. This
was not all he became a prominent
educator, cultured and, with a most
attractive personality, and withal, a
splendid example of man. The
Democrat records with a great deal
of regret his passing.