Schommer, John J.
Basketball
b. Jan. 19, 1884, Chicago, IL
d. Jan 11, 1960, Chicago
The first athlete to win twelve letters at the University of Chicago, Schommer participated in track and field and played end for football teams that won Western Conference (now Big Ten) championships in 1905, 1907, and 1908.
But basketball was his best sport. A 6-foot-1 center, he led the conference in scoring three straight seasons, from 1906-07 through 1908-09, and once scored 15 field goals in a game, an astounding feat in an era when two teams combined often didn't score that many. In 1908, Schommer threw in a desperation 80-foot shot with time running out to defeat the University of Pennsylvania. Chicago lost only four basketball games during his four years as a starter.
Schommer coached basketball at the school in 1910-11 while doing graduate work. In 1912, he became a professor, coach, and athletic director at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also served as a basketball and football official for many years, handling NFL games from 1942 through 1944.