Today's Tidbit... HECO Envelope and the 1919 Rose Bowl

As regular readers know, I collect old composite football schedules. Since most of the schedules are pocket-sized, they often include essential information in condensed lists and articles on recent seasons, offering frozen-in-time insight into perceptions of the game at the time.

The pursuit of these schedules recently brought me a 1928 schedule published by the HECO Envelope Company of Chicago. As an early example, it displays a few quotes and the season schedules for 36 teams. It does not include the typical information on the previous season's results or All-American teams that I find so appealing.

The beautiful back and front covers of the 1928 HECO Collegiate Football Schedule. (Personal collection)

Instead, the booklet shows only the schedules for college football royalty with a dash of Midwestern flavor. Northwestern, Chicago, and Illinois came first, followed by the rest of the Big Ten.