Hall of Fame
Leigh H. Ladd is the first man to be inducted into the Coe College Athletic Hall of Fame who has thrown a one-hit shutout against Coe in baseball; who was a football tackle and at the same time his team's leading rusher; and a man who scored two touchdowns as his team defeated Coe 47-6. These unusual circumstances come about because the late Leigh Ladd was unquestionably the finest athlete ever to play for Leander Clark College of Toledo, Iowa, an institution that was merged with Coe College in 1919. At that time Leander Clark alumni became alumni of Coe. In the case of Leigh Ladd, he was officially awarded the Coe "C" in a special resolution by the Coe Athletic Board in 1941. Leigh Ladd, Leander Clark Class of 1914, was an outstanding football, basketball, and baseball player at his institution. In football his regular position was tackle, but he led his team's offense at halfback. Any time Clark needed yardage Ladd moved into the backfield and even with the whole defense keyed against him, he was his team's high scorer. He was named to the All-State team at tackle rather than halfback only because that's the position where he started each game. Leigh Ladd built an enviable career as a coach, principal and superintendent at several Iowa high schools. For more than fifteen years he was associated with the State Juvenile Home in Toledo, Iowa, as a business manager, basketball, baseball and track coach and for a number of years as superintendent. Mr. Ladd died in 1958. Leigh Ladd was able to wear both the "C" from Clark College and the "C" from Coe College with honor. Thus, it is appropriate that the merged athletic traditions of the two institutions be properly acknowledged through the induction of Leigh H. Ladd posthumously into the Coe College Athletic Hall of Fame.
