Walter Livingston was athletic director at Denison from 1911 to 1952.
He was the first Denison athlete to win 12 varsity letters in three sports. “Livy” lettered each of his four years at Denison in the only organized sports at that time: football, baseball and basketball.
A native of Piqua, Ohio, Livingston captained the basketball team as a center in his sophomore and junior years, and the football teams in his junior and senior years. He usually played fullback on offense and tackle on defense. In his first intercollegiate basketball game, Livingston tallied a school-record 56 points, an unprecedented feat in 1905 when scores of basketball games were in the low 10’s and 20’s. During his senior year in high school, Livingston played on the state high school basketball championship team.
Walter was director of the Newark YMCA and coached at Newark High School for two years after receiving his B.S. degree from Denison in 1909. He then returned to Denison as athletic director and coached the college’s track (1912-51), basketball (1911-36), and football (1911-26) teams. He also coached 15 Denison baseball teams.
Livingston’s basketball teams won five Ohio Conference championships. In 25 years, he posted a 226-132 record and is a member of the OAC’s “Century Club for men’s basketball. In 1913-14, Walter coached the Big Red to a program-best 15-1 record, which included a record 11-game winning streak. In 16 seasons as DU head football coach, Livingston went 75-42-12. His 1914 football team won the Ohio Conference crown.
Livingston retired from Denison in 1952, holding the mark of professor-emeritus of physical education, and received an honorary doctor of science degree from the college. The former president of the American College Physical Education Association was honored twice more by his alma mater. The annual Livingston Relays were named in his honor in 1954 and the main portion of the physical education center was named Livingston Gymnasium three years later.
Livingston, a former Granville village councilman, was the local chief air raid warden in World War II.
