Mack was my math teacher at Oakwood High School in Dayton, and was also a family friend. My Dad and Herb Harris, both doctors, did some weekend "patching up" when they played football in the late 20's with the old Dayton Triangles. When teaching, Mack had a story for every day, never the same one twice. He was a good friend with Woody Hayes. Mack had 50 yard line seats and a great reserved parking space at the "Shoe" thanks to Woody. Last time I saw Mack was at an OSU game, years ago.
By James “Rocky” Whalen
Born in Leipsic, Ohio, north of Lima, John Mack Hummon played only basketball and baseball at the local high school, which was too small to field a football team. Entering Wittenberg University in the fall of 1919, Hummon learned football in a hurry, lettering four years at end under Coach Ernie Godfrey, and in 1922 earning All-Ohio honors. He was a member of Kappa Phi Kappa fraternity, and won a total of 16 monograms in four sports before graduating from Wittenberg in 1923 with an A.B. degree. Mack also earned an A.M. degree from Wittenberg.
Hummon served as head football coach and mathematics instructor for two years at Dover High School before coming to Oakwood High School in Dayton in 1925. He had multiple responsibilities at first, becoming head coach of football, basketball and baseball in addition to teaching five math classes and monitoring a study hall. He found time on weekends to play three seasons (1926-1928) with the NFL’s Dayton Triangles. He later refereed area high school and college games and provided sportscasting.
In addition to serving as head football coach, 1925-1927, Hummon was Oakwood’s line coach the next 15 years until pressed into duty as head coach in 1943 after Edward Cook retired. He served as assistant principal and dean of boys, and continued teaching mathematics and coaching tennis until his retirement in 1965. Many of his netters advanced to Columbus, Barry McKay and Buzz Pierce winning state singles titles. Hummon married Wittenberg’s campus beauty queen, Mabel Tanner. The Hummons have one daughter, Courtney, and two grandsons.
Oakwood’s football stadium was renamed “Mack Hummon Stadium” in 1967 in his honor. Mack’s helmet and jersey are on display in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Other honors include his election to the Sam Andrews Educational Hall of Honor, Oakwood Kiwanis Man of the Year, Dayton Tennis Commission and the Ohio Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame, and in 1987 election to the Wittenberg Hall of Fame. Hummon died February 27, 1992 in Dayton.
