By Tricia McEldowney
Title: Mitchell "Mike" Gregory Papers, 1916-1955
ID: UA/RG-PP/ARCH-009
Primary Creator: Gregory, Mitchell (1905-1957)
Extent: 1.22 Cubic Feet. More info below.
Arrangement: The Mitchell "Mike" Gregory Papers are arranged chronologically.
Subjects: College athletes--Ohio--20th century, College sports--Ohio--20th century, Denison University, Football--Ohio--20th century, Gregory, Mitchell, 1905-1957
Forms of Material: Correspondence, Footballs (balls for sports), Programs (documents)
Languages: English
Mitchell “Mike” Gregory was born on July 30, 1905, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents died when he was young, so he lived with relatives for a time. Gregory eventually ended up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he met Jim Gainfort. Gainfort, a graduate of Denison University (class of 1916), encouraged Gregory to consider his education. Gregory applied for and was admitted to Doane Academy in 1921. He was a member of the baseball, basketball, football, and track teams. Gregory graduated from Doane Academy in 1925, and he entered Denison University that fall. At Denison, Gregory was a member of the basketball (freshman year only), football, track, and wrestling teams. He was captain of the football team for three years and captain of the track team for one year. Gregory graduated in 1929.
Gregory moved to Akron, Ohio, in 1929 to work for Goodyear. While there, he played professional football for two teams: the South Akron Awnings (1929-1930) and the Cleveland Indians (1931). In 1931, Gregory married Thelma Horner. The couple settled in Granville, Ohio, and operated a hardware store. Gregory was an assistant coach for the Denison University football team for two years. He established several awards for Denison student athletes, including the Mike Gregory Trophy for most valuable football player. Gregory was instrumental in the building of a new field house.
Gregory died on July 30, 1957. In 1962, Denison University opened a new swimming facility and named the pool in Gregory’s honor. The Gregory Pool closed in 2012.
College athletes--Ohio--20th century
College sports--Ohio--20th century
Denison University
Football--Ohio--20th century
Gregory, Mitchell, 1905-1957
Repository: Denison University Archives
Alternate Extent Statement: (1) 5" legal document box; (1) oversize flat box; (1) artifact box
Access Restrictions: This collection is available for research but may be used only in the Denison University Archives & Special Collections research room.
Use Restrictions: Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright and are made available for research and educational purposes. While Denison University holds the physical rights for this collection, we may not hold the copyright or reproduction rights. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Denison University Archives & Special Collections is not held liable.
Preferred Citation: Mitchell "Mike" Gregory Papers, University Archives & Special Collections, Denison University (Granville, Ohio)
Processing Information: Processed by: Tricia McEldowney (2024 December); Finding aid written by: Tricia McEldowney (2025 January)
