1939 VPI Gobblers football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	4–5–1 (1–4–1 SoCon)
Head coach	Henry Redd (8th season)
Captain	David Marion Pitts
Home stadium	Miles Stadium
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

1939 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 8 Duke $	5	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
No. 12 Clemson	4	–	0	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
William & Mary	2	–	0	–	1			6	–	2	–	1
North Carolina	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	1
VMI	3	–	1	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Richmond	3	–	1	–	1			7	–	1	–	2
Furman	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Wake Forest	3	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
NC State	2	–	4	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
Washington and Lee	1	–	2	–	0			3	–	4	–	1
South Carolina	1	–	3	–	0			3	–	6	–	1
VPI	1	–	4	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Davidson	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Maryland	0	–	1	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
The Citadel	0	–	4	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1939 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1939 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of four wins, five losses and one tie (4–5–1).

VPI was ranked at No. 110 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[1]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23		Randolph–Macon*	Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA	W 26–0	2,500	[2][3][4]
September 30		at Marshall*	Fairfield Stadium Huntington, WV	L 0–20		[5][6]
October 7	2:30 p.m.	vs. North Carolina	Foreman Field Norfolk, VA	L 6–13	15,000	[7][8][9]
October 14	2:30 p.m.	vs. William & Mary	City Stadium Richmond, VA	T 6–6	6,500	[10][11]
October 21		Centre*	Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA	W 28–0	3,500-4,000	[12][13]
October 28	2:30 p.m.	vs. Washington and Lee	Lynchburg Municipal Stadium Lynchburg, VA	L 0–6	10,000-12,000	[14][15][16][17]
November 4	2:30 p.m.	Furman	Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA	W 20–7	2,500	[18][19]
November 11	2:30 p.m.	at Richmond	City Stadium Richmond, VA	L 0–13	8,000	[20][21][22]
November 18		at Virginia*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA (rivalry)	W 13–0	8,000	[23][24][25][26]
November 23	2:15 p.m.	vs. VMI	Maher Field Roanoke, VA (rivalry)	L 7–19	20,000	[27][28][29][30][31]
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Eastern time

The 1938 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 3–5–2 record and were led by Henry Redd in his seventh season as head coach. After the 1938 season, VPI lost ten letter winners due to graduation and another letter winner by withdrawal.^[32]

VPI started their preseason practices September 1st.^[32]

Randolph–Macon at VPI

1 2 3 4 Total RM 0 0 0 0 0 • VPI 6 7 7 6 26 Date: September 23, 1939 Location: Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA Game attendance: 2,500

VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Randolph–Macon at Miles Stadium.

During the trip to Blacksburg, the manager for the Randolph–Macon team had a ruptured ulcer and had to be taken to the hospital.^[33]

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Hudson (fullback). The substitutes were: Clark, DeMuro and Rose. Willard Henderson and Kern did not play due to injury.^[34]

The starting lineup for Randolph–Macon was: Robert Golubic (left end), Stuart Pugh (left tackle), R. Miller (left guard), George Chappell (center), Marshall Peterson (right guard), Dick Powell (right tackle), George Sawyer (right end), Billy Fox (quarterback), John Lovett (left halfback), Gordon Harrell (right halfback), Dick Irby (fullback).

VPI at Marshall

1 2 3 4 Total VPI 0 0 0 0 0 • Marshall 0 0 7 13 20 Date: September 30, 1939 Location: Fairfield Stadium Huntington, WV Game weather: "Steady drizzle"

After their victory over Randolph–Macon, VPI played Marshall College at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Willson (left end), Coleman (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Pitts (right tackle), Clark (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Ellison (left halfback), Thomas (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). Hudson and Henderson did not play due to injury.^[35]

The starting lineup for Marshall was: Bob Adkins (left end), Ed Ulinski (left tackle), John Boyd (left guard), Roberts (center), Ray Truitt (right guard), Harold Cox (right tackle), Jack Mattiford (right end), Zach Kush (quarterback), Jackie Hunt (left halfback), Jack Morlock (right halfback), Ev Elkins (fullback).

North Carolina vs. VPI

1 2 3 4 Total • UNC 0 7 6 0 13 VPI 0 0 0 6 6 Date: October 7, 1939 Location: Foreman Field Norfolk, VA Game start: 2:30 p.m. Game attendance: 15,000 Game weather: "Mid-summer heat"

The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Streiff (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: DeMuro, Willard Henderson, Hudson, Taylor, Woolwine and Zydiak.

