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Draft:Moe Rubenstein

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Moe Rubenstein
Born
Maurice Rubenstein

(1905-03-16)March 16, 1905
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 3, 2001(2001-02-03) (aged 95)
Seminole, Florida, U.S.
Alma materGeneva College
OccupationsHigh school football, basketball and baseball coach, athletic director, teacher
Known forLongtime coach and athletic director at Ambridge High School
SpouseSally Walters
ChildrenArlene

Maurice "Moe" Rubenstein (March 16, 1905 – February 3, 2001) was an American high school football, basketball and baseball coach, athletic director, and teacher at Ambridge High School in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He coached Ambridge football from 1929 through 1950. His Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obituary reported a career record of 146–32–10. His teams never had a losing season.[1]

He coached Ambridge basketball from 1929 through 1946 and compiled a record of 260–99–1 with six section titles. His baseball teams won two sectional championships.[2]

Rubenstein was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, the Pittsburgh Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame. He received the Geneva College Distinguished Service Award. In 1977, Ambridge High School renamed its football stadium "Moe Rubenstein Stadium".[3]

Rubenstein is credited with helping numerous high school athletes obtain college scholarships.[4]

He married Sally Walters on August 18, 1929. His wife later owned the Stork's Nest Children's Clothing Store on Merchant Avenue in Ambridge. They had one child, Arlene.[5]

Early life

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Rubenstein was born on March 16, 1905, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Lazar and Annie Rubenstein. Lazar was an immigrant from the Ukrainian village of Pliskov and worked as a carpenter.[6] As one of the original settlers from Pliskov around 1900, Lazar Rubenstein invited fellow villagers to come to Pittsburgh, where they stayed in the Rubenstein home until they found housing elsewhere. As a result of the Rubensteins' efforts, Pittsburgh subsequently had a large colony of families who immigrated from Pliskov.[7]

Rubenstein grew up in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and attended the now-defunct Fifth Avenue High School. He graduated high school having won nine letters and was named All-City in three different sports: baseball, basketball and football.[8]

Rubenstein attended Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.[9] During his senior year, he was captain of the basketball and baseball teams. He did not letter in football. He graduated from Geneva College in 1928.[9]

Coaching career

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Upon graduation from college, Rubenstein was hired at Ambridge High School as head basketball coach and assistant football coach. He was named head football coach in 1929.

Rubenstein coached football until 1950. His football teams won a WPIAL title in 1932. He also coached basketball from 1929 to 1946, compiling a record of 260–99–1 with six section titles, and his baseball teams won two sectional championships.[2] He had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian who never used profanity and required that his players maintain good grades.[10] In 19 years of coaching basketball, he was never assessed a technical foul.[4]

Rubenstein is credited with helping numerous high school athletes obtain college scholarships, including players from neighboring schools. He contacted University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant to recommend Beaver Falls High School quarterback Joe Namath, who went on to star at Alabama and for the NFL's New York Jets.[10]

Several of Rubenstein's players had notable careers in football. John Michelosen, after playing quarterback at Ambridge under Rubenstein, became the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 1935 to 1937 under coach Jock Sutherland.[11] He played on Pitt's national championship teams in 1936 and 1937 and started in the Panthers' 21–0 victory over Washington in the 1937 Rose Bowl. In 1948, Michelosen became head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers at age 32, making him the youngest NFL head coach in the league's modern era at the time. He coached the Steelers through 1951, compiling a 20–26–2 record, and then served as head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1955 to 1965, compiling a 56–49–7 record. Michelosen was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1970.[11]

After retiring from coaching, Rubenstein continued to teach math and gym classes at Ambridge High School until 1964.[12]

Later life and honors

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In 1967, Rubenstein moved to Hollywood, Florida, with his wife, Sally Walters Rubenstein. He enjoyed golfing and was a substitute teacher until his early 90s.[12]

He was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, the Pittsburgh Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame. He received the Geneva College Distinguished Service Award. In 1977, Ambridge High School renamed its football stadium "Moe Rubenstein Stadium".[12]

Shortly before his death, Rubenstein moved to Seminole, Florida, and died on February 3, 2001.[12]

Archives

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Rubenstein's papers and memorabilia are preserved in the Moe Rubenstein Scrapbooks collection at the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

References

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  1. ↑ Feldman, Jacob. The Jewish Experience in Western Pennsylvania: A History 1755–1945. Pittsburgh: The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1986, p. 205; Snyder, Ron. The History of Ambridge Football 1919–2017; "Maurice Rubenstein." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 6, 2001; Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame entry, https://bcshof.org/halloffamers/rubenstein1977.htm; Rauh Jewish Archives, "A. P. Moore Club," https://rauhjewisharchives.org/entries/a-p-moore-club/
  2. 1 2 New Castle News, November 14, 1946, p. 24.
  3. ↑ Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame, "Moe Rubenstein," https://athletics.geneva.edu/honors/geneva-college-athletics-hall-of-fame/moe-rubenstein/60; The Times.
  4. 1 2 Bires, Mike. "Moe Was a Legend." Beaver County Times, October 24, 2018. https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2018/10/23/moe-was-legend/8385622007/
  5. ↑ "Sally Rubenstein." Beaver County Times, April 19, 2009. https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/2009/04/19/sally-rubenstein/18307564007/
  6. ↑ Birth record, Pittsburgh Department of Public Health. The record lists the father's first name as "Louis" and his occupation as carpenter. Other sources reference his name as Lazar; Louis was likely an Americanized form. The birth certificate also spells the surname as "Rubinstein."
  7. ↑ Feldman, Jacob. The Jewish Experience in Western Pennsylvania: A History 1755–1945. Pittsburgh: The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1986, p. 148.
  8. ↑ Feldman, Jacob. The Jewish Experience in Western Pennsylvania: A History 1755–1945. Pittsburgh: The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1986, p. 205.
  9. 1 2 Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame, "Moe Rubenstein," https://athletics.geneva.edu/honors/geneva-college-athletics-hall-of-fame/moe-rubenstein/60
  10. 1 2 Barrickman, Bob. "Rubenstein Set the Coaching Standard at Ambridge." The Times/Beaver Newspapers, September 2, 1999.
  11. 1 2 Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, "John Michelosen," https://bcshof.org/halloffamers/michelosen1976.htm
  12. 1 2 3 4 Emert, Rich. "Maurice Rubenstein." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 6, 2001.

Category:1905 births Category:2001 deaths Category:American baseball coaches Category:High school athletic directors in the United States Category:Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Category:People from Ambridge, Pennsylvania Category:Geneva College alumni Category:Jewish American sports coaches

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