W. Henry Hatch (June 13, 1900 – April 4, 1964) was the equipment manager for the University of Michigan varsity sports programs for 43 years from 1921 to 1964.

Hatch is responsible for the tradition of retiring Michigan Wolverines football jerseys and is part of the lore of the Little Brown Jug.

[1] He served under seven head football coaches, including Yost, Harry Kipke, Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan.

[3] He worked out of the equipment room at Yost Arena[4] and lived with his wife and daughter in a house on the grounds of Michigan Stadium.

Wistert's older brothers, Francis "Whitey" and Alvin, had also played for Michigan, and had been All-Americans wearing the No.

One newspaper reported: "Ol' 98 will be folded carefully and laid away to rest in the Michigan Niche of Fame.

As Michigan's equipment manager, Hatch played a role in the early history of the Little Brown Jug, one of the most famous trophies in college athletics.

Hatch recalled, "When Minnesota made such a fuss about getting it back, I started looking around and found it behind a clump of shrubbery near the gym.

[13] Hatch died at his Ann Arbor, Michigan home in April 1964 of a heart attack, the day after being released from the hospital for surgery on an intestinal ailment.

The award is named after Henry Hatch and his successor, Jon Falk, and provides a full tuition grant to the current Senior Manager.

The Award refers to Hatch as the "legendary Equipment Manager in the early years of Michigan Athletics.