George Gumbert

George Gumbert was born George Martin Gumbert on September 15, 1894, in London, Kentucky, to Charles and Alma Gumbert. Known as “Dutch,” he attended Caldwell High School in Richmond before entering the University of Kentucky, where he competed in basketball and football.

Gumbert began the 1913–14 basketball season as a utility player but moved into the varsity backcourt after injuries depleted Kentucky’s roster. The Kentuckian praised his performances against Cincinnati and Marietta, declaring that no first-year player could have done better work. He appeared in four games and scored two points.

As a sophomore in 1914–15, Gumbert became one of Kentucky’s most dependable guards. He played in 10 games and scored six points, but his greatest value came on defense. The Kentuckian called him one of the South’s best guards for his size and noted that the players he defended did not make a field goal in either of Kentucky’s two games against Tennessee.

Gumbert enjoyed his finest season in 1915–16, scoring 34 points in 14 games. Contemporary accounts consistently praised his steady play, speed and endurance, observing that he occasionally displayed “championship form.” He earned a varsity “K” after helping anchor Kentucky’s defense throughout the season.

Elected captain of the 1916–17 Wildcats, Gumbert was one of only two returning players from the previous season’s squad. He scored two points in a 31–21 season-opening victory over Centre before leaving the university following midyear examinations to become an instructor at Marion High School. Robert Ireland succeeded him as captain. Gumbert finished his Kentucky career with 44 points in 29 games.

One of Gumbert’s finest offensive performances came against Centre on February 15, 1916, when he made four field goals and scored eight points in a 34–29 Kentucky victory. His reputation, however, rested primarily on defense. He was praised for an exceptional performance against Georgetown, played a prominent role in Kentucky’s 39–24 victory at Cincinnati and helped the Wildcats challenge a powerful Marietta team that claimed the world championship after defeating the Buffalo Germans.

Gumbert earned a degree in agriculture from Kentucky in 1917 and later received a master’s degree from the university. He belonged to Alpha Zeta, the Agricultural Society and Lamp and Cross, played varsity football and helped draft the constitution and bylaws of Kentucky’s early “K” Association. After serving as a Navy ensign during World War I, he taught and coached in Marion and Harlan before joining the faculty at Eastern State College, now Eastern Kentucky University. He taught agriculture there from 1920 to 1940 and later directed the college’s visual-education program. Gumbert died following a two-month illness on January 14, 1954, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington. He was 59.