Bill Hargiss at Kansas State Normal, 1914
Emporia, KS

(from a 1925 article)  Coming back to his Alma Mater in 1914, more than 100 eager young athletes reported for football practice that fall.  Again, Hargiss was fielding potent lineups, which continued through his four years at KSN.  "Bill" Hargiss defeated C. of E. four consecutive years, thus winning six of the seven annual contests between the two rival teams of which one or the other of them he had coached for seven years.
     His first year at the Normal found his team winning every game it played in the Kansas Conference, but since the Normals were not then a member of the conference, the title was not officially awarded to them. His team furthermore tied the Kansas Aggies, a Missouri Valley team, and held the all-powerful Haskell Indians, was the only team to cross the Normal goal line, to a low score.
     The Emporia Gazette in the fall of 1914 made the following comment on football prospects in the Kansas conference: "Washburn will dominate the Kansas conference football this year, though Coach Bill of the Normals will play an important part. The Icabods have all their team back but one member and should tear through the conference in comparatively easy fashion. No other school seems to have the general all-round strength of the Topekans. Washburn is the best bet."
     But the Gazette reckoned without the hosts because the Normals trounced the Icabods soundly, not allowing them a score. The crack team of 1914 won five conference victories, tied the Aggies, and let the Haskell Indians across for two touchdowns only, for a total score for the year of thirteen points for the opponents to 190 for the Hargissites.
     This same year of 1914 saw Hargiss develop such sturdy men as "Fran" Welch, "Bill" Moneypeny, "Cudge" Cutler, "Shorty" Meairs, Fritz Hartwig, and John Bilting into a football machine that was soon to make history for the college. His uncanny method of control of athletics both on and off the field makes a sturdy player out of an ordinary individual. 
     The next year, 1915, saw another ever-victorious team going through the Kansas conference without a defeat. But again the Normals were not title awarded the Kansas conference title due to the refusal of Baker to play a post-season game, since she, too, had gone through the season without a defeat.
     Since it was becoming a habit with "Bill" Hargiss to turn out championship teams, the 1916 aggregation was equally as brilliant as the two preceding ones had been. Again the team was undefeated in the Kansas conference, and it further distinguished itself by defeating the Haskell Indians on their home field, the second time it had ever been done by any school during the history of Haskell.
     Five men from the 1916 crew were placed on the all-state team and another one developed that made the all-state team for the succeeding three years. Roy Williams, "Bill" Moneypeny, Guy Cross, "Cudge" Culter, and Earl Kaiser were the ones who were honored in 1916. "Tubby" Vaughn, a recruit of the same year made the mythical team for the next three years and developed into one of thee greatest tackles the Normals ever produced.
     In 1917, the first year of the war, "Bill" Hargiss' team was again successful.  It proved to be the noted coach's last year at the Normal as the next year found him with the Oregon Aggies.

Football record:

from a letter written by Harry Van Petten in 1970: "Your inspirational leadership and coaching was responsible for the remarkable success of the Kansas State Normal in winning the large majority of the State Championships in Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Track from 1914 to 1917."...

More articles:

KSN football 1914  - Description of the football season from the book, "For the Sport of It"

KSN football 1915  - Description of the football season from the book, "For the Sport of It"

KSN football 1916-1917  - Description of the football season from the book, "For the Sport of It"

Hargiss to Fran Welch - letter re 1914 team    printed letter

1915 Track team   photos - Hargiss coach  

1917 Baseball team   photos - Hargiss coach

1917-18 Basketball team   photo - Hargiss coach

The Playing Fields of the Teachers College   by H. W. "Bill" Hargiss

Bill Hargiss left for Oregon State in 1918; returning to KSN in 1920

Note: Kansas State Normal was renamed Kansas State Teachers College in 1923 and is today's Emporia State University.