Joseph McGee was one of Providence College’s all-time greatest athletes, serving as the first captain of the football team in 1921 and later becoming head coach from 1933 to 1937. He also led the Friars to three New England Championships in baseball. He was born in Woonsocket on September 23, 1902, and played football, basketball, and baseball at Woonsocket High. McGee was a three-year starter at quarterback and made First Team All-State in his senior year in 1919. He was a forward in basketball, and in baseball, he played all infield positions, including catcher.
After one year of playing football at Holy Cross, he transferred to Providence College in 1921. He organized and captained the Friar’s first football team, playing both end and quarterback, and was team captain in 1921 and 1922. He was the star third baseman for the baseball team, leading the Friars to three New England Championships in baseball. He also helped start the basketball program at Providence College in 1921. He participated in a 20-inning game between Brown University and Providence College in his senior year. The game gained national attention because it was the longest (4 hours and 17 minutes) scoreless intercollegiate baseball game then. His performance at third base helped the Friars shutout Brown 1-0. After graduating, he played football for the Providence Steam Roller and baseball for the Norton Checker Cab team. He also played baseball for Blessed Sacrament in Tim O’Neil’s Providence Amateur League.
McGee started a long and successful football coaching career with the semi-pro Nickerson Tigers in 1926 by winning two state titles. He also coached the Attleboro Bears in 1929, then moved to the Pawtuxet Tigers in 1930. He returned to Providence College in 1931 as the ends coach under Coach Archie Golembeski. He took over the freshman team in 1932 and became head coach in 1934. The highlight of his three-year coaching career came in 1937, when the Friars beat Boston College 13-7 at Alumni Field in Chestnut. Massachusetts.
McGee resigned from his post at Providence College after the 1937 season. He became head coach of the Providence Steam Roller football team in 1938. The Providence Steam Roller played its home games in an unusual stadium, the Cycledrome. Built primarily for bicycle racing by Peter Laudati, one of the team owners, the arena seated 10,000 in bleachers surrounding a wooden banked cycle track. The oval track was steeply banked around the turns but flattened on the straightaways, barely leaving enough room inside it for a football field. In fact, it wasn’t quite enough. The players’ benches and some seating for fans rested on the track, which ran right up against the sidelines.
As a result, players tackling or being tackled near the edge of the field frequently wound up in the first row of seats. Also, the track cut off the last five yards of one end zone. The goalposts were on the goal line, as they were for many more decades in the NFL. Fans had a great view of the action, whether they bought $2, $1.50, or $1 tickets. The stadium included only one dressing room, built to accommodate a few bikers rather than the Steam Roller squad, who had to take turns using the two showers. But at least the home team had a locker room. The visiting team had to dress at its hotel before coming to the stadium, then return in dirty, smelly uniforms to shower. The field had a simple scoreboard, a press box, and a small parking area, which was adequate for 1928, when few people owned cars.
McGee coached the team until 1947, when he became general manager. Under his reign, the Roller played in the American Football Association and won the New England Football Conference in 1947 and 1948.
McGee married Claire E. McGee in 1926. They had three children: Joseph, Richard, and Michelle. Richard became the legendary football coach at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
McGee died of a heart attack in Providence on August 9, 1958.
Joseph McGee’s legacy continues to shine brightly. He was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1981, a testament to the lasting impact of his contributions to sports. His dedication, passion, and leadership continue to inspire athletes and sports enthusiasts, ensuring that his legacy lives on.
For additional reading:
1. “Providence College Football” October 16, 2019.
2. “1940 Providence Steamroller”. Pro Football Archives.
3. O’Gara, Roger (November 18, 1958). “Fair Or Foul”. The Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Massachusetts.