Hall of Honor
“Baldy” McGraw came to Beloit from Rockford with award-winning prep credentials and developed into one of the College’s finest athletes in its “Golden Age” of sports. Primarily a tackle who also saw action at guard and end, he twice earned All-Conference honors on football teams that won the two championships and posted a four-year record of 18 wins, 9 losses, and three ties while competing against some of the nation’s collegiate powers. It was on the basketball court, however, that for three varsity seasons McGraw was regarded as the top guard in both the Midwest and the Big Four conferences on the strength of his great defensive play, superior ball handling and fine shooting. Those three teams were undefeated in both conferences, and two of them recorded perfect seasons – 12-0 in 1922 and 14-0 in 1924, when he was captain and earned all-league honors a second time; during that period, Beloit won 39 games and lost only two. He also played third base in the ’23 college baseball team. After leaving Beloit, McGraw played professional football with the Green Bay Packers for two years before returning to Rockford, where he worked for two dairies, enjoyed bowling with several teams, was affiliated with Masonic and Shriner groups, and continued being an avid high school and Beloit College sports fan. He died in 1979 at the age of 80.
