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Clinton Black

1894 – 1963

American football player, lineman, guard, insurance executive

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About Clinton Black

Lived 1894 – 1963 (aged 69). Clinton Black was an American american football player.

Clinton Rutherford "Cupe" Black Jr. (October 3, 1894 – October 8, 1963) was an American football player.

Black enrolled at Yale University and, while there, played on the Yale Bulldogs football team. He was captain of the 1916 Yale Bulldogs and a consensus first-team choice for the 1916 College Football All-America Team. He wore No. 1 that year, the first time Yale donned numbers. In 1920 Black was rumoured to restart the Massillon Tigers pro football team, and enter the team in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League in 1922), however he later turned down the offer.

World War I Black served in the United States Navy during World War I. During the war his ship the was hit by a torpedo launched from a German U-boat. While the Lincoln sank, Black made it into a lifeboat. Soon the U-boat surfaced and circled the life rafts. The sub's captain claimed to be a Yale alumnus who recognized Black and spoke with him. The sub later left the men to their lifeboats. They were all later rescued by the and transported to France. A previous report of the incident had the captain as a Harvard graduate, who took Black on board and set the sub's course for Germany.

After the war, he became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and thereafter went into the insurance business. He was the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of C. R. Black Jr. Corporation, an insurance brokerage business in New York City. He was married and had two sons and a daughter. He died in 1963, aged 78 at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Yale University

People in Clinton Black's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Clinton Black's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Clinton Black?

American football player, lineman, guard, insurance executive (1894-1963)

When was Clinton Black born?

Clinton Black was born on 3 October 1894 in New York City.

When did Clinton Black die?

Clinton Black died on 8 October 1963.

What was Clinton Black's occupation?

Clinton Black was an american football player.

What nationality was Clinton Black?

Clinton Black was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Clinton Black

· Wikidata: Q17626496

· DBpedia: Clinton Black

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Clinton Black. https://biography.guide/clinton-black/

MLA: "Clinton Black." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/clinton-black/.

Chicago: "Clinton Black." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/clinton-black/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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