MITCHELL, Robert T. 1903-1949

MITCHELL, DRISCOLL

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 2/6/2008 at 16:05:44

FORMER OSAGE WRESTLING COACH DIES SUDDENLY - R. T. Mitchell Succumbs on Way to Hospital, Victim of Pneumonia

Robert T. Mitchell, former Osage high school athletic coach, died late Wednesday, March 23, 1949, while being taken to a Mason City hospital for treatment of pneumonia. He had been ill only a few days and had been at his place of business here on Wednesday morning but was taken to a local hospital when his condition became serious.

Funeral services were held Saturday morning at Sacred Heart church, Osage, conducted by the Rev. Thomas J. Conroy. Burial was made in the church cemetery.

Mitchell won nationwide recognition as a successful wrestling coach during his 13 years at Osage high school. Under Mitch's tutelage, Osage teams set a new world's record of 61 consecutive dual meet victories, the string running from Dec. 3, 1935, to Dec. 28, 1941. His teams won 209 out of 218 dual meets during his 13 years of coaching here.

Although Mitchell was recognized as an outstanding wrestling coach, he also achieved success as a football coach, his Osage teams winning a majority of their games during his tenure here.

Robert T. Mitchell was born at Casey, Iowa, October 9, 1903. He graduated from the State University of Iowa and took graduate work at the Univ. of Minnesota and the Univ. of Southern California. Before coming to Osage, he served as athletic coach at Buffalo Center for five years.

Mitchell resigned from his teaching post in Osage in April, 1947, and had been engaged in business here since that time.

Survivors include the widow, the former Frances Driscoll; son, Patrick John, 9; daughter, Elizabeth Jeanne, 5; 6 brothers, Walter, Des Moines; Charles, Stuart,& Patrick, of Council Bluffs; Frederick and John, Denver, Colo., and James, Iowa City, and 3 sisters, Mrs. Mary O'Neill and Nora of Denver, Colo., and Mrs. Troy Dill, Igloo, S.Dakota.