John Knowlton (1987) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

John Knowlton

Induction:
1987
Class:
1917

1914-17
Basketball/Football/Track
‘17

He was a teammate of such Hall of Famers as Park “Tumble” Crips (1977) and Leroy “Tommy” Tomkinson (1977) and brother of Art, also a 1977 Hall of Fame inductee. Between 1914-1917, John Knowlton earned eight letters in three sports—four in basketball and two each in football and track. Knowlton and Tomkinson helped Hall of Fame coach Fred Sefton establish a reputation as a basketball coaching great. Knowlton’s banner year came his senior season, 1916-17. As a team captain, John led UA to a 14-2 record, the school’s best record since beginning the sport in1901-02. Only two years in as a member of the Ohio Conference (OC), UA came within one game of winning the championship. The lone loss in 10 conference games went to Case Tech (28-11), the OC Champ, with Tomkinson on the bench with an injury. Knowlton’s efforts that resulted in such lopsided victories as 64-8 over Kent State, 55-11 over Baldwin Wallace and 46-13 over Ohio U, helped him earn All-OC honors at forward. A long-time employee in marketing at Standard Oil, Knowlton died November 1960.