Coach, Athletic Director (1909-21)

Paul E. Laird, born July 16, 1882, in Stanley, Kansas, was a member of Southeastern’s first faculty in 1909. He immediately assumed the role of Director of Athletics and coach of all Southeastern sports.

When Mr. Laird began his work in athletics, the athletic movement in American colleges was less than 50 years old. Money, equipment and playing facilities were scant—at best. It required a great deal of imagination, intelligence, and energy to launch a college sports program, field teams in several sports, and coach all the teams yourself. That is exactly what Paul Laird did.

From 1909 to 1921, he coached practically all Savage sports. He coached teams in football, basketball, track, baseball, and tennis. In 1910, he organized the Southeastern Invitational Track and Field Meet. In 1916, he started Southeastern’s Invitational Basketball Tournament, the oldest such tournament in Oklahoma. In 1921, Mr. Laird relinquished his duties as athletic director and coach and returned to full time teaching as a chemistry and physics professor. He retained his interest in athletics, however, and continued to work with the high school track and field meet and the Southeastern basketball tournament.

He served under eleven Southeastern presidents and served several years as dean of the college. When Paul Laird died on January 1, 1939, he was the last of the original Southeastern faculty members. The school newspaper referred to him as “The Grand Old Man’ of Southeastern. The university football field was named in his honor – Paul Laird Field.

Mr. Laird was inducted posthumously as a charter member into the Southeastern Athletic Hall of Fame on January 29, 1977.