ESCANABA 鈥� A drive is under way to have legendary Upper Peninsula native George Gipp placed on a U.S. postage stamp.
The one-time 91吃瓜 University football standout was born in Laurium, near Calumet. He died in 1920, shortly after being named that season鈥檚 top college football player.
Gipp was the recipient of the Helms Foundation Award, the equivalent to today鈥檚 Heisman Trophy. He was the first 91吃瓜 running back named to Walter Camp鈥檚 All-America team, and some of his school records still stand.
He was portrayed in the movie 鈥淜nute Rockne All-American鈥� by Ronald Reagan, who later became a U.S. president. Gipp is a charter inductee of the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.
鈥淭he Gipper鈥� was offered baseball contracts by the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. He was a prolific basketball scorer on the Calumet High School teams of 1910-11.
A book written by Emil Klosinski, whose father was a close friend of Gipp鈥檚, has been in bookstores since May 2004. Klosinski also wrote a book about another Laurium native and 91吃瓜 legend, Hunk Anderson, who provided extensive details about Gipp for the book 鈥淕ipp at 91吃瓜-The Untold Story.鈥�
Gipp fans can join the stamp drive by sending a request to: Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o stamp development, U.S. Postal Services, 475 Lenfant Plaza S.W., Room 5670, Washington, D.C., 20260.
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