The Life of Paul D Hubbard

Paul Hubbard Once Deaf Coach Dies

Paul Hubbard, 75, for forty-three years an instructor in the Kansas State School for the Deaf here and its first athletic director, died Thursday night at the home, 320 West Elm Street. He had been ill three months.

Mr. Hubbard organized the first football team at the school the year following his graduation from Gallaudet college, Washington, in 1899. He received his earlier education at the Colorado School for the Deaf. He was born and reared at Atchison, Kas.

At Gallaudet, a college for deaf persons, he was an outstanding athlete and played quarterback on its first football teams. Since the players were deaf, Hubbard devised the huddle system for calling plays, and is generally credited for being the first to use it.

He coached at the Kansas school several years and his teams made consistently good records. He finally turned the athletic duties over to a younger successor and devoted the remainder of his years at the school in classroom teaching. He retires in 1942. The school’s football field is named in his honor.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Caroline B. Hubbard of the home. A son, Maurice R. Hubbard, Olathe, and his two sisters, Mrs. Susan Martin, Golden, Colo., and Mrs. Trixie Purcell, Denver. Services were held at 2 o’clock Saturday at the Julien chapel, Olathe. Burial was in the Olathe cemetery.

Olathe Mirror, July 4, 1946

PAUL D. HUBBARD
Paul D. Hubbard passed away during sleep at his home, 320 W. Elm Street in Olathe, Kansas, Thursday evening, June 27th, 1946, at the age of 75 years, 5 months and 13 days. l\{r. Hubbard was born in Atchison, Kansas, January 14th, 1871, being the fifth child of Perry L. and Ellen Hub­bard; his father for many years was District Judge in Atchi­son County. The family later moved to Denver, Colorado where his father became attorney for the now famous Tabor­Silver Interests. Paul graduated from the Colorado School for the Deaf at Colorado Springs and later from Gallaudet College, Washington, D. C. Mr. Hubbard, in 1899, was em­ployed as instructor at the Kansas State School for the Deaf at Olathe and remained active in that position until his retirement in 1942. Mr. Hubbard was well known in his earlier years at the State School as football coach; he was also the first football coach of the Olathe High school, and is recognized as developer of the "huddle system/' as now so commonly used in football tactics. For his outstanding services in education and leadership the State of Kansas, by decree of the Board of Regents, formally named the present football field at the School for the Deaf "Hubbard Field."

At Gallaudet, college for deaf persons, he was an out­standing athlete, and played quarterback on its first football teams. Since the players were deaf Hubbard devised the huddle system for calling plays, and is generally credited with being the first to use it. He coached at the Kansas school several years and his teams made consistently good records. He finally turned the athletic duties over to a younger successor and devoted the remainder of his years at the school to classroom teaching. He retired in 1942. In June, 1901, he was married in Kansas City, Kansas, to Caroline Bronson of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. As a resu.lt of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard, two children were born. Pauline, in 1907 and Maurice R. in 1909. It will be remembered by many that Pauline, their daughter, passed away as a result of a fatal accident at the Central school here in Olathe. Their son, Maurice R., is now a practicing attorney here in Olathe. 

Mr. Hubbard leaves surviving him, besides his immediate family, two sisters, Mrs. Hugh Purcell of Denver, Colo. and Susan Martin of Golden, Colo. Services were held Saturday afternoon, June 29, at 2 p. m., at the Julien chapel. Interment was in the family plot in the Olathe cemetery.