eBay Watch: Tommy’s the BMOC (1939)

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98 headed right to the Yspi-Arbor bowl right after class

This eBay Watch takes a look at a 1939 photo of Heisman winner Tom Harmon.  Old 98 is seated in history class flanked by a few lovely co-eds.   It’s not clear why someone scribbled the lines on the photo.

The original owner saved the caption from somewhere the photo appeared on October 19, 1939.  The headline under the photo reads, “Higher Scorer, Good Scholar!” and offers that “Tommy knows all the answers on the football field and also does a pretty good job in the classroom.”

imagePerhaps adjectives like great! and excellent! were offered sparingly in 1939 but either way the caption writer didn’t have a lot of enthusiasm for Harmon’s studies.

That said, based on the gals flanked around him in history class, it looks like Harmon was more than “pretty good” with other activities around campus [wink, nudge].  Tommy’s luck with the ladies extended beyond Ann Arbor as years later he married actress Elyse Knox, a real knock-out of a dame:

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Knox and Harmon’s son Mark is of course well known for his role on CBS’ NCIS and his movie career.  The highlight?  Coincidently it was when the younger Harmon held court in the classroom like his old man….in 1987’s Summer School:

imageMr. Shoop, can I get your mom’s phone number?

The auction ends April 28th.

Related:
* eBay Watch: Old 98’s Son Faces Michigan, MSU
* eBay Watch: Harmon and Old Number..Six?

2 Comments

  • TrueBlueMan

    Those marks look like grease pencil. This picture looks like it was marked up for publication, possibly in a yearbook. It would be interestinh to find out if it made it.

  • rdlwolverine

    My mom was in a speech class with Harmon. Being a recent refugee from Nazi Austria, she had no idea who he was, other than the handsome guy who gave the best speeches.