John W. Hollister

Who was John W. Hollister?

John Willis Hollister was an American football player and coach in the United States.

Hollister was born in North Pawlet, Vermont in 1869, the son of F. S. Hollister, "a traveling agent," and Julia L. Hollister. Hollister attended Middlebury College from 1889 to 1890 and received a bachelor of arts degree from Williams College in 1893. At Williams, he played football and baseball and "received high praise as an all-around athlete." He subsequently attended the Law Department of the University of Michigan from 1893 to 1896. While attending law school, Hollister played halfback for the 1893 and 1895 Michigan Wolverines football teams.

In the fall of 1894, Hollister took time off from his legal studies to accept a position as physical director and football coach at Beloit College. An account from the Beloit College Hall of Honor, to which Hollister was posthumously inducted in 1980, notes: "In 1894, Beloit alumni interested in seeing the athletic program expand provided funds to hire a coach for one year. The subsequent appointment of John Hollister as the first physical training instructor and coach began a rich athletic tradition at the College."