Royce Purinton
American football coach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royce Davis Purinton (October 27, 1877 – March 25, 1919) was an American college football coach.[1] He served as the head football coach at Bates College in 1902 and from 1904 to 1917.[2] He also coached the Bates baseball team from 1906 to 1917.[3]
West Bowdoin, Maine, U.S.
Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 27, 1877 West Bowdoin, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | March 25, 1919 (aged 41) Lewiston, Maine, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Bates (1900) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1902 | Bates |
| 1904–1917 | Bates |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1906–1919 | Bates |
Biography
Purinton was born in West Bowdoin, Maine to Nathaniel S. and Jennie (Williams) Purinton. His father was the private secretary to three Governors of Maine.[4]
Purinton was captain of the Bates football in 1899. After graduating, he worked for the Pejepscot Paper Company.[4] He began his coaching career at Bates in 1902.[5] He did not return the following season, nut was brought back in 1904.[6] In 1906, he was named physical director of the college. In February 1918, he went to France to work as a physical director for the YMCA. He returned to Bates in January 1919.[4]
Purinton died of heart failure, on March 25, 1919, in Lewiston, Maine.[7] He was survived by his wife, the former Rena A. Dresser of Turner, Maine and a son, Royce Jr. Their daughter, Frances, died of the spanish flu in 1918.[4]
