LaVern Dilweg | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | |||||||||
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's8th district | |||||||||
| In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Joshua L. Johns | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | John W. Byrnes | ||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | (1903-11-01)November 1, 1903 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | January 2, 1968(1968-01-02) (aged 64) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||
| Children | 3, includingGary | ||||||||
| Relatives | Anthony Dilweg (grandson) | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Marquette University Marquette University Law School | ||||||||
| Football career | |||||||||
| No. 70 | |||||||||
| Position | End | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Washington (WI) | ||||||||
| College | Marquette | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
LaVern Ralph "Lavvie" Dilweg (November 1, 1903 – January 2, 1968) was an American professionalfootball player,attorney, andU.S. Congressman fromWisconsin.[1][2][3][4]
Born and raised inMilwaukee, Dilweg attended its public schools and graduated fromWashington High School. He enrolled atMarquette University in Milwaukee and playedcollege football for theGolden Avalanche under head coachFrank Murray. A three-sport college athlete, he playedcenter on thebasketball team and was ashot putter on thetrack team.[5] Dilweg was anAll-Americanend, and played in the firstEast–West Shrine Game inSan Francisco in late 1925.[6][7] The Golden Avalanche had a record of 28–4–1 during Dilweg's four years.[8]
After two undergraduate years at Marquette, Dilweg had enrolled in theMU law school, and was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar in 1927.[9] While in law school in1926, he played professionally for theMilwaukee Badgers, anNFL team in its fifth year that folded before the end of the season.[10] While practicing law inGreen Bay, he continued to play pro football, he signed with theGreen Bay Packers in August1927[11] and played through the1934 season, with football in the morning and afternoons at the law office.[10] Dilweg was recognized as one of the best ends in the NFL during the late 1920s and early 1930s and the Packers won three consecutiveNFL championships in1929,1930, and1931. Dilweg was afootball official in theBig Ten Conference until his move toWashington, D.C. in early 1943.[12]
Dilweg played in 107 games (out of a possible total of 113) while starting 72 of them. Records are incomplete, but they show Dilweg having 12 touchdowns with 23 receptions on 443 yards. Considered the best all-around end in pro football prior toDon Hutson, Dilweg was named to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team, and is only one of two players on the list not in thePro Football Hall of Fame. He was named consensus All-Pro for five consecutive years, with four of those years being unanimous All-Pro. In 2005, he was named to theProfessional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's second HOVG class[13] and his candidacy for induction into the Professional Football Hall of Fame is one of four candidacies that the PFRA officially supports. In 1970, he was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[14]
DuringWorld War II, Dilweg was elected toCongress in1942 as aDemocrat from the8th district. He announced hiscandidacy in late July, less than four months before the election,[12] and defeated incumbentJoshua Johns. He served in the78th United States Congress (January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945), but was not re-elected in1944, defeated byJohn Byrnes, who went on to serve 28 years in the seat. Dilweg resumed the practice of law in Green Bay and Washington, and was confirmed as a member of theForeign Claims Settlement Commission in 1961, appointed by PresidentKennedy.
Ill for several months after surgery, Dilweg was on vacation with his wife inFlorida in early 1968 when he died inSt. Petersburg, where they had been visiting friends.[3][4][15] His death came just two days after the famousIce Bowl game at Green Bay on New Year's Eve. Dilweg is interred at the Fort Howard Cemetery in Green Bay.
Dilweg's wife,Eleanor Coleman Dilweg (1906–1978) was anOlympic swimmer from Milwaukee and a former world record holder.[16][17] They met at Marquette, married in 1927, and had three sons.[4] SonGary (b. 1937) graduated from theU.S. Naval Academy and served in theU.S. Marines, and later in theWisconsin legislature as aRepublican from Green Bay.[18][19][20]
GrandsonAnthony Dilweg was an NFL quarterback from 1989 to 1991, with the Packers andLos Angeles Raiders. He played college football atDuke under head coachSteve Spurrier.
Dilweg was an initiatedFreemason,Knight Templar andShriner.[21]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Kicking | Scoring | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | R/G | Y/G | XPM | IntTD | AllTD | ||
| 1926 | MIL | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1927 | GNB | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| 1928 | GNB | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1929 | GNB | 13 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
| 1930 | GNB | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| 1931 | GNB | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
| 1932 | GNB | 14 | 4 | 5 | 83 | 16.6 | 0 | .4 | 5.9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1933 | GNB | 11 | 6 | 13 | 225 | 17.3 | 0 | 1.2 | 20.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1934 | GNB | 12 | 2 | 5 | 135 | 27.0 | 39 | 2 | .4 | 11.3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career[22] | 107 | 72 | 23 | 443 | 19.3 | 39 | 12 | .6 | 12.0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's 8th congressional district January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | Succeeded by |
| 1st district |   | |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd district | ||
| 3rd district | ||
| 4th district | ||
| 5th district | ||
| 6th district | ||
| 7th district | ||
| 8th district | ||
| 9th district | ||
| 10th district | ||
| 11th district | ||
| Territory | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
