Hall of Fame
John “Jack” Sweeney earned 12 letters in four sports at Shippensburg. He was a four-year starter in football and basketball, lettered three years in track and one year in tennis.
Sweeney made his biggest impact in the sport of football, leading the team in rushing all four years. As a freshman halfback in coach Ed Gulian’s single wing attack, Sweeney helped Shippensburg compile a 5-2 record overall. That was quite an improvement from the year before when the team was 1-6. Sweeney led the team in scoring with three touchdowns.
In 1935, Sweeney helped Shippensburg win the Pennsylvania Conference championship with a 7-1 record. Sweeney and teammate John Bay, who is also a member of the Shippensburg Hall of Fame, led the team in touchdowns with seven each.
Shippensburg won seven games in a row in 1936 but lost the season finale 9-7 to Lock Haven. The loss cost the Red Raiders another conference title. Sweeney led the team in scoring with seven touchdowns.
In 1937, his senior season, Sweeney again led the team in scoring with five touchdowns as the Red Raiders compiled a 5-1-2 overall record. Among his touchdowns was a 70-yard punt return against Bloomsburg. Again Shippensburg came close to winning the conference title but a 7-7 tie to Indiana and a scoreless tie to Lock Haven knocked the team out of first place.
In four years on the team Sweeney scored 22 touchdowns. The Red Raiders won 24 games, lost five and tied twice. Defensively Shippensburg shut out the opposition 21 times in four years, including six shutouts in each of Sweeney’s last four years.
Sweeney started at forward in basketball. He led the team in scoring three years in a row. In 1938, as a senior, he led the team with an average of 11.9 points per game. He had a career high 21 points against Lock Haven.
In track and field, Sweeney was a conference place winner in 1937 in the 220-yard low hurdles, taking third place. In 1938 he played at number one singles on the tennis team.
While busy with academics and athletics, Sweeney also found time to be active in dramatics. He also was a class officer and a member of the Phi Sigma Chi honorary fraternity.
Following graduation Sweeney was a teacher, and coach, and was safety supervisor for Bethlehem Steel for 25 years. During World War II he was a Navy transport pilot.
