James Philip Bower was an American baseball, football and ice hockey player and ice hockey coach. He led his alma mater Dartmouth through a difficult period at the beginning of the Great Depression.[1]

J. Philip Bower
Biographical details
Born(1894-10-22)October 22, 1894
Richmond, Virginia, USA
DiedJuly 12, 1975(1975-07-12) (aged 80)
Middlebury, Vermont, USA
Alma materMiddlebury College
Dartmouth College
Playing career
1918–1920Dartmouth football
1918–1921Dartmouth ice hockey
1919–1920Dartmouth baseball
Position(s)Quarterback/Defenseman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1924–1926Williams
1926–1933Dartmouth
Head coaching record
Overall58–50–6 (.535)
Accomplishments and honors
Records
Military career
Buried
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1917–1918

Career

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Originally from Virginia, Bower attended Worcester Academy for his secondary education where he was a letterman in baseball, football and ice hockey.[2] He later attended Middlebury College but suspended his studies after two years to enlist in the Army during World War I. After the war, Bower returned to college but this time did so at Dartmouth College. During his time in Hanover, Bower was a multi-sport star for the Greens, serving as the quarterback for the football team and a defenseman on the ice hockey team.

After graduating from Dartmouth in 1921,[3] Bower remained an active player on the ice in and around the Boston area. In 1924, he was hired as the third head coach for Williams and guided the team for two seasons. After a stellar sophomore campaign that saw the Ephs finish 12–5–1, Bower returned to his alma mater as the head coach for the Dartmouth hockey team. In his first year behind the Indians' bench he nearly led the program to its first championship, finishing in second only to Harvard. In 1929, he was also hired as an assistant professor by the university. A few solid but underwhelming seasons followed before the great depression hit and severely impacted the team. In the early 30's, Dartmouth was a shell of its former self and posted losing seasons every year. After going winless against Harvard and Yale for four consecutive seasons, Bower resigned from his post in 1933.[4]

Bower died in 1975 at the age of 80.

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Williams Ephs Independent (1924–1926)
1924–25 Williams 4–4–0
1925–26 Williams 12–5–1
Williams: 16–9–1
Dartmouth Indians Independent (1926–1933)
1926–27 Dartmouth 11–2–2
1927–28 Dartmouth 6–4–0
1928–29 Dartmouth 9–5–3
1929–30 Dartmouth 5–8–0
1930–31 Dartmouth 5–8–0
1931–32 Dartmouth 4–6–0
1932–33 Dartmouth 2–8–0
Dartmouth: 42–41–5
Total: 58–50–6

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "Dartmouth Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "J. P. Bower is Selected to Coach Hockey Team". The Williams Record. December 13, 1924. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Dartmouth 2009–10 Men's Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). Dartmouth Big Green. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "BOWER RESIGNS AS COACH.; Dartmouth Hockey Mentor Not to Return Next Year". The New York Times. March 11, 1933. Retrieved June 28, 2023.