Harrington Kenneth Gates ’39
Harrington Kenneth Gates ’39 died January 4 at Lancaster County Hospice in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, June, resided in Drumore, Pennsylvania. In college Harry majored in history and was a key player on Dartmouth’s powerful football team, which was undefeated for 22 consecutive games from early in our sophomore season to the next-to-last game as seniors. Legendary coach Earl Blaik called Harry the best blocking back he ever coached, and he was also a great linebacker. At the beginning of our senior year Harry stunned Dartmouth and the football world by dropping football because of his religious beliefs. Pressure from teammates and coaches could not persuade him to play except for the Yale game in mid-season, and he earned the moniker “Heavenly” Harry Gates from Boston Post sportswriter Bill Cunningham ’19. Harry lived up to that name by engaging in Christian work in communal centers for 24 years and then in McDonough, Georgia (20 miles south of Atlanta), for 15 years. He taught history for 14 years at Stockbridge High School in Henry County, Georgia, coaching football for five of those years. A great thrill was starting a church, Open Door Chapel, with his first wife, Vida, before retiring to Drumore in 1978. Harry married Vida in 1946 and she died in 1984. He married June in 1991 and she survives him. Harry also leaves four stepchildren, several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, a brother and two sisters.
