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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 10-4-40 |
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Our Great Loss |
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| Eugene B. Grattan, San Jose State College wrestling coach and prominent local attorney, died yesterday morning
in the King City hospital of injuries sustained in an auto accident near there. Mrs. Grattan and Mr. and Mrs. Forrest
G. Murdock, parents of student body vice-president Stanley Murdock, were injured in the same collision. The party was being driven by Mr. Murdock, San Jose High School principal and president of the Kiwanis Club, to the Kiwanis convention at Santa Barbara. The crash occurred at 8:40 am when the Murdock car was sideswiped by an automobile coming the opposite direction and attempting to pass a tow truck near the crest of a knoll. Mr. Grattan died two hours later of a fractured skull. Mr. Grattan, who was to have become president of the club next year, and Murdock had attended a meeting of the Kiwanis board of directors Wednesday night and left early yesterday morning enroute to the convention in Santa Barbara. Commenting on the death of Mr. Grattan, Dr. T. W. MacQuarrie, college president, said, "This community has lost an outstanding citizen. He was a real friend of the college." Beginning in 1935, Mr. Grattan coached the SJS wrestling team and under his tutelage, the Spartans turned out several championship teams, including the PCI championship in 1939. He was not on the college payroll, but donated his time in starting the mat sport at SJS. During his college days at the University of Iowa, he was an outstanding wrestler, winning the intercollegiate title during his senior year. He was considered an outstanding mentor by rival coaches who expressed much respect for Spartan wrestling teams. Wrestling stars produced by Grattan were man and during his five year coaching career here, he produced a long list of individual champions. In 1938 he ran for district attorney of Santa Clara county, being defeated by only a small number of votes. Funeral services will be held in San Jose, but no time has been set as yet. |
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