A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On March 31, 1931, Notre Dame college football coach Knute Rockne, 43, was killed in the crash of a TWA plane near Bazaar, Kansas.
On that fateful morning, Rockne boarded Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 599, headed to Los Angeles to participate in the movie production of “The Spirit of Notre Dame.” The weather was stormy.
But according to historical accounts, the plane went down a few miles west of Bazaar, killing Rockne and the other seven on board. After leading Notre Dame to back-to-back national championships, Rockne’s death devastated the university community and shook the United States, with President Herbert Hoover declaring it “a national loss.”
The accident dominated the Deseret News for several days.
The hazards of airline travel in America more than 90 years ago was well-known. But this accident forced the Department of Commerce’s new Committee on Aviation Safety to lead an investigation into questions of safety of airline transports. The response to the crash of the F-10A transport that killed Rockne was to ground all the planes and carefully examine the wings for defects.
Rockne was know for his fiery style, instilling unparalleled spirit and enthusiasm. From 1918 to 1930, Rockne’s Notre Dame elevens were the toast of national gridirons, running to a 105-12-5 record.
According to the many tributes, “Rockne’s electric personality and the stylish play of his teams captured public imagination during the ‘Golden Age’ of sports in the Roaring Twenties. Five times, his clubs went undefeated as he perfected such maneuvers as the Notre Dame Shift and guided legendary athletes George Gipp, Hunk Anderson, Rip Miller, and of course, the Four Horsemen — Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden.
He was also known for his pre-game and halftime speeches.
Rockne’s legacy
Several years after Rockne’s death, a young Ronald Reagan played George Gipp in the 1940s movie “Knute Rockne, All American. Pat O’Brien stared as Rockne in the biographical film. Many referred to Reagan as the Gipper.
His grandson, Knute Rockne III, has taught school and coached football in Utah for many years.
Both the BYU and Utah football teams have played at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about Rockne, his tragic death, ties to Utah and how the coach is remembered:
“Nostalgia thick on tour of Notre Dame football sites”
“Rockne wouldn’t recognize recruiting today”
“Famed Knute not above telling it like it wasn’t to inspire team”
“Knute Rockne III; Famous name has brought him fame and frustration”
“Rockne alive and coaching in Utah”
“Melinkovich joins 3 others as Utah sports inductees”
“The Gipper lives on in form of alter ego: Ronald Reagan”
“George F. Will: Consider some curiosities of the sports-academia complex”
