Mutterspaugh - Emerson - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: 15 April 1991 Crawfordsville Journal-Review -- pg. 1

-- "Giant in athletics, education dies -- Emerson Mutterspaugh, 63, of 1409 Darlington Ave, a man who made education and athletics his life, died Sunday in St. Elizabeth Hospit al at Lafayette.  Mutterspaugh made his lasting mark on both education a nd athletics during his career in the North Montgomery School Corp.  Al Fike, assistant superintendent for the North school unit, said this morning, "Emerson was one of the most dedicated educators that I have had the privelege of knowing.  He was an outstanding teacher, coach and administrator. He exemplified those spiritual and human qualities that made him sta nd above the rest."  Fike worked with Mutterspaugh from 1963 until Mutterspaugh retired in 1978.  "He's been a close, personal friend for the past 28 years.  He will be missed by all of us and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family."  Another North educator, coach and now principal at Northride Middle School, Gren Lefebvre said, "I think Emerson was as well respected by students, parents and staff as any educator I've been around in the past 25 years. He was very interested in people, and more than being interested, he cared about them.  I think the bottom line was, he ran a tight ship.  This is something everyone remembers about him ."  The praise for Mutterspaugh also came from Bruce Whitehead, Crawfordsville athletic director and a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association's executive committee. "When I became AD at Crawfordsville in 1976, he was AD at North Montgomery and one of the people I turned to and leaned on was Emerson Mutterspaugh," Whitehead said.  "He was just super to me, as a young athletic administrator trying to keep my head above water.  He was quick to help and quick with his advice, and it was the kind of advice you would want to get and could use.  He's probably the reason I've stayed in athletic administration as long as I have.  My philosophy of athletic administration was modeled after his.  I had a great deal of respect for Emerson as an athletic administrator, as a person and a Christian.  He was a great role model for young people.  There wasn 't anyone any better at working with young people than Emerson," Whitehead said.  Chuck Kriston, the current athletic director at North, also praised Mutterspaugh and mourned his loss.  "It's a tragic loss for everyone.  He was one of the pioneers of the North Montgomery School Corporation and we're all going to miss him very much."  Kriston noted Mutterspaugh was the first athletic director for North, retiring in 1978 when Kriston took the post.  "He did a lot for me when I came in, not only as a teacher and a coach, but also when I took over  as athletic director.  He laid an unbelievable groundwork for the athletic department."  Kriston said the high school's most prestigious athletic award is named for Mutterspaugh and is awarded to a boy and girl each year who best fits the tradition Mutterspaugh set forth.  "He did an unbelievable amount of work for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, but that's the way Emerson was," Kriston said.  "Whatever he did he threw himself into totally.  He was extremely loyal and if he wasn't the biggest fan North Montgomery ever had, he certainly was one of the biggest."  C. Eugene Cato, commissioner for the I HS Athletic Association, was also saddened by the news of Mutterspaugh's death. "You will never hear anything but positive words about him from this office.  He has always been well-respected.  He served this assocation and the Hall of Fame very well.  He was always a strong supporter of the hall and was very active in its creation," Cato said.  Mutterspaugh served on the IHSAA Athletic Council from 1971-76 and was on the committee th at selected Ward Brown as commissioner in 1978 and the same board that appointed Cato assistant commissioner.  Mutterspaugh was a graduate of Middletown High School, received his bachelor of science degree from Anderson College and his master's degree from Purdue.  He had been a coach and teacher at Pendleton, Anderson, Highland, Linden and Darlington high schools a nd was principal at Waynetown.  He served as assistant principal and athletic director at North Montgomery High School.  Mr. Mutterspaugh had been a trustee at the First Baptist Church at Crawfordsville and had been employed recently by EBY-Brown at Indianapolis.  He was a charter member of the Basketball Hall of Fame where he had served as director and pa st president. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.  He was born Feb 29, 1928 at Markleville, Indiana to Thomas and Ruth Gibbons Muterspaugh.  He was first married to Mable Hicks, who died April 26, 1981.  He then married Louanna Cox on March 20, 1982.  She survives.  Also surviving are a son, Michael of Cloverdale; a daughter, Laura Hutson of Crawfordsville; three stepsons, Gary Cox of Lake Holiday, Mike Cox of Garfield and Scott Cox at home; two stepdaughters, Melinda Irby of Otterbein and Felisia O'Vold of Indianpolis; two brothers, Everet Muterspaugh of Anderson and Joan Sullivan of Merrillville; eight grandchildren; 12 stepgrandchildren; one great grandchild.  Two daughters and a sister are deceased.  Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday in the First Baptist Church with the Rev. James Ranard officiating.  Burial will be in Greenlawn cemetery at Darlington. Friends may call 4-9 p.m. Tuesday at the church.  Memorials may be made to the Mutterspaugh Scholarship Fund at North or at the Family Life Center at the First Bpatist Church. Burkhart Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Source: Muncie Star Press Tuesday 16 April 1991 p 14