Feb 24, 1891, at Columbia Hall in Portland, 150 men met and discussed the popularity of the Portland Football (soccer) and Cricket Club.  "The 26" insisted that anyone joining the organization pay a $10 initiation fee while others did not.  With that disagreement, "The 26" drafted articles of incorporation, filed them in Salem and on Feb 26th the Multnomah Amateur Athletic Club was born.
 
Football, the newer version born from rugby was the impetus for forming the MAAC.  The first members of the football team known as "The 26" were: E.P. Dosch, Arthur B. McAlpin, C. Lewis, Manager T.S. Brooke, W.H. Chapin, W. Lipman, R. Green, W.A. Montgomery, J. Gavin, Jack Savage, R.L. Glisan, W.A. Holt, H. Fiske, W.L. Kendall, A.M. Ellsworth, C.E. McDonnell, and M. Brooke.

1891 Multnomah Winged M's

The lighter weight "juniors" won two games from Portland University under the direction of Schermerhorn.  White (HB), Whitehouse (HB) and DeFrance (FB) starred.  Against Vancouver, Morse (HB), Durham (HB), Honeyman (FB), Dalgleish (G), Daggett (QB) were the big playmakers.
 
Billy Laswell was the fastest 220 & 440 man in the Northwest and left the MAAC for the famed Copper Kings of Butte, Montana where he was the Top Player in the Northwest in 1896, but died in 1900 of pneumonia.
 
Joseph Harker Smith was regionally famed as "The Only Joe" because of his remarkable ability to deliver the goods.  He played baseball, football,  both rugby and intercollegiate, was football captain, ran track and was an expert billiards player and bowler.  Joe became coach for the 1896 season.
 
Arthur B. McAlpin, the man who spearheaded the formation of the MAAC was voted the first president in 1891, played football for the team until he was 37, tennis into his 80's and was one of the first 3 climbers to ascend Mount Hood.  His 90th birthday was celebrated throughout the city of Portland.  He died 6 months later.  In 1991 an award was named for McAlpin for extraordinary service and leadership. 
 
The football team would play other club teams, high schools, and colleges including the upstart Oregon Ag College (Oregon State) and Stanford, as well as numerous military teams throughout it's history.
 
Many football players for the MAAC would go on to compete in Olympic Games as well as set world records in various events like wrestling, swimming, and track and field.
 
Dec 21, 1895 - in the throes of controversy, the M's decided not to travel to play Seattle who was being accused of using professionally paid players and "buying" an official from the USS Philadelphia in a victory over Port Townsend, the win against Port Townsend eliminated them from playing Multnomah for the championship on Christmas Day which the Townsends eventually won 6-0.

Against the Salem team on New Years Day 1901, McMillian broke his collarbone, Bert Kerrigan broke a leg, and Seely and Cooper, both Stanford men were ineffective. 

"Doc" Woodruff was an All-American at Pennsylvania

George W. McMillian, longtime football king in Portland was elected President in 1907.

Dudley Clarke played for the Vancouver soldiers in the Nov 4, 1911 game prior to joining the MAAC.
 
Clarke accounted for a field goal and after-TD kick in the 9-0 win over Seattle.  Shaw scored the touchdown.
 
Ralph Dimick, lawyer and athlete played in an alumni game with Pacific University and was injured, developing pneumonia and dying Oct 23, 1911.

The 1912 team was believed to be the greatest ever to represent the MAAC.  It was then that the board decided to stop playing the Seattle AC and concentrate on trying to get big midwestern teams to come out in an effort to fill the stadium, something the games with Seattle were no longer doing.  Ted Ludlam and Earl "Rat" Rinehart announced their retirement following the 1913 New Years Day game.  Team captain Ralph J. "Speck" Hurlburt would be killed in World War I five years later.

E. Plowden Stott attempted to schedule a game with Notre Dame University in 1913 but could not get support from the Spokane AC.  Those trips for Notre Dame were only feasible if they could play multiple games during the long trip west.
 
Captain Walter Keck kicked two field goals to boost the MAAC to a 6-0 victory over his alma mater Oregon Ag College. (Oregon State).  The game was plagued by penalties for roughness and the college team had 2 players disqualified and Multnomah one.

As the 1915 season approached, All-Northwest players Johnny Parsons (HB), Anson Cornell (QB) and Royal Niles (FB) were announced as having joined the MAAC.  Grover Francis bolted 90-yards on Sep 25 against Oregon in the first few seconds after kickoff of a 13-7 win.
 
On Oct 7, 1916 the Winged M's pulled off a double-header victory beating Columbia and Pacific Colleges in the back-to-back affair.
 
"Red" Rupert, last year captain of the club, coached the School of Commerce and Oregon City Athletic Club teams.

Eugene "Gene" Murphy was captain of the 1916 Notre Dame freshman team.
L.C. Dressler would help coach the Pacific Athletic Club with Walt Lutge and Rollie Jones going to play as well after a many of the club players enlisted and the season ended Nov 25.
 
Tom Louttit single-handedly kept the Camp Lewis game from becoming a rout in a 10-3 loss with his strong defensive line play.

Elijah Worsham, former Winged-M and Camp Lewis 91st Soldier was killed in World War I.
 
 
The final curtain was drawn in 1926 when interest and participation had started to slip.  Blow outs to Oregon Agricultural College and Gonzaga forced the hand of Hal. H. Rasch who announced on Oct 20 that the team would disband and cancel games with West Seattle and the Olympic Club of San Francisco.

William H. Jordan starred with MAAC until serving in the military where he returned with the Camp Lewis Ninth Army in 1921 as a Lt. Col. taking over the 59th Infantry post in Vancouver.
 
1921: E. Plowden Stott was selected as umpire of the Multnomah - University of Oregon game.
 
Bill Steers was the hero against the Pacific Fleet team, running for a TD, kicking the PAT and nailing a 15-yard drop kick for all 10 points.  The upset loss suffered by the San Francisco-based Fleet team all but ended any talk of a Bowl Game against Penn State.  Against Whitman, Steers passed for a TD, kicked the PAT, drop kicked a 43yard FG and 47yd FG in a 13-6 win.  Steers, five years earlier toured the Northwest with the 1918 Mare Island Marines starring with his dropkicks as the leathernecks routed Camp Lewis, Bremerton and Idaho.
 
Steers would be called upon to referee the Portland City Championship of 160-pounders pitting St. Johns against Arleta.

GREATER NORTHWEST FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS - MULTNOMAH WINGED M'S
George McMillan			Martin Pratt				E.Plowden Stott
1898 - 1911			1896 - 1915				1901 - 1913

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