Hall of Fame
Colonel Elmer L. Keith graduated from Coe College with a physical education major in 1936. At Coe he was a 9-letterman, winning his coveted "C" monogram as a starter in football, track, and basketball. In football, he played blocking halfback and was coached by the legendary Moray Eby who led his Coe teams against opposition like Illinois, Wiscon- sin, Notre Dame, and Army. For every former athlete, there are memories that are never erased. For Elmer Keith, one of those games happened in his senior year when he ran the opening kick-off back 74 yards to set up Coe's first touchdown. That year the Kohawks tied for the championship and held four of their opponents scoreless. In basketball, Elmer Keith was frequently his team's high scorer with totals of 6 or 7 points in an era when 25 total points could usually win a game. In track, he was a member of a medley relay team that clipped five seconds off the Cedar Falls Relay's record as he ran the final one-half mile in two minutes flat. Elmer Keith was also a star baseball player in the Cedar Rapids M & J semi-pro baseball league, a league that featured players either on their way up to or down from the major leagues. After graduation from Coe, Elmer Keith became a teacher and coach at Wapello, Iowa, and entered the military service in 1941. Both in the military and in his career following, physical education and the coaching of sports was the major element in his career. His teammates describe Elmer Keith as a dedicated athlete, competitor, and teacher. For that reason they have nominated him to the Coe Athletic Hall of Fame, an honor accorded only to the very best. On their behalf, it is my pleasure to present this plaque, symbolic of his membership, to Elmer Keith, Coe College.
