Fatty Lawrence Explained

Birth Place:	Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.
Birth Date:	6 May 1903
Death Place:	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Death Date:	August, 1976 (aged 73)
Occupation:	head of Nashville’s Water and Sewerage Services Department
Module:	Embed: yes School: Vanderbilt Commodores Class: Graduate Height Ft: 5 Height In: 7 Weight Lb: 195 Currentnumber: 19; 15 Currentposition: Guard Highschool: Hume-Fogg Pastschools: Vanderbilt (1921 - 1924) Highlights: SIAA championship (1921) SoCon championship (1922, 1923)

Robert Landy "Fatty" Lawrence (May 6, 1903  - August, 1976)^[1] was a college football player who went on to become the superintendent of Nashville’s Water and Sewerage Services Department from 1932 to 1971;^{[2] [3] [4]} namesake of the Robert L. Lawrence Jr., Filtration Plant. He was the father of United States Navy vice admiral William P. Lawrence and the grandfather of NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence.

Vanderbilt University

Lawrence was a prominent guard for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football team of Vanderbilt University from 1921 to 1924.^[5] He was a part of three conference titles.

1922

In the second week of play of 1922 against Henderson-Brown, Vanderbilt won 33 to 0. Lawrence recovered a fumble in the end zone for Vanderbilt's fourth touchdown.^[6] Lawrence also intercepted a pass in the scoreless tie with Michigan.^[7] He was mentioned as one of the players of the game in the 14 to 6 victory over Tennessee. The Nashville Banner said Lawrence had been "in there doing a man's job blocking a kick and tackling with the deadliness of a tiger unleashed in a cave of lions."^[8]

1924

He was selected All-Southern by his teammates.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Family Search.
2. Web site: Nashville > Water Services > About Us > History > Superintendents and Directors.
3. Web site: One Soldier's Story. Rob Simbeck. August 1, 1996.
4. Cross-Connection Elimination in Nashville. 1939. Journal of the American Water Works Association. 31. 977. Robert L. Lawrence Jr.. 6. 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1939.tb12834.x.
5. News: Vanderbilt Will Lose Six Gridiron Stars. Spartanburg Herald. December 8, 1924.
6. "Vandy Defeats Arkansas Team." The Macon Daily Telegraph 8 Oct. 1922: 8.
7. News: Michigan and Vanderbilt play to Scoreless Tie In Commodores' Stadium: Southerns Spring Surprise on Rivals. https://archive.today/20130104170555/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/access/1873197002.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+15,+1922&author=SAM+GREENE&pub=Detroit+Free+Press+(1858-1922)&edition=&startpage=21&desc=Michigan+And+Vanderbitt+Play+To+Scoreless+Tie+In+Commodores'+Stadium.. dead. January 4, 2013. Detroit Free Press. Sam S. Greene. Sam Greene (sportswriter). October 15, 1922.
8. Russell, Fred, and Maxwell Edward Benson. Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football. Nashville, TN, 1938, p. 40–41
9. News: Game's For The Sake. Harrisburg Telegraph. December 4, 1924. 20. Lawrence Perry. Newspapers.com. March 7, 2015.