Ohio State's loss in 1943 was Baldwin Wallace University's gain.

In 1943, with war raging around the globe and the United States flexing its muscles to maintain liberty and freedom for so many, a young, freshman at The Ohio State University named Lee Tressel joined what was then known as the V-12 Program.

As a spring quarter freshman at OSU, Tressel had practiced, played in the spring game and planned to play for the Buckeyes in the Fall of 1943. But when the V-12 Program was established at Baldwin Wallace, Tressel moved from the Columbus-based campus to the Berea-based campus to begin school that fall. The rest is Tressel Family history.

 Lee Tressel began playing football in the fall of 1943, continued in the fall of '44 and was briefly interrupted by service to his country in World War II in 1945. He returned to finish his playing career as a Yellow Jacket in 1946 and 1947.

Read about Coach Tressel's return to BW following a short and successful high school coaching career including his alma mater, Ada (Ohio) High School, Mentor High School, and Massillon Washington High School.

You can read about Lee Tressel's playing and coaching career at Baldwin Wallace University and the playing career of his youngest son, Jim, former Head Coach at The Ohio State University. It is all in a book detailing the history of football at Baldwin Wallace University, "...And We Must Excel" by retired Plain Dealer sportswriter and 1963 BW graduate Bill Nichols.

To purchase Bill's book on Baldwin Wallace University Football History, "...And We Must Excel", please call Bev Lake at the BW Alumni House at 440-826-2742, or George Schiller at the BW Bookstore at 440-826-2345, or e-mail Bev at BW at blake@bw.edu.

Read an excerpt from the 1943-47 section of "...And We Must Excel," the years Lee Tressel played for the Yellow Jackets.

Other excerpts include:
Lee Tressel's coaching career at BW (1958-80) 
The Yellow Jacket National Championship Year of 1978
Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel's senior season in 1974 as the quarterback of the Yellow Jackets.

Also see:

The Tressel Family: A Launching Pad for Fields of Dreams (Posted on August 3, 2010)

Tressel 500th Victory Information Sheet (.pdf)

Jim Tressel Feature Written by Joshua Cooley for Sharing The Victory Magazine (Posted on January 5, 2009)