Leathernecks Help Dedicate Yost Field House (1923)

When people hear “Michigan played the Marines,” they assume it was a casual intramural base squad. It wasn’t. The Quantico Marines were a national powerhouse, essentially functioning as an elite, semi-professional traveling team of grown men, many of whom were rugged World War I veterans.

This bulletin is signed by Commandant John A. Lejeune himself. Lejeune used the football team as a massive public relations weapon to keep the Marine Corps relevant and well-funded in the peaceful 1920s. Sending 1,500 armed, uniformed Marines and their legendary band into Ann Arbor via a dedicated train was a calculated show of military pageantry.

The article mentions Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby (the former Michigan center from 1895). What it doesn’t mention is that at the exact moment he was sitting in the stands watching his alma mater play the Leathernecks, Denby was secretly drowning in the biggest political scandal of the century: The Teapot Dome Scandal.

Denby had recently signed over control of emergency naval oil reserves to the Department of the Interior, which secretly leased them to private oil companies for bribes. Within a few months of this game, Denby would be forced to resign in disgrace under threat of Senate impeachment.

And he wasn’t the only big name in the crowd. Look closely at who else showed up to witness the spectacle:

Automotive titan Henry Ford took a break from building his empire to watch the gridiron clash. The stands that day were a concentrated mix of military brass, industrial billionaires, and corrupt politicians.

But this is what really why this caught my attention.  The visit by the Marines coincided with the dedication of the newest super structure in college athletics—Yost Field House.

According to the Michigan Daily [via Robert Soderstrom’s The Big House]:

The Marines, 1500 strong, together with their famous band, made an inspiring sight as they entered the field house.  They marched in a column of squads the full length of the building in an aisle between the thousands of spectators seated in the stands and standing on either side.

Naturally The Bentley has some great photos, here’s one:

You can clearly see the Marines on either side of the seated attendees and the band up front.  It’s unconfirmed if the light shining through the windows is the grace of God.

Of course Yost addressed the crowd and didn’t disappoint.  He ended by delivering the following creed (also via The Big House):

I believe in the University of Michigan,
The maker of men,
And in the Michigan Spirit
Conceived in loyalty and democracy,
And in her traditions
Cherished by all her sons.
I believe in the spirit of service
To the University and all her activities.
All these I promise to uphold
To the best of my ability,
For the greatest of all universities, Michigan.
My heart is so full I cannot say more.

The hard-nosed Quantico Marines came to hit, but Yost’s 1923 squad was an absolute juggernaut. Led by dual-threat quarterback Harry Kipke, Michigan systematically dismantled the military men 26-6.

That victory wasn’t just a fun non-conference win; it preserved a flawless 8-0 season, secured Michigan the 1923 National Championship, and cemented Yost Field House’s opening day as arguably the most legendary Saturday in Ann Arbor history.