COFALL, STANLEY B. (5 May 1894-21 Sept. 1961) outstanding football player and manager, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Fred and Ida Bingham Cofall. He played football at East Technical High School in 1910, then moved to East High School where he became all-scholastic in football and hockey. Cofall attended Notre Dame where he played halfback and was named to several All-America teams in 1916. After graduation he played and coached the Massillon Tigers professional football team in 1917, and served in WORLD WAR I 1918-1919. Cofall organized the Cleveland Indians football team in 1919, and the following year he and owner James O'Donnell attended the Canton, Ohio, meeting where the American Professional Football Association (forerunner of the the National Football league) was organized, with Cofall as league vice president. Later, Cofall coached various professional and college teams, returning to Cleveland in the early 1930s. He founded Stanco OIl Co. in 1935 which merged with the National Solvent Corporation, manufacturer of greases and oils, in 1937 with Cofall as president-treasurer. Active in the Cleveland sports scene, he helped bring the Notre Dame-Navy football game to Cleveland in 1942, was a founder of the Cleveland Touchdown Club, and served as chairman of the Cleveland Boxing Commission.
Cofall was married to Irene Held, and they had three children, Jack, Stanley Jr., and Mrs. Blossom Cummings. After their divorce in 1953, he and his second wife, Louise, moved to Peninsula, Ohio. Cofall died at home and was buried at Union Cemetery in Peninsula.
Last Modified: 10 Jul 1997 05:11:05 PM- Related Article(s)