John D. