Rahr, Gordon J., 1905-1993
Biography
Gordon John Rahr was born November 6, 1905, at Kenosha, Wisconsin, the son of George and Esther (Lambrecht) Rahr. Rahr was an active student at Kenosha High School, class of 1923, participating in football and track and in intramural baseball and basketball. He was a member of the school’s Athletic Board and of Student Council and was involved, as well, in other organizations and activities.
After relocating to Cicero, Illinois, Rahr matriculated to Northwestern University in 1923 and pursued studies in civil engineering, a five-year program. He took his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern in 1928. While at Northwestern, Rahr was a guard on the varsity football teams of 1924, 1925, and 1926. The 1924 team was the one that earned for Northwestern the “Wildcat” designation. The 1926 Wildcats were the Big Ten Conference football champions. Rahr also was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.
Rahr spent a long career as an executive with the Chicago Extruded Metals Company and, later, with the Chicago Screw Company, a Bellwood, Illinois, manufacturer of automatic screw machines and cold upset products. He was active with the River Forest (Illinois) School Board and was on the board of the Oak Park (Illinois) YMCA and the Community Chest. He also was a member of the River Forest Tennis Club and the Oak Park Country Club,
Rahr married Virginia Crary and the couple had two sons, Sumner and David. Virginia Crary Rahr died in 1983; Gordon Rahr on August 28, 1993.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Gordon J. Rahr (1905-1993) Collection
The collection documents Rahr’s involvement as a player with the Northwestern University football teams of 1924 and 1925 and with the notable Big Ten championship team of 1926. The collection also includes a fragment of a Rose Bowl 1949 goalpost.