George Roudebush was the quarterback of the famous 1914 Denison team that won the Ohio Conference title and became renowned for its execution of the newly-introduced forward pass.
He lettered in football in 1912-14 and threw the first forward pass in 1912 to fellow Hall of Famer Dave Reese. He also lettered in baseball, was team captain his senior year and earned three letters in tennis.
After graduation, he went on to play professional football with the Cincinnati Celtics and the Canton Bulldogs of the “Ohio League”. In 1916 while with Cincinnati, George scored the game-winning touchdown against Pine Village, snapping their 13-year unbeaten streak. He went on to play in 17 games spanning two seasons (1920-21) with the Dayton Triangles.
Roudebush also played professional basketball in Dayton during the 1920s and officiated college football and baseball games. In 1929, he and Harold Lowe won Cleveland’s tennis doubles championship.
George served as an infantry captain for the Army in World War I. He spent 18 months in France during the war.
Roudebush, an attorney and an emeritus member of the Denison Board of Trustees, was described as “the best passer in Ohio or any other state.” One sports writer insisted the 1914 team “has one of the strongest backfields ever.”
In 1974, George was named a trustee emeritus. He served as vice chairman of the trustee’s investment committee. Roudebush also served as head of the Board’s Finance Committee for over 20 years. He was also the first vice president of the board, a post he held for seven years.
