About Coach Clarence A. "Cling" Clingenpeel

Detail of a 1908 photo, showing Clingenpeel as a Central student.

Originally from Kansas City, Clarence A. Clingenpeel graduated from Central College (now Central Methodist University) in 1915, where he was senior class president and already athletic director at Central, as well as serving in the Aristotelian Literary Society and the local YMCA.

Clingenpeel would continue as Central's athletic director for another two years, when he left to coach at Austin College in Sherman, Texas for a year. Another seven years were spent as coach at Kemper Military Academy in Booneville, Missouri, until Clingenpeel finally returned to resume his position as athletic directory at Central. He would hold that position until poor health required him to take year's leave in 1941. Unfortunately, between the dropping enrollment brought on by World War II and Clingenpeel's own flagging health, he did not return.

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Article from p. 3 of December 20, 1941 (v. 10, no. 4) issue of the Central College Bulletin. Headline is "Coach is head of association: C.A. Clingenpeel Was Elected President of the Association of Coaches of the M.C.A.U.". Article details coach and athletic director Clarence A. Clingenpeel (class of 1915)'s election to president of the Missouri College Athletic Union.

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Article from p. 3 of the October 17, 1941 (v. 11 no. 1) issue Central College Bulletin. Headline is "Coach Clingenpeel ordered to rest for one year because of illness". Article details Clingenpeel's career as a coach, as well as a student athlete at Central, and delivers an optimistic prognosis.

Article from p. 1 and p. 8 of the December 13, 1941 (v. 69 no. 14) Central Collegian, the student newspaper. Headline is: "Clingenpeel MCAU Head: Elected by conference coaches; discuss breach." Article discusses Clingenpeel's election to president of Missouri College Athletic Union coaches' association, as well as a "breach in relations between Central and Missouri Valley [College]."

Article from p. 1 and p. 5 of the November 23, 1936 (v. 68 no. 11) issue of the Central Collegian, the student newspaper. Headline is "Celebrate for 'Prof' and 'Cling': Anderson and Clingenpeel here 15 years." Article details both Prof. Anderson as well as Coach Clingenpeel's careers at Central.

Article from p. 1 of the January 17, 1941 (v. 69 no. 17) issue of the Central Collegian, the student newspaper. Headline is: "Clingenpeel scores paper: Calls Collegian football editorial 'unfortunate.'" Article is primarily composed of a letter to the paper from Coach Clingenpeel, criticizing an editorial calling for cancellation of the football program in the previous issue.

Photo feature from p. 6 of the September 13, 1940 (v. 69 no. 1) Central Collegian, the student newspaper. Headline is "The Central eagle preens its feathers." Five photos are shown detailing scenes from around campus, with captions at the lower left. Captions are: "1.-- Coach Clingenpeel tells his veteran crew of backfield men what to do and how to do it. Left to right: Smithey, Stallings, Teel, Morrow, Pitchford, Vanatta, Griswold, Shockley, Jackson, O'Nan, Clingenpeel. 2.-- Pianist Herb Bush, who stole the show at the upperclass 'hash' program Monday night with his dizzy fingers, explains how it's done. 3.-- Ragout business manager Ted Zerbe sits slyly behind his desk and makes plans for freshmen to start trekking to the photographer next week. 4.-- A group of enthusiastic freshman boys waits outside the Swinney Conservatory to hear the annual lecture on 'Music Appreciation." 5.-- Line coach George Kline gives his freshman hopefuls pointers on how to mangle their opponents. Left to right: Winters, Newcomb, Haviland, Murphy, McCarrey, Woodham, and Klin

1908; Central College students and faculty. This picture from E. T. Raney collection--via Rev. Clinton Galatas in 1959. top row: E. W. Bartley, Howard Combs, Bob Hicks, C. A. Clingenpeel, Mark Magers, Homer Rich, Fred P. Hanes; bottom row: E. T. Raney, O. D. Means, Hugh Tista_t, Dr. David _. _ee (Greek & Latin), Paul Kemp, Eugene Livesay, Sam Davis