William Maddren

The following is an excerpt from The Lacrosse Story by Alexander M. Weyand and Milton R. Roberts concerning Bill Maddren.

"Now we come to Johns Hopkins' phenomenal rise to college lacrosse supremacy, which converted sedate Baltimore into a seething hotbed of lacrosse enthusiasm, the like of which had never been seen elsewhere in the United States. That state of affairs was due largely to the efforts of William H. Maddren, who became interested in the sport through peculiar circumstances. His father, who was a doctor in Brooklyn, New York, had as a patient John Flannery. After each game in which he played, Flannery would visit Dr. Maddren to have his wounds dressed. He became a great hero to young Maddren who, upon Flannery's advice, engaged in the sport while attending Brooklyn Polytechnic in 1892. Later Maddren played with the Crescents, and matriculated at Johns Hopkins in order to study medicine. Although only a freshman, he was elected captain and appointed coach in 1897. Dr. Maddren recieved a BS degree from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1896 and did graduate work at Johns Hopkins. He received his M.D. degree from Hopkins in 1901. He played lacrosse on the outstanding Hopkins teams of 1897 to 1901 and is a member of the Hopkins All-Time Lacrosse Team."