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Tony Gould ’60 Inspires Students with Story of Mike Reily ’60
Tony Gould ’60 spoke to students and faculty on January 11, 2016, about his friend and classmate Mike Reily, before introducing a short film about Mike’s years at Williams College. A New Orleans native, Mike was known at Woodberry as “Moose.” He was a three-sport captain — in football, wrestling, and track — and served as senior prefect. “Though he was an undefeated wrestler and won the state title in the discus, what he was really known for was ‘The Catch,’” Tony explained before setting the scene for that memorable moment in Woodberry football lore.
“Going into the 1959 EHS contest, Woodberry had not won The Game in thirteen years,” Tony said. “But Mike and quarterback Charlie Shaffer, a past Woodberry trustee and one of our all-time great athletes, broke a tie in the fourth quarter with a 67-yard pass and run, and a victory I can still remember vividly — especially us tearing down the wooden EHS goalpost and our headmaster, Joe Mercer, throwing his $500 camera into the air in joy only to watch it disappear into the mud!”
At Woodberry, both the football MVP award and the school’s wrestling room bear Mike’s name. In that room hangs one of his Williams College football jerseys, the story of which was told in the film Tony introduced.
Mike Reily: The Forgotten Man was made on the occasion of Williams College’s official retirement in 2011 of #50, Mike’s jersey number, nearly fifty years after his death from Hodgkins lymphoma. Diagnosed while a student, the one-time football luminary continued to attend school and even served as the Ephs’ team captain, in spite of failing health and increasing frailty.
Mike died a month after graduation, and an unknown equipment manager placed his jerseys in an old football box and marked it “#50 Do Not Issue.” The number was never reissued, though as decades passed, later athletic department employees didn’t know why. Eventually, though, the story of Mike’s courage in the face of death resurfaced and Williams College, for the first time, retired a jersey number.
“If he were with us today,” Tony told the boys, “I think he would give credit to Woodberry for making him the man he was. After seeing this film, you will understand why Mike Reily was such a special human being and a much-revered Woodberry graduate.”
Tony Gould ’60 is a past member of Woodberry’s board of trustees and strong supporter of Woodberry’s admissions and financial aid efforts. He lives in Washington, DC.
Watch Mike Reily: The Forgotten Man and read the Sport Illustrated article about Mike, “The Forgotten Hero: Mike Reily's legacy at Williams College.”
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At Woodberry, both the football MVP award and the school’s wrestling room bear Mike’s name. In that room hangs one of his Williams College football jerseys, the story of which was told in the film Tony introduced.
Mike Reily: The Forgotten Man was made on the occasion of Williams College’s official retirement in 2011 of #50, Mike’s jersey number, nearly fifty years after his death from Hodgkins lymphoma. Diagnosed while a student, the one-time football luminary continued to attend school and even served as the Ephs’ team captain, in spite of failing health and increasing frailty.
Mike died a month after graduation, and an unknown equipment manager placed his jerseys in an old football box and marked it “#50 Do Not Issue.” The number was never reissued, though as decades passed, later athletic department employees didn’t know why. Eventually, though, the story of Mike’s courage in the face of death resurfaced and Williams College, for the first time, retired a jersey number.
“If he were with us today,” Tony told the boys, “I think he would give credit to Woodberry for making him the man he was. After seeing this film, you will understand why Mike Reily was such a special human being and a much-revered Woodberry graduate.”
Tony Gould ’60 is a past member of Woodberry’s board of trustees and strong supporter of Woodberry’s admissions and financial aid efforts. He lives in Washington, DC.
Watch Mike Reily: The Forgotten Man and read the Sport Illustrated article about Mike, “The Forgotten Hero: Mike Reily's legacy at Williams College.”
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