RIP: Red Littler

[dj]

http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/T ... at_89.html

b. 15 Dec 1918; d. 2 Sept 2008.
Mitchell HS (Neb.) 9.6yw '37

Littler's competitive career at Nebraska:

100m
39f: 2)AAU Jr (c10.6)

200m
39f: 1)AAU Jr (21.5)

440y
40s: 47.3; 2)NCAA (47.3), 1)Big 6 (47.9), 1)Big 6 Indoor (51.8)
41j: 46.9; 4)NCAA (46.9)

[PDJ551]

Red Littler

I wasn't coached by Red Littler, but as an athlete I ran against his kids and later as a coach I came into contact with him as he was very much in the track scene as a meet director. He was quite colorful. As an athlete I remember that his kids were tough competitors. When you look at the times that he ran in the Pre World War II era, you have to be impressed. He was breaking 47 on dirt tracks. He played football at Nebraska as well. At his retirement dinner he got up and spoke about his early years. He didn't emphasize his own success at all. He just told his story which was compelling. Pearl Harbor was attacked in his senior year in college. He told of the entire football team marching down to the Marine recruiter the next day. The recruiter told the seniors to head back to campus because the war would not end by June and they wanted as many college graduates that they could get. The rest of the team was processed. Later Red went into aviation. I thought he was a Marine, but the obituary said Navy. After the war he returned to Nebraska where he coached football. He was elected President of the Nebraska Football Coaches association a couple of years later. Quite impressive for a young man. He was recalled to duty during the Korean War. That was what brought him East and eventually to Tenafly. I liked him. He was a character. However, if he didn't like you, you were in trouble. Fortunately he liked me. I always felt because he and my father were friendly, and they shared the same corny jokes. Anyway he was tough and helped a lot of kids in the years that he was at Tenafly.