Reginald V. Truitt

Truitt was born in 1891 in Snow Hill, Maryland and graduated from Snow Hill High School in 1910. He attended the University of Maryland, 1910-14, receiving a BS degree. He later received a Master of Science degree in 1921 and a Ph.D. degree at the American University in Washington, D.C. in 1929.

While at the University of Maryland, he won his varsity award in both lacrosse and track in 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914. He was captain as well as student coach of the 1914 team. Reggie served as the first official coach at the University of Maryland from 1919 to 1927. Truitt was awarded a special "M" Club Award and citation in 1950 for his coaching career at the University and a special gold lacrosse pendant for coaching the national champion team in the 1920's.

Truitt also was very active in the officiating of lacrosse during the 1920's and 30's; some of the most thrilling contests being those between the Mount Washington Club and the Crescent Club, and in the International Series between St. John's College and the Canadians.

Dr. Truitt wrote many articles for the press and Sunday features on lacrosse, which were published in the Baltimore papers. Dr. Truitt was very active in bringing two teams from Oxford-Cambridge to play a series of American colleges and had full charge of their schedule and traveling arrangements, including receptions at the White House and the British Embassy. He was very active in the USILA from 1919 into the 1930's and held many prominent offices during this time.

During World War I, Dr. Truitt was a pursuit pilot with a commission as 2nd Lieutenant, and was again called on by his country in the World War II where as a dollar-a-year man he received a Navy Commendation for his research on underwater sound.

After leaving the coaching field, he was a partner in the George W. Truitt & Company, oyster growers and dealers at Snow Hill, Maryland until 1943. Reggie Truitt passed away in 1990.