NORMAN JOSEPH DANIELS

Norman Joseph Daniels, professor of athletics, emeritus, died May 11, 2009. He was 102 years old. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, where he was a nine-letter athlete and earned All-American recognition in both basketball and football. He came to Wesleyan in 1934, after two years of teaching and coaching at Hillsdale High School in Michigan. Along with his baseball coaching duties, he also taught classes in aircraft engines and meteorology at the Wesleyan Naval Pre-Flight School throughout World War II. After the war, he was appointed head football coach and led the Cardinal Gridders for 18 years. In his first three seasons, 1946–48, the team had a perfect unbeaten record. During his 39 years at Wesleyan he spent time coaching nearly every sport, until his retirement in 1973. His baseball clubs compiled 247 victories, which included eight “Little Three” titles. His basketball record, 1945–47 was 18 and 8. In eight years as a wrestler mentor, his teams won three “Little Three” championships. Daniels was a member of the American Football Coaches Association, the NCAA Rules Committee, The American Baseball Coaches Association, and the New England Baseball Coaches Association. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, and in 1948 received the Gold Key Award, presented by the Connecticut Sport Writers’ Association. He was inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1994 and was inducted into the Wesleyan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Okla (Climie) Daniels, he is survived by a daughter, a son, 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.