Hall of Fame
Charlie Shields of Mechanicsburg, Class of 1949, was a standout lineman for the Red Raider football team and then enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an educator. The retired superintendent of schools in the Mechanicsburg School District, Shields played for four seasons and lettered in three of those years.
Shields entered Shippensburg University after graduating from Shippensburg High School in 1942. That fall the Red Raiders had a 2-4 overall record.
World War II was raging at the time and Shields entered military service and he served 34 months in the U.S. Army Air Force. He was stationed in North Africa and Italy as a ground crew member.
After the war Shields returned to Shippensburg and he lettered as a center on offense and linebacker on defense for the 1946 team that had a 2-4-2 record. In 1947 the Red Raiders improved to 5-2-1 and Shields was named first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
Shield captured more honors in 1948, his senior season. Shippensburg had a record of 5-3 but nearly knocked off the event PSAC champion, Bloomsburg. The Red Raiders only lost 13-7.
Shields was team co-captain and he repeated as an All-PSAC first team player. In addition he earned honorable mention on the Associated Press’ All-Pennsylvania team which included major college football powers. The All-Pennsylvania team only had first team and honorable mention selections. The first team pick that season was future NFL and College Football Hall of Fame member Chuck Bednarik of Penn. Shields is only one of a relative handful of Shippensburg football players who ever received All-Pennsylvania honors through the years.
Following graduation Shields accepted a position as a biology teacher in the Mechanicsburg School District. He taught for five years and then was an assistant high school principal from 1954 to 1957, junior high principal from 1957 to 1960 and then assistant superintendent from 1960 to 1964. For the next 22 years he was the superintendent of schools.
In addition to his duties as a teacher and administrator Shields was an assistant football coach at Mechanicsburg from 1949 to 1954.
Since his retirement Shields has been very active with community organizations.
