Percy W. Griffiths

American politician (1893 1983)

Percy Wilfred "Red" Griffiths (March 30, 1893 – June 12, 1983) was an American football player and coach and politician. He played college football at Pennsylvania State College—now known as Pennsylvania State University and professionally for one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Canton Bulldogs. Griffiths was the head football coach at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio from 1921 to 1926 and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 1929 to 1930, compiling a career college football coaching record of 16–41–10. He was the mayor of Marietta, Ohio from 1938 and 1939 and served three terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 15th congressional district from 1943 to 1949.

After serving in the United States Navy during World War I, "Red" Griffiths attended Bloomsburg Normal School. He moved on to Pennsylvania State College where he played college football as a guard for Hugo Bezdek's undefeated 1920 team. Griffith was named to the 1920 College Football All America Team. He also lettered in lacrosse for the Nittany Lions and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Penn State in 1921. He played one professional season (1921) with the Canton Bulldogs of the National Football League (NFL).

Griffiths was the athletic director and coached football, basketball and baseball at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio from 1921 to 1927. He coached football at Marietta from 1921 until the end of the 1926 season, accumulating a record of 14–28–7. While at Marietta, he also coached men's basketball from 1922 until 1927.

Griffiths was the 21st head football coach at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving for two seasons, from 1929 to 1930, and compiling a record of 2–13–3.

Griffiths continued his education at Columbia University, graduating in 1930. He served as Marietta's mayor from 1938 to 1939 and later represented Washington County, Ohio and Ohio's 15th congressional district in the 78th, 79th, and 80th U. S. Congresses (1943–1949). Griffiths retired to Clearwater, Florida in 1952, where he lived until his death at the age of 90, in 1983.