April 21, 2005
Cliff Montgomery '34, captain and one of the last surviving members of the 1934 Rose Bowl champion Columbia football team, died on the morning of April 21 at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. He was 94.
"Monty" led a remarkable life that saw him quarterback a Rose Bowl champion team, play in the National Football League, earn the Silver Star for saving the lives of 400 individuals in World War II, serve 25 years as a college official, earn a spot in the National Football Hall of Fame, meet seven United States presidents and appear in a "Got Milk?" advertisement.
His arrival at Columbia in 1930 coincided with that of famed coach Lou Little and Montgomery's teams lost just three times in his three varsity seasons. He concluded his collegiate career by earning the Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award on January 1, 1934 when Columbia staged what is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletic upsets of the 20th century as the 18-point underdog Lions shut out Stanford, 7-0, in Pasadena, Calif.
Also in 1934, he competed in the first collegiate All-Star football game, in which a collegiate all-star squad tied the NFL's Chicago Bears -- led by Red Grange -- 0-0.
Montgomery went on to play professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers for one year following graduation. He served in the Navy in World War II and attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He is credited with saving the lives of 400 sailors at Okinawa on April 6, 1945. The commander of a group of close-in fire support ships, he brought his flagship alongside a burning destroyer in rough seas to bring the sailors aboard before the destroyer exploded, according to the then-Secretary of the Navy. Montgomery was awarded the Silver Star for his actions.
Following his military service, Montgomery was a college football official for more than 25 years; he officiated five Army-Navy games, but never a Columbia game. He also coached local football teams on Long Island and was an advertising executive for McGraw-Hill before retiring in 1972.
In 1963, he was elected to the National Football Hall of Fame. He was chosen to Columbia Football's "Team of the Century" in 2000. Just 18 months ago, he was an honorary Lion captain for Columbia's 2003 Homecoming game in which the Lion team wore replica jerseys modeled after the 1933 team's uniform.
Montgomery met seven United States Presidents during his lifetime, starting with Calvin Coolidge.
Just yesterday, current head coach Bob Shoop and Lion quarterback Joe Winters had visited Montgomery at Winthrop Hospital.
A service will be held at St. Mary's Church in Roslyn Harbor, N.Y. on Monday, April 25 at 10 a.m., with the burial to take place afterward at Holy Rood Cemetery.
