Iowa State Football

Dreams of Long Ago: Stories of Those That Played for the 1912 Cyclones

Yes, “Dreams of Long Ago”, was a song by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso that came out this same year.

By Jared Larson@Jar_Lar Nov 30, 2020, 8:05am CST

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1912. This might be a year you’re hearing more and more if you’re a Cyclone fan this season.

This year has significance for many world events, the Titanic sinking, Oreos being introduced, New Mexico and Arizona becoming states... Oh, and the last time Iowa State won a conference title.

We know the opponents: Minnesota, Simpson, Mizzou, Morningside, Cornell College, Iowa and Drake.

We have the newspaper clippings:

at Minnesota (3 p.m. kick) - Hayward Rushes Against Ames (Gophers) Photo, Another Cool Photo, Recap Part One with Stats and Recap Part Two.

Simpson - Recap.

at Mizzou - Preview, Baroness Bertha von Suttner Recap, Recap Part One, Recap Part Two and Recap Part Three. (Jared’s note: Baroness von Suttner (1843-1914) was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, when she did in 1905.)

Grinnell - Recap Part One, Recap Part Two and Recap Part Three.

Morningside - Recap Part One?. (Jared’s note: Page Four just previews the game against Iowa)

at Cornell College - Recap Pages from Cornellian.

Iowa - Photos, Recap Part One, Recap Part Two and PxP Part One, PxP Part Two and Notes.

at Drake - Photos, Recap Part One, Recap Part Two, PxP Part One, PxP Part Two, PxP Part Three, Notes Part One and Notes Part Two.

However, we don’t have what makes my “Stories of 1895” story on brand for ‘Jar Lar OS’.

Life stories about the Cyclones beyond the moment of a single snap, possession, game, season or year. Below is, as best as I can find, biographies about each of the Cyclones on the 1912 MVIAA Conference Championship football team.

Jim Arentson, RG

On the reserve team’s line for most of the season, Arentson was first called up to Varsity during the week of the Morningside, but was injured the Tuesday of that week.

Two weeks later, he was listed as an option for right guard, along with Chris Juhl.

I can’t confirm, but since it’s possible for Arentson to be 28 and a Cyclone, there is a listing on ancestry.com for a James Arentson born Oct. 1, 1884 (in Iowa) and dying July 17, 1962.

Other than that, this is all the information I have on him.

Chris Juhl, RG

Juhl (Feb. 18, 1880 - April 27, 1962) was the chaplain of the Veterinary Medical Society during the 1911-1912 school year.

Uncertain as to when this picture of Chris (and father Gregers was taken, for sure before 1937, perhaps even before 1911.

During the 1912 season, the Estherville native broke his arm during Minnesota game.

Dr. Juhl registered for World War I on Sept. 12, 1918, as seen below with his registration card.

Juhl’s father, previously pictured, came to the United States, at age 17, from Denmark. Gregers moved to a farm in Emmet County in 1886 where he stayed until his death in 1937.

Dr. C.E. Juhl married Maude (Richards) on June 22, 1922, and the two moved to Osage, Iowa, where Juhl would start his veterinary practice.

Juhl remained a vet in Osage until 1950.

Maude, who was active in the women’s club and the local Methodist Church, died on Sept. 21, 1954.

Hans Christian Pfund, LG

Pfund (Sept. 12, 1890 - Sept. 20, 1963) was listed as a left guard for the 1912 Iowa State College team. Pfund also made the All-Missouri Valley First Team for basketball as a center in 1913. He was the leading scorer in a 11-6 win against Drake (in basketball).

Pfund in 1911
Pfund in 1912 1914 Bomb
Pfund in 1930
Pfund in 1936
Pfund in 1939
Pfund Obituary Photo 1963

Pfund was one of the names listed on the All-Century Team Honorable Mention team.

After graduating from Iowa State College, Pfund had an interesting life. I have by far the most details on him, so strap in.

In 1914, the ceramic engineer graduate Hans was part of the Monarch Engineering & Inspection Service in Des Moines, according to an issue of the Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory.

Hans was married on June 2, 1915. Like other 1912 Cyclones, he registered for World War I.

On Oct. 7, 1921 Hans and Royal L. Ash filed an application for an invention, and on Dec. 26, 1922, the application was granted and published under file number US1440101A.

The invention, for those curious, is a “Toilet-seat-cover holder and dispenser”.

Not only was Pfund good at basketball and football, Hans “Big Bertha” Pfund was very good at volleyball, read about that in his prowess in the below Des Moines Register clipping from Dec. 28, 1927.

In 1933, Pfund became the director of the Iowa State employment service, a position he held until his resignation on July 15, 1935. His new role would be with the personnel department at the Home Owners Loan Corp. in Washington D.C.

Sometime in 1939, Pfund moved to Portland, Oregon, where he was an employee of both the Bankers Association of Oregon, then the Federal Home Loan Bank in Portland. According to the 1940 census, he lived at 4010 NE Hancock St. That place today can be seen on apartments.com.

In case I missed anything, here is his obituary.

