NEAL, Raymond Gaumey

Source: Covington Friend Wednesday November 30, 1977

Wingate—Raymond R. ‘Gaumey’ Neal, 80, of Greencastle, a former All-American football player and former resident of the Wingate community, died at 5 p.m. Friday in Putnam County Hospital at Greencastle.

Mr. Neal was a retired football coach and athletic director at DePauw University, a former Greencastle postmaster, a former Wabash College football player, and coach and former member of the Akron Pros and Hammond Pros of the old National Football League.

While in the professional ranks, he played against the immortal Jim Thorpe and Guy Lambeau. He was voted a college All-American for his performances while a member of the Washington-Jefferson College football squad. He played in the 1922 Rose Bowl game that pitted that squad against Southern California’s wonder team of former Purdue Coach Andy Smith.

Prior to attending Washington-Jefferson College, he had attended Wabash College and played football. He attended Mellott High School and graduated from Wingate High School in 1916, where he played basketball.

Mr. Neal was selected for membership in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

He coached at Wabash College fro Pete Vaughn in 1927-28. He began his grid assignment at DePauw in 1932 and continued there until 1946. He then took the post of athletic director for the school where he remained until retiring in 1954.

He was born in Mellott on November 1, 1897, a son of Clem and Laura Johnson Neal. He was married to Genevieve Cottrell of Wingate in 1919.

Surviving are his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Mark Pickel of Wingate and Mrs. Malcolm Jewell of Lexington, Ky.; a son, Robert Neal of San Diego, Calif.; a brother, Russell of Hillsboro, a sister, Eura Riley of Mellott; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.