Elmer “Butch” Todd
Athlete
Class of 1933
Football, Basketball, Track
Elmer “Butch” Todd earned three letters each in football, basketball and track, a formidable teat in that he only had three years of eligibility at McKendree. The star halfback captained the 1932 football team that won the Kittle Nineteen Conference championship with a won-lost recored of 9 and 1. The team’s success under Todd’s leadership earned him selection by the Associated Press to the 1932 All-Conference team. He had received an Honorable Mention in the preceding year when he led the conference in scoring.
A crafty guard, Todd was best known for his defensive skills. He was usually assigned to shut down the leading scorer for the opposing team, a task he handled well for the Bearcats. As a tribute to his ability and leadership, the team name him captain his senior year, although he had but one semester of eligibility remaining.
Todd participated I both track and field events on the track team and was consistent in scoring points in both areas. His final year he accounted for 37 points in only six meets. In 1930, he was a member of the 880-yard relay team, which the school record of one minute and 35 seconds.
Todd served in the Army in World War II and worked as athletic director at the Illinois State Penitentiary in Joliet, Illinois, for many years.
