Wilbur Hockensmith

Who was Wilbur Hockensmith?

Wilbur Darwin Hockensmith, Sr. was the head coach of the football team at the Western University of Pennsylvania, today known as the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, in 1901. On October 5, 1901, Hockensmith led the school to a victory over West Virginia University, a 12-0 shutout in Morgantown. This was Pitt's first victory in the Backyard Brawl. The team would also post a record 7 wins in 1901 under Hockensmith.

Hockensmith, who also played left guard for the university's football team, graduated from the Western University in 1901 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He later worked for his family's business, the Hockensmith Corporation, which ran a foundry in Irwin, Pennsylvania. Wilbur, his father and son all served as the company's presidents.