Old Dominion University Libraries

Special
Collections:
Manuscripts

Arthur Beauregard "Bud" Metheny

 

The Papers of Arthur "Bud" Metheny

 

Scope and Contents ~ Access ~ Timeline

Container Listing: Series I ~ Series II ~
Series III ~ Series IV

 

Historical Sketch

Arthur Beauregard "Bud" Metheny was born July 1, 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Frances Davis of Norfolk on February 14, 1942. They had two children, Eileen and John. Metheny and his wife of 61 years, both passed away on January 2, 2003.

Metheny was a pitcher for his junior high school and American Legion teams. His father, a railroad worker, moved his family to Calverton, Virginia where Metheny attended Calverton High School. Upon graduation at 17, his mother signed a professional baseball contract for him with the New York Yankees organization. Metheny attended the College of William and Mary on a New York Yankees' scholarship where he played ball for four years. He graduated in 1940 with a B.A. in biology and physical education and in 1952, received his Masters in physical education.

After college, Metheny played minor league ball, switching from the pitchers mound to the outfield. He played for Norfolk and Kansas City, winning the pennant with both teams and Newark when the team won the Little World Series. He was called to the big leagues in 1943 and made his debut with the New York Yankees on April 27, 1943. That same year, the New York Yankees won the World Series. Metheny was the last player to wear the number 3 (Babe Ruth's number) before it was retired. In 1946, Metheny's contract was sold to the Boston Red Sox and he went back to the minors.

Metheny launched his managerial career in 1948 with the Boston Red Sox Class "D" team in Baxley, Georgia. He received a call from Joseph "Scrap" Chandler, then Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary Athletic Director, offering Metheny the head coach position. Metheny accepted the position, which began his 32-year career at Old Dominion. Metheny continued to play minor league Class "B" ball in 1949-50 for the Portsmouth team and managed the Newport News team in 1950.

 

 

1972 Old Dominion University Baseball Team1972 Old Dominion University Baseball Team

 Metheny was the head baseball coach from 1948-1980 and head basketball coach from 1948-1965. He was also the Athletic Director at Old Dominion from 1963-1970. In the 1950s, Old Dominion competed in the "mythical" Little Eight Conference, which was composed of Virginia colleges. In 1962, the college joined the Mason-Dixon Conference, continuing to compete in Division II until 1976, at which time the university moved into Division I and joined the Southern Division of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

During Metheny's tenure as head baseball coach, his teams had winning seasons in twenty-seven out of thirty-two years with a record of 423-363-6. Included among those victories were two NCAA Eastern Regional Championships, eight Little Eight Conference Championships and four Mason-Dixon Conference Championships. Metheny was honored by the NCAA as the Eastern Regional Coach of the Year in 1963 and 1964. He was also chosen as the NCAA National Coach of the Year for 1964. As head basketball coach, Metheny compiled a 198-163 record and posted sixteen winning seasons.

In 1984, Old Dominion honored Metheny by adopting a New York Yankee style uniform with blue pinstripes. Old Dominion's baseball stadium also bears his name. Metheny was inducted into the College Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in January 1983 in Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the William and Mary Hall of Fame, the Old Dominion University Hall of Fame, and the Tidewater Baseball Hall of Fame.

Arthur "Bud" Metheny Timeline

June 1, 1915
Birth in St. Louis, Missouri
1932
Graduated from Calverton High School in Calverton, Virginia
1932-36
Minor League Baseball Player
1936-40
College of William and Mary
1940-43
Minor League Baseball Player
1943-46
Outfielder for the New York Yankees
1946-48
Minor League Baseball Player and Manager
1948-80
Old Dominion Head Baseball Coach
1948-65
Old Dominion Head Basketball Coach
1963-70
Old Dominion Athletic Director
1980-2003
Retirement in Virginia Beach, Virginia
January 2, 2003
Death in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Scope and Contents

This collection deals primarily with Metheny's coaching career at Old Dominion.

Materials in the archives consist mainly of baseball and basketball score books, individual and team statistics, team rosters, brochures, newspaper clippings, and photographs. There is also material on the 1965 NATO Games.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically within subject groupings.

