Factoid 230 – The 1931 College Football season.

In 1931 110 teams were playing college football in Division 1. Three teams would lay claim to the national championship: Pittsburgh; Purdue; and USC.

The 1932 Rose Bowl featured Tulane vs. USC. The first time a #1 team (USC) ranked by the Dickinson rating system would play in a bowl game. USC won the game 21 – 12. Howard Jones was USC’s coach, which went 10 -1, losing only in its opening game but then dominating all the other games.

National Champions

• Pittsburgh 8–1 Jock Sutherland (PD) *
• Purdue 9–1 Noble Kizer (PD) *
• USC 10–1 Howard Jones (BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, DuS, HAF, HS, NCF, PS, SR, WS) *

• South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invented the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
• Jane Addams became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
• James Whale's film “Frankenstein” was released in New York.