Cleveland Abbott

Hired by Booker T. Washington in 1913 to be the Tuskegee Institute football coach and dairy instructor upon 1916 SDSC graduation.

He joined the US Army in 1917 at Camp Dodge and served in Europe in World War I as an officer in the 366th Infantry Regiment After mustered out in 1919, Abbott taught at the Kansas Vocational School in Topeka, Kansas.

In 1923, Abbott accepted a position as Athletic Director, professor and coach at Tuskegee.

Abbott earned the respect of his peers through his team's performance and by participating in national committees for the selection of "all-American" players at the collegiate level.

Cleveland Abbott was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in September 2018.

Officers of the United States Army's segregated 366th Infantry Regiment on board the RMS Aquitania , en route home from World War I service, Abbott at left