Provenance

Donated by Arthur "Bud" Metheny on January 2, 1980.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], the Papers of Arthur "Bud" Metheny, [Box number], [Folder number], Special Collections, J. Douglas and Patricia W. Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Access

Open to researchers without restriction. Questions on copyright should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian.

Size

9 Hollinger Document Cases, 3.75 linear feet

Collection Number

RG 2- 8B1

Series Descriptions

Series I: Basketball

This series contains Old Dominion's basketball records from 1964-1985. The information includes score books, team rosters, brochures, NCAA standings, and assorted newspaper clippings. Material is arranged chronologically.

Box 1

1. 1963-64 Freshman
2. 1965-66 Varsity

ca. 1958 Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary Men's Basketball Team
ca. 1958 Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary Men's Basketball Team

3. 1965-66 Freshman
4. 1966-67 Varsity
5. 1966-67 Freshman
6. 1967-68 Varsity
7. 1967-68 Freshman
8. 1968-69 Varsity
9. 1968-69 Freshman

Box 2

1. 1969-70 Varsity
2. 1969-70 Freshman
3. 1970-71 Varsity
4. 1970-71 Freshman
5. 1971-72 Varsity
6. 1971-72 Freshman
7. 1972-73 Varsity

Box 3

1. 1973-74 Varsity
2. 1973-74 Junior Varsity
3. 1975-76 Varsity
4. 1975 Exhibition Score Book
5. 1976-77 Score Book
6. 1977-78 Varsity
7. 1978-79 Varsity
8. 1979-80 Basketball
9. 1980-81 Score Book

Box 4

1. 1981-82 Score Book
2. 1982-83 Basketball
3. 1983-84 Basketball
4. 1984-85 Basketball

Series II: Baseball

This series contains Old Dominion's baseball records from 1951 through 1991. The material includes team and individual statistics, score books, and student papers on the history of Old Dominion baseball. Material is arranged chronologically.

5. HPE 339 Baseball Statistics
6. 1951 and 1953 Baseball
7. 1952-53-54-55-56 Score Book 8. 1957-58-59-60 Score Book
9. 1961-62-63-64-65 Score Book

Box 5

1. 1962 Baseball
2. 1963 Varsity
3. 1964 Varsity
4. 1965 Cumulative Stats
5. 1966-67-68 Score Book

ca. 1965 Mace and Crown Article
ca. 1965 Mace and Crown Article

6. 1966-67-68-69 and 71 Score Book
7. 1966 Cumulative Stats
8. 1967 Cumulative Stats
9. 1968 Cumulative Stats
10. 1969-70-71 Cumulative Stats

Box 6

1. Cumulative Baseball Stats - undated
2. 1972-73-74-75-76 Score Book
3. 1972 Cumulative Stats
4. 1973 Cumulative Stats
5. 1974 Cumulative Stats
6. 1975 Cumulative Stats
7. 1976 Cumulative Stats

Box 7

1. 1977-78-79-80 Score Book
2. 1978 Cumulative Stats
3. 1979 Cumulative Stats
4. 1980 Baseball Brochure
5. 1984-85 Score Book
6. 1985-86 Score Book
7. 1987 Score Book

Box 8

1. 1988 Score Book
2. 1989 Score Book
3. Baseball Photographs and News Clippings
4. 1990 Score Book
5. 1991 Score Book
6. Baseball Statistics Miscellaneous

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Series III: Sporting Events

This series contains Arthur Metheny's records on the 1964 Tidewater Games and the 1965 NATO Games. The information contains correspondence, rosters, and newspaper clippings. Material is arranged chronologically.

7. 1964 Tidewater Relays
8. 1965 NATO Games
9. 1965 NATO Games Newspaper Clippings

Series IV: Photographs

This series consists of two bound books of basketball team photographs. Material is arranged chronologically.

Box 9

1. 1930/31-1959/60 Basketball Team Photos
2. 1960/61-1988/89 Basketball Team Photos

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Revised: 7/14/08