The starting lineup for North Carolina was: Paul Severin (left end), Charles Slagle (left tackle), Leroy Abernethy (left guard), Robert Smith (center), James Woodson (right guard), Claud Kimball (right tackle), James Mallory (right end), Jim Lalanne (quarterback), George Radman (left halfback), Mike Bobbitt (right halfback), Sydney Sadoff (fullback). The substitutes were: Don Baker, Harry Dunkle, Bill Faircloth, Sweet James and Leo Slotnick.

William & Mary vs. VPI

1 2 3 4 Total W&M 6 0 0 0 6 VPI 0 0 6 0 6 Date: October 14, 1939 Location: City Stadium Richmond, VA Game start: 2:30 p.m. Game attendance: 6,500

The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Rose.

The starting lineup for William & Mary was: Charles Gondak (left end), Hank Whitehouse (left tackle), Buster Ramsey (left guard), Rudolph Tucker (center), John Brodka (right guard), John Dillard (right tackle), Alphonse Chestnut (right end), Mervyn Simpson (quarterback), Lloyd Phillips (left halfback), Waldo Matthews (right halfback), Hollingsworth (fullback). The substitutes were: Burchfield, Jim Hickey and Jimmy Howard.

Centre at VPI

1 2 3 4 Total Centre 0 0 0 0 0 • VPI 14 0 7 7 28 Date: October 21, 1939 Location: Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA Game attendance: 3,500-4,000

VPI's 1939 homecoming game was a victory over the Centre Colonels.

Washington and Lee vs. VPI

1 2 3 4 Total • W&L 6 0 0 0 6 VPI 0 0 0 0 0 Date: October 28, 1939 Location: Lynchburg Municipal Stadium Lynchburg, VA Game start: 2:30 p.m. Game attendance: 10,000-12,000 Referee: Richard Carrington (UVA)

The game against Washington & Lee on October 28 was the first game played at Lynchburg Municipal Stadium.^{[36][37][38][39][40]}

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback).

The starting lineup for Washington & Lee was: Howard Dobbins (left end), Richard "Dick" Boisseau (left tackle), Stephen Hanasik (left guard), John "Jack" Mangan (center), James Lindsey (right guard), Kelley Litteral (right tackle), Courtney Wadlington (right end), Dan Justice (quarterback), Charles Didier (left halfback), Preston Brown (right halfback), Alfred "Junie" Bishop (fullback). The substitutes were: Francis Sugrue and Taylor Truehart.

Furman at VPI

1 2 3 4 Total Furman 0 0 0 7 7 • VPI 12 0 6 2 20 Date: November 4, 1939 Location: Miles Stadium Blacksburg, VA Game start: 2:30 p.m. Game attendance: 2,500 Game weather: "Snow-swept turf"

Before their match against Furman, VPI athletic director Monk Younger offered free tickets to the game to the first 13 people who brought him a black cat, in an effort to "slay the jinx that has denied Tech victory in two state games despite impressive yardage totals". The cats would then be released on the football field before the game.^[41]

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), John Henderson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), DeMuro (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Thomas.

The starting lineup for Furman was: Lloyd Coley (left end), Sam Fleming (left tackle), Hugh Wofford (left guard), Johnson Moore (center), Gates Barker (right guard), Hinson (right tackle), Ray Dorman (right end), C. V. Lipscomb (quarterback), Joe Jenkins (left halfback), Dan Martin (right halfback), Rhoten Shetley (fullback). The substitutes were: Brevil and Robert Fitzer.

VPI at Richmond

1 2 3 4 Total VPI 0 0 0 0 0 • Richmond 0 7 0 6 13 Date: November 11, 1939 Location: City Stadium Richmond, VA Game start: 2:30 p.m. Game attendance: 8,000

The starting lineup for VPI was: Clark (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Graves (left guard), Zydiak (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), Willson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Warriner (fullback). The substitutes were: Hudson.

The starting lineup for Richmond was: Bill Burge (left end), Harold McVay (left tackle), Joseph Mack (left guard), Ed Merrick (center), Bert Milling (right guard), David Robertson (right tackle), Dick Humbert (right end), William Fitzhugh (quarterback), Art Jones (left halfback), Alec Moore (right halfback), Stuart Hoskins (fullback). The substitutes were: Gordon ReMine.

