Vertical File Biographies

This is an individual biography from the vertical file of biographical information, primarily newspaper clippings, created by the Kansas State Histocial Society Library and Archives division. This is a concise version--there may be more information in this or other sources.

E.C. (Ernie) Quigley

E.C. (Ernie) Quigley was one of Kansas’ greatest sportsmen from the late nineteenth century until 1950. He excelled as an athlete, coach, umpire and athletic director.

Quigley was born in New Brunswick, Canada, but moved to Concordia, Kansas at an early age and while in high school there, excelled in football and baseball. He then attended the University of Kansas from 1900-1902 where he lettered in football and track. From 1902 until 1914, he directed athletics and coached at St. Mary’s College in Kansas.

While at St. Mary’s, he began to umpire football, basketball and baseball games. He umpired his first major league baseball game in 1913 and the next year left coaching for a thirty-year career dedicated to officiating sports events.

As a National League umpire, he officiated an estimated 5400 major league baseball games including six World Series. Quigley also officiated 400 football games including three Rose Bowls, a Cotton Bowl and five Harvard-Yale games. He officiated 1500 basketball games including major tournaments in New York, Denver and Kansas City.

In 1936, Quigley became supervisor of National League umpires and a year later left baseball umpiring to become director of public relations for the league. A position he would hold until 1944. However, he continued to officiate intercollegiate basketball until 1942 and football until 1943.

He assumed the Director of Athletics position at the University of Kansas in 1944. Quigley was instrumental in retiring a $113,000 stadium debt at KU in just three years. He also hired football coaches George Sauer and J.V. Sikes, track coach Bill Easton and basketball coach Dick Harp.

Quigley was awarded a plaque by the Helms Foundation at the 1956 meeting of the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association. This is the highest honor that is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to athletics.

Sources:
“Another Honor For E.C. Quigley,” Lawrence Outlook, 15 March 1956.
Dick Snider, “Capitalizing on Sports,” Topeka Capital, 1 August 1958.
“Famed Sportsman, E.C. Quigley, Dies,” Topeka Capital-Journal, 11 December 1960.

The vertical file is on forty-three microfilm reels arranged alphabetically by name. These reels are available through interlibrary loan, or you may contact the reference staff . Please note that many of the clippings had yellowed and it may be impossible to produce a readable photocopy.

Completion of this biography was made possible by volunteer Frank Sotrines.