View source for James Corson

{{short description|American track and field athlete and coach, college football player and coach, and educator}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = James Corson
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1906|1|14}}
| birth_place = [[Indiana]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1981|11|12|1905|1|14}}
| death_place = [[Burlingame, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_sport1 = Football
| player_years2 = {{Circa|1925}}
| player_team2 = [[Pacific Tigers football|Pacific (CA)]]
| player_sport3 = Track
| player_years4 = c. 1925
| player_team4 = [[Pacific Tigers track and field|Pacific (CA)]]
| player_positions = [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Tackle]] (football)
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1927–1928
| coach_team2 = [[Modesto Pirates football|Modesto]] (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1937
| coach_team3 = [[San Joaquin Delta Mustangs football|Stockton]]
| coach_sport4 = Track
| coach_years5 = 1927–1929
| coach_team5 = [[Modesto Pirates|Modesto]] (assistant)
| coach_years6 = 1929–?
| coach_team6 = [[Pacific Tigers track and field|Pacific (CA)]]
| overall_record = 
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry |the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalBronze| [[1928 Summer Olympics|1928 Amsterdam]] | [[Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw|Discus throw]]}}
}}

'''James Hunt Corson''' (January 14, 1906 – November 12, 1981) was an American [[track and field]] athlete and coach, [[college football]] player and coach, and educator. He competed for the United States in the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] held in [[Amsterdam]] in the [[discus throw]], winning the bronze medal.<ref name=USColympians>[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/genrel/auto_pdf/uscolympians.pdf USC Olympians: 1904-2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916190511/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/genrel/auto_pdf/uscolympians.pdf |date=September 16, 2018 }}, USC Trojans Athletic Department, Accessed August 26, 2008.</ref>

Born in 1906, Corson grew up in [[Modesto, California]]. He earned his bachelor's degree from the College of the Pacific—now known as [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of Pacific]]—in [[Stockton, California]], where he was a [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|tackle]] on the [[Pacific Tigers football]] team. He also lettered in track at Pacific. In 1927, Corson went to [[Modesto Junior College]] as an assistant coach in football and track. He turned to the College of the Pacific in 1929 as varsity track coach and assistant dean of men.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Miss Dorothy Hoover Weds James Corson At Impressive service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee/147518899/ |newspaper=[[The Modesto Bee]] |location=[[Modesto, California]] |date=August 23, 1929 |page=4 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref>

Corson received a master's degree from the [[University of Southern California]] (USC) and was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from his alma mater.

Corson coached the football team at Stockton Junior College—now known as [[San Joaquin Delta College]]—in 1937.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Stockton Jaysee Gridders Start Schedule Friday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/stockton-evening-and-sunday-record/147517630/ |newspaper=[[The Record (Stockton, California)|Stockton Record]] |location=[[Stockton, California]] |date=September 18, 1937 |page=32 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref> He was the superintendent of Modesto's schools from 1947 to 1960. He served as interim president of [[Willamette University]] in 1972–73.<ref name=Willametteolympians>[http://blog.willamette.edu/events/symmonds/2008/08/new_entry.php Willamette Olympians] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326125502/http://blog.willamette.edu/events/symmonds/2008/08/new_entry.php |date=March 26, 2012 }}, Willamette University, Accessed April 3, 2009.</ref>

Corson died on November 12, 1981, at a hospital in [[Burlingame, California]]. He had suffered a stroke in April of that year and was in declining health before his death.<ref>{{cite news |last=Youmans |first=Fred |title=Educator Corson dies at 75 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee/147518117/ |newspaper=[[The Modesto Bee]] |location=[[Modesto, California]] |date=November 13, 1981 |page=15 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://library.willamette.edu/archives/history/presidents/corson/ Willamette profile]
* {{Find a Grave|38744814}}

{{San Joaquin Delta Mustangs football coach navbox}}
{{Pacific Tigers athletic director navbox}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1928 Summer Olympics}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Corson, James}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American academics]]
[[Category:American male discus throwers]]
[[Category:American football tackles]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Junior college track and field coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Modesto Pirates football coaches]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers athletic directors]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers track and field coaches]]
[[Category:Pacific Tigers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Presidents of Willamette University]]
[[Category:San Joaquin Delta Mustangs football coaches]]
[[Category:School superintendents in California]]
[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Modesto, California]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from California]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from California]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]


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