VPI at Virginia

1 2 3 4 Total • VPI 6 0 0 7 13 UVA 0 0 0 0 0 Date: November 18, 1939 Location: Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA Game attendance: 8,000

The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Pitts (left tackle), Bill Tate (left guard), Streiff (center), Gosney (right guard), Coleman (right tackle), John Henderson (right end), Boswell (quarterback), Thomas (left halfback), Ellison (right halfback), Hudson (fullback). The substitutes were: Clark.

The starting lineup for Virginia was: James White (left end), Lee McLaughlin (left tackle), Herbert Winokur (left guard), Raymond Murden (center), John Sauerbeck (right guard), R. Walter Jones (right tackle), Nick Gianakos (right end), Mosby Cardozo (quarterback), Jim Gillette (left halfback), Sylvester O'Grince (right halfback), Leroy Neustedter (fullback).

VMI vs. VPI

1 2 3 4 Total • VMI 7 0 12 0 19 VPI 0 7 0 0 7 Date: November 23, 1939 Location: Maher Field Roanoke, VA Game start: 2:15 p.m. Game attendance: 20,000 Game weather: "Brisk"

Multiple VPI players were named to the Associated Press All-State Team. They were Gosney (First Team), Warriner (First Team), Coleman (Second Team), Pitts (Second Team), Tate (Honorable Mention) and Zydiak (Honorable Mention).^[42]

In December 1939, the VPI letterwinners chose linemen Jim Coleman and John Henderson as co-captains of the 1940 VPI Gobblers football team.^[43]

VPI 1939 roster
	Quarterbacks Dick Kern Samuel B. Rose, Jr. Guards Cecil Anderson Roland M. Cocker Woodrow Gosney Preston Graves Joseph Franklin Smith Bill Tate John Charles Wycoff Tackles Jim Coleman Frank L. DeBord, Jr. Charles Thomas McCurdy Dave Pitts (Capt.) Benjamin C. Tate Andrew Wellington Todd Ralph Travis Unterzuber		Centers Graham Buchanan Herbert Andrews Markle Frank Streiff Bill Zydiak Ends Gerald Clark John Henderson Lewis W. Kincaid Bob Lawson Dan Shawhan Louis Willson		Halfbacks William T. Barnes Phil DeMuro Sonny Ellison Willard Joseph Henderson William W. James Sherwood A. Roudabush Herbert Joseph Thomas Albert Crawford Traynham Garrett Ernest Taylor W. H. Trimble James Walter Woolwine Fullbacks I. Ward Boswell Rankin Hudson George Warriner

Twenty-two players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1939 VPI team.^[44]

Player	Hometown	Notes
Cecil Van Anderson	Andersonville, Virginia	World War II veteran (Major, Army Air Corps).
Irving Ward Boswell, Jr.	Arlington, Virginia
Graham Sullivan Buchanan, Jr.	Saltville, Virginia
Gerald Harley Clark	Bristol, Tennessee
James Emory Coleman	Fayetteville, West Virginia
Philip Galliano DeMuro	Passaic, New Jersey
Mathew Leslie "Sonny" Ellison	Beckley, West Virginia
H. Woodrow Gosney	Clarksburg, West Virginia
Robert Preston Graves	Salem, Virginia	World War II and Vietnam War veteran (Colonel, Army). Awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
John L. Henderson	Sevierville, Tennessee
Rankin McGuire Hudson	Sweetwater, Tennessee
Richard Davis Kern	Winchester, Virginia
J. Robert "Bob" Lawson	Cambria, Virginia
David Marion Pitts (Capt.)	Manassas, Virginia
Daniel Green Shawhan	Washington, D.C.	World War II veteran (Lieutenant Colonel, Army).
Frank Arthur Streiff	Savannah, Georgia	World War II veteran (Lieutenant commander, Navy).
William Lee "Bill" Tate	Pulaski, Virginia
Herbert Joseph Thomas	South Charleston, West Virginia	World War II veteran (Sergeant, Marines). Awarded the Medal of Honor.
W. H. Trimble
George Daniel Warriner	Montgomery County, Virginia	World War II veteran (Captain, Army). Awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Louis C. Willson	Blacksburg, Virginia
William Daniel Zydiak	Manville, New Jersey

• Head coach: Henry Redd
• Assistant coaches
  • Backfield coach: Herbert McEver
  • Line coach: Sumner D. Tilson
• Manager: John Harrington
• Freshman coaches
  • Freshman head coach: Red Laird
  • Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Willard D. Altman
  • Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Thomas A. Slusser