What Is 1937 Morgan State Bears football team

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1937 Morgan State Bears football team represented Morgan State College during the 1937 college football season, finishing with a 3–4 record under head coach Edward P. Hurt, who led the program for over three decades.

Key Facts

The 1937 Morgan State Bears football team had a final record of 3 wins and 4 losses.
Edward P. Hurt was the head coach of the team in 1937 and served from 1929 to 1959.
Morgan State played as an independent with no conference affiliation in 1937.
The team was based in Baltimore, Maryland, and played home games at Hughes Stadium.
Hurt coached Morgan State to multiple CIAA championships during his tenure, though 1937 was not a championship year.

Overview

The 1937 Morgan State Bears football team represented Morgan State College during the 1937 college football season. Competing as an independent, the team did not belong to any athletic conference, a common arrangement for historically Black colleges at the time.

Under the leadership of head coach Edward P. Hurt, the Bears played a modest schedule, finishing the season with a 3–4 overall record. While not one of the program’s most dominant years, it contributed to the growing legacy of one of the most respected HBCU football programs in the nation.

Record: The team finished the 1937 season with 3 wins and 4 losses, reflecting a slightly below-average performance compared to prior years under Hurt.
Coach:Edward P. Hurt, who began coaching in 1929, led the Bears in 1937 and would go on to coach for over 30 years, becoming a legendary figure in HBCU sports.
Home Field: The Bears played home games at Hughes Stadium, a modest on-campus venue in Baltimore, Maryland, which hosted Morgan State football for decades.
Season Structure: As an independent, the team scheduled games against regional opponents without the structure of a formal conference, typical for HBCUs in the 1930s.
Historical Context: The 1937 season occurred during the Great Depression, a time when college athletics faced financial challenges, especially at underfunded institutions like Morgan State.

How It Works

The 1937 Morgan State Bears operated under the standard model of college football at the time, with a head coach managing player development, game strategy, and scheduling.

Head Coach: Edward P. Hurt was responsible for all aspects of the program, including training, tactics, and recruiting, using a disciplined, fundamentals-first approach.
Recruiting: Players were primarily recruited from high schools in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region, with limited national scouting resources available.
Practice Schedule: The team practiced regularly during the fall, focusing on conditioning, playbooks, and film study—though film use was still in its infancy.
Game Day Operations: Games were typically held on Saturdays, with travel by bus to nearby states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.
Player Roles: Most athletes played both offense and defense, as two-way football was standard due to smaller rosters and limited substitutions.
Season Length: The Bears played 7 games in 1937, a typical number for the era, with no postseason beyond regular-season matchups.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 1937 Morgan State Bears compare to other HBCU teams of the era:

Team	Year	Record	Coach	Conference
Morgan State Bears	1937	3–4	Edward P. Hurt	Independent
Howard Bison	1937	4–3–1	Sol Butler	Independent
Florida A&M Rattlers	1937	6–2	A.B. Woodson	Southern Intercollegiate
Tuskegee Golden Tigers	1937	5–2	Cleveland Abbott	Independent
Hampton Pirates	1937	4–4	James Dillard	CIAA

While Morgan State’s 3–4 record was modest, it was comparable to peers like Howard and Hampton. Florida A&M and Tuskegee stood out with stronger performances, reflecting deeper resources or more established programs. The lack of a conference limited Morgan State’s path to championships, but the team remained competitive in regional matchups.

Why It Matters

The 1937 season is a snapshot of HBCU football during a transformative period in American history, illustrating resilience amid segregation and economic hardship.

Legacy of Edward Hurt: Hurt’s leadership in 1937 contributed to a 30-year coaching legacy that included multiple CIAA titles and national recognition.
Player Development: The program served as a pipeline for Black athletes who were excluded from predominantly white colleges due to segregation.
Community Impact: Football games provided cultural and social events for the Black community in Baltimore during the Jim Crow era.
Historical Record: The 1937 season is documented in college archives, preserving the contributions of student-athletes often overlooked in mainstream sports history.
Foundation for Success: Though not a championship year, 1937 helped build the foundation for Morgan State’s stronger performances in the 1940s and 1950s.
Educational Mission: Athletics like football supported student recruitment and institutional pride, reinforcing Morgan State’s role in Black higher education.

The 1937 Morgan State Bears may not have made national headlines, but they represent an important chapter in the history of college football and HBCU excellence.