Hall of Fame
Harold E. Wernimont ’24 Harold E. Wernimont was a much sought-after athlete after his noteworthy competitive record at Cedar Rapids Washington High School under Coach Leo Novak. “Buzz," as he was nicknamed, passed up a West Point appointment to stay at home in Cedar Rapids to help his family in their business, and he enrolled at Coe. He played football, basketball, and baseball. But it was in football that he won his lasting fame. He played end for the 1922 undefeated champions and he won all-state honors three times. In his senior year he was captain in both football and baseball. Perhaps the greatest tribute Buzz Wernimont received came from his coach, Moray Eby, who knew his playing skills better than anyone else. Eby named Wernimont captain of the team he picked as the all-time best among those men who played for him. After graduation, Harold Wernimont coached at Denison, Iowa, and earned his master's degree at Columbia University. He then coached at Riverside, Illinois, where he developed an outstanding intramural program, until his death in 1955. Buzz Wernimont exemplified the best that Coe has sought in her athletes of all eras. He was a stalwart competitor. He was a good scholar even with a busy schedule of work and sports. And he left behind many students who benefitted from his coaching skills. October 26, 1973
