View source for James Gentle

{{short description|American soccer player}}
{{for|the American statistician and author|James E. Gentle}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= James Gentle
| image = James Gentle.jpg
| fullname = James Cuthbert Gentle
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1904|7|21}}
| birth_place = [[Brookline, Massachusetts]], [[United States]]
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1986|5|22|1904|7|21}}
| death_place = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], [[United States]]
| height =
| currentclub  =
| clubnumber =
| position = [[Striker (association football)|Inside Forward]]
| youthyears1 = 1923–1926
| youthclubs1 = [[University of Pennsylvania]]
| years1 = 1925–1926
| years2 = 1926–
| clubs1 = [[Boston Soccer Club]]
| clubs2 = [[Philadelphia Field Club]]
| caps1 = 1
| goals1 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1934
| nationalteam1 = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1935–1940
| managerclubs1 = [[Haverford Fords men's soccer|Haverford Fords]]
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|soccer]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|3rd|[[1930 FIFA World Cup|1930 Uruguay]]|}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Field Hockey]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1932 Summer Olympics|1932 Los Angeles]] | [[Field hockey at the 1932 Summer Olympics|Team]]}}
}}

'''James Cuthbert Gentle''' (July 21, 1904 – May 22, 1986) was an American [[soccer]] striker, [[field hockey]] player, [[soldier]], and golfer.  He is a member of the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]].

==Youth==
Born outside [[Boston]] in [[Brookline, Massachusetts]], Gentle grew up in his hometown, attended [[Brookline High School]].  In 1922, he entered the [[University of Pennsylvania]] where he played football as a freshman.  He switched to soccer and track for his next three years at Penn, earning [[Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)|first team All American]] honors for soccer in 1924 and 1925.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.org/library/records/soccer/soccer_records_book/2000/mens_award_winners.pdf |title=NCAA Record Book |access-date=September 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930224343/http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/soccer/soccer_records_book/2000/mens_award_winners.pdf |archive-date=September 30, 2007|url-status=dead }}</ref>  Gentle graduated from the university's [[Wharton School]] with a [[bachelor's degree]] in economics in 1926.  Active in student government, Gentle was his class president and a member of the [[Mask and Wig]] and Varsity Club.

==Soccer==

===Player===
During his time at Penn, Gentle played one game, as an amateur, with the professional [[Boston Soccer Club]] of the [[American Soccer League (1921-1933)|American Soccer League]].  Following his graduation, Gentle signed with the [[Philadelphia Field Club]].  In 1930, Gentle was called into the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. national team]] for the [[1930 FIFA World Cup|1930 World Cup]].  Besides his duties as a striker, Gentle also acted as an interpreter for the American team and officials as he was the only person fluent in [[Spanish language|Spanish]].

===Coach===
In 1935, [[Haverford College]] hired Gentle to coach its men's soccer team.  Over six seasons, Gentle took Haverford to a 39-26-3 record and two [[Mid-American Conference]] titles.<ref>[http://165.82.1.36/athletics/soccerm/stats.php Haverford College coaches list]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In 1986, Gentle was inducted into the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Gentle - 1986 Inductee {{!}} National Soccer Hall of Fame |url=http://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/players/james-gentle.html |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=James Gentle - 1986 Inductee {{!}} National Soccer Hall of Fame |language=en}}</ref>

==Army==
Gentle joined the Army Reserves in 1931.  When the U.S. entered [[World War II]] Gentle was assigned to the '''36th Infantry regiment'''.  His unit was deployed to the European Theater where it fought at [[Salerno]], the mountains behind [[Monte Cassino]]. Another battle was fought at the [[Gari River]] in [[Italy]].  Finally he joined [[General Patton]]'s forces as they moved across [[Europe]] and into the [[Rhineland]]. At the end of the war, Gentle, now a major, was named U.S. trade and industry officer for the American zone of Germany.  He retired from the Army in 1956 in the rank of [[colonel]].

==Other sports==
Gentle was a member of the U.S. field hockey team which earned a [[bronze medal]] during [[Games of the X Olympiad|Olympic Games of 1932]] in [[Los Angeles]].

Later in life, Gentle became interested in [[golf]] and became a member of the '''International Team of the American Senior Golf Association'''. He died in 1986 in [[Philadelphia]].

==Insurance industry==
In 1931, in addition to joining Army Reserves, Gentle as began working at Mutual Life Insurance Company. In addition to his military duties and athletic interests, Gentle continued to work full-time in the insurance industry

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{sports links}}
* [https://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/players/james-gentle.html Profile at the National Soccer Hall of Fame]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080204151201/http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/people/1900s/gentle_jas_cuthbert.html University of Pennsylvania profile]

{{United States Squad 1930 World Cup}}
{{United States FH Squad 1932 Summer Olympics}}
{{National Soccer Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentle, James}}
[[Category:1930 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:American male golfers]]
[[Category:Golfers from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American male field hockey players]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:National Soccer Hall of Fame members]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in field hockey]]
[[Category:Penn Quakers men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Brookline, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American Soccer League (1921–1933) players]]
[[Category:Boston Soccer Club players]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Field Club players]]
[[Category:American soccer coaches]]
[[Category:Haverford Fords men's soccer coaches]]
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:United States Army colonels]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Brookline High School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]