| Overall UK Wins: 115 | Overall UK Losses: 18 | Win % 86.4 |
Date of Birth: December 26, 1906
Date of Death: August 6, 1980
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Alma Mater: Xavier

For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.

Obituary - Toledo (OH) Blade (August 7, 1980)

Dan Patrick Tehan, the longest-serving National Football League official, collapsed and died at his Finneytown home Wednesday. He was 72.

Mr. Tehan officiated in the NFL for 35 years before retiring in 1965. Until last year, he continued his association with football as an observer of officials for the league commissioner's office.

"No one ever officiated longer," Art McNally, NFL supervisor of officials, said. "he was an outstanding person, not just on the field as an official, but as a man who represented a high class person to players and coaches alike..."

Cincinnati Bengals general manager Paul Brown, former coach of the Cleveland Browns and a friend of Mr. Tehan's, said Mr. Tehan was the NFL's best official for many years.

Mr. Tehan was a Hamilton County sheriff 24 years.

Biographical Information - Cincinnati Enquirer (August 7, 1980)



by Dick Forbes and Bill Ford

Throughout the conversations with people who had known Dan Tehan, one phrase was continually reported: "He was a legend in his time."

The death of the widely-known sports official and former Hamilton County sheriff Tuesday brought to light score of anecdotes and words of praise and sadness from people in all walks of life.

"He was an official for us from 1930 to 1964, 35 seasons, and no one ever officiated longer," said Art McNally, supervisor of officials for the National Football League. "He was an outstanding person, not just on the field as an official, but as a man who represented a high class person to players and coaches alike. You just loved the man, and we in the NFL will miss him. He was responsible for more officials in the league now than any other man."

McNally remembered one story which he heard second half, but felt there was truth to it.

"Dan was working with one of our better referees, Bill Downs, in a game when a long pass was thrown downfield. That was in 'Dan Tehan's territory' (as head linesman), and Downs called pass interference and threw the yellow flag. When Dan realized what happened, he just said, 'That's all right," and threw his own flag for backfield in motion. The offsetting penalties negated Downs' call."

Cincinnati Bengals general manager, Paul Brown, longtime coach of the Cleveland Browns, said, "He was my dear personal friend, and he was the best of the officials in the National League for many years. I remember I might question his call and Dan would say, 'I'll be back in two weeks - let me know how it turns out on the film.'

"Then when he'd come back, he'd say, 'How'd it look, coach?' I'd say, 'You know darn well how it looked or you wouldn't have asked me.'"

Brown was supposed to play golf with Tehan next week.

Former Sports announcer and official Dick Bray, a year ahead of Tehan when both were Xavier University athletes, noted that an injury deprived Tehan of greater athletic acclaim.

"He was working his way through school," Bray recalled, "and one summer while working below the surface, a huge iron pipe fell on his leg. He never seemed to fully recover."

Marty Hogan, an Enquirer staff reporter, remembered a story from Tehan himself. "Dan went to very early Mass on Sunday to get to the stadium early for a Chicago Bears - Green Bay Packers game. Tehan spied Bears' coach George Halas off on the side, but they didn't speak. Later, in the game, Tehan threw a flag. Halas came running over and screamed 'How can somebody go to Mass in the morning and clobber me in the afternoon?'"

Jim Beiersdorfer, an officiating colleague of Tehan in the NFL, said stories will abound for years.

"My favorite is a football game between Springfield High and another school I cannot recall. Well, Dan blew one, and the Springfield captain complained. Dan asked him what he'd have done.

"The kid replied, 'Mr. Tehan" - everyone called him miser - 'I'd have called it different because you were wrong, you meathead.' Dan just laughed and called no penalty. I guess he knew he missed it."

Hamilton County recorder John E. "Jake" Held remembered back to his high school days, when Tehan was officiating locally. "I'll never forget when I was playing basketball for Elder High, and Tehan was referee," Held said. "Harold Hake was playing for Woodward, and I figured the only way to stop him was to foul him. So I fouled him three times. He made all three shots.

"When I fouled him the third time, Dan blew the whistle, got me aside and said. 'Calm down, son, you're making a fool of yourself.' That memory always stayed with me."

John "Socko" Wiethe, local attorney and Democratic Party official, one of Xaver's all-time athletic greats and later University of Cincinnati basketball coach, called Tehan, "My coach, teacher, political leader and sports coordinator. He typified the ideal scholar-athlete," Wiethe said. "He set an example for everyone in sports - the highest standards morally and every other way. He was a driving, earnest, competitive type. He wanted you to do the job or get out."

"Chip" Cain, local insurance executive who was a year behind Tehan, both at St. Xavier High and XU said, "We played two years together (at XU) and then played pro football for the Ohio National Guard team at old Redland Field. He was a great competitor, a fine gentleman - but a nasty competitor. He played the game both way (offense and defense), and without a doubt he was as good as anyone he played against."

Dr. Charles M. Barrett, president and chief executive officer of the Western-Southern Life Insurance Co., an all-time Xavier football great and close friend of Tehan, was heartbroken.

"I talked to him just a couple of days ago," Dr. Barrett said "He was a wonderful guy. He was coach of our freshman team at XU. I'll never get over one time in our freshman year. We had some pretty good cut-up guys on that team, including Wiethe. One time Wiethe found some clown suit, and five of us put them on to wear in practice.

"We came out on the field, and Tehan absolutely ignored us. He put us in and scrimmaged the hell out of us. Afterward, he just said, 'How do you like that, you clowns?'"

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