Lovell “Lew” Reeve, RT

The following bio is from my Cyclones in Professional Football (Part 1) series:

“Reeve (Oct. 17, 1889 – May 12, 1960) lettered every year at Iowa State from 1911-1914. Lew would be the first Cyclone to play professionally, playing three games and starting two with the Chicago Tigers in 1920 (at age 31) as an offensive and defensive tackle. (Part of the American Professional Football Association)

Fun fact: the Tigers were the first professional football team to play at Wrigley Field.”

The below clipping is his obituary (from the Des Moines Tribune), which shares facts of his life that go beyond his playing days in the MVIAA and APFA.

Edward Arthur (E.A.) Weyrauch, RH

Weyrauch (misspelled as Weyraich in the All-Time Letterman section of the media guide) went to Iowa around the turn of the 1900s to 1910s before lettering in football at ISC in 1911 and 1912.

“Dutch” won the “Triangle Cup” in June 1913, worth $50, for being “the best all around man at Iowa State College.”

Weyrauch was born on March 11, 1887 and died June 10, 1927 at age 40.

Clarence Nagel

Nagel won letters at Iowa State from 1912-1914.

Based on a newspaper from Jan. 21, 1913 saying Nagel expects to get a job in Waterloo, Iowa, I would venture a guess he stayed there for the rest of his life.

If that’s the case, he was born Nov. 12, 1888 and lived until Dec. 15, 1968 until a heart attack claimed his life.

Forrest Jacob (F.J.) Pfautz, Left End

Pfautz (Aug. 7, 1890 - Nov. 5, 1921) scored the only touchdown in a 20-7 loss to Iowa during the 1912 season. F.J. (erroneously known as “F.H.” in the media guide) seldom appeared during this season due to sprained and/or broken fingers for most of it. The Lisbon, Iowa, born Pfautz earned an Ames Sweater (letter jacket) in December 1912.

He married in July 1913, and moved to Syracuse, New York, after World War I.

His life came to an end at the age of 31 due to a car crash, details of which can be found in his obituary.

A. Floyd Scott

There was, apparently, an Arthur Floyd Scott born in Eldora (Iowa) on Oct. 5, 1889 that lived until Jan. 13, 1980 (Seaside, Oregon) but I’m uncertain as to if that A. Floyd Scott is this one as well. Especially because the yearbook that the above photo comes from says he’s from Cedar Rapids. 1912 Letterwinner.

This has to be the same person who has had an award named after him.

According to the media guide, the Arthur Floyd Scott Award goes to:

1977-82 to outstanding offensive lineman;

1983-95 to outstanding offensive and defensive linemen;

since 1996 to outstanding linemen;

2008-11 went to outstanding athlete in the football strength and conditioning program.

Lynn H. Cowan

Cowan, an animal husbandry major, (Jan. 1, 1894 - May 29, 1964) won two letters at Iowa State, in 1912 and 1913.

After leaving Iowa State, Cowan moved to Ree Heights, South Dakota.

In June 1917, he registered for World War I. His registration card is seen below.

I’m not sure when he moved from South Dakota, but according to Ancestry he died in San José, California.

Alva Jesse (A.J.) Crawford

A.J. (July 2, 1888? - April 1975?) was part of the Cardinal Guild with both Hans Pfund and Lynn Cowan.

Alva won his only football letter in 1912.

Fun fact: Crawford was in the campus organization T.L.B. at Iowa State College in 1911, “a social organization for those standing at least six feet in height.”

Paul Eichling

Bombs from the early 1910s said his middle initial was O. Based on that, and the fact Ancestry only has one “Paul O. Eichling” that was born around the time of these other players, I’m mostly convinced this below life story is his.

Eichling (Sept. 17, 1889 - April 2, 1964) was part of Iowa State’s first fraternity, Sigma Nu (1906 - August 1998).

Eichling died at 74 near Fort Wayne, Indiana, after pulling out in front of a Norwalk Truck Line semi around 2:40 p.m. on April 2.

The driver escaped without injury, but his wife was listed as being in poor condition, however, she would recover and live until 1984.

Roy McDonald, LE

The 2006 Media Guide states that Roy McDonald (June 29, 1890 - March 31, 1942) was from Mitchellville, Iowa.

McDonald was a county agent for Mitchell County for a couple years, before moving to Bayard, Iowa, in 1938.

However, on March 31, 1942, a train going 80 miles per hour struck his 1936 model car a mile east of Bayard.

If you want details of that accident, click here, but warning, there is a picture of his car after impact.

Dave Wilson, LG

Dave Wilson (March 18, 1890 - April 19, 1973) was another 1912 Cyclone who got a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) from ISC in 1913. He was a vet in Moorhead, Iowa (Monona County) until 1917.

Per his obituary (seen below), he entered World War I as an officer with the Army in France (1917), and after returning from the war, he farmed in West Liberty.

Wilson registered for World War II in 1942 at the age of 52.

R.L. “Buck” Hurst, QB

“Buck” was the captain of the 1912 team, moved to Chicago before 1917 (where he had a son born) and then moved to Minneapolis before 1940.

Against Drake, he had a 65-yard touchdown run in the 23-3 win.

The first initial, “R”, is either Raymond or Ralph.

These are the (more or less) life stories of the 1912 Cyclones, may they never be forgotten now that they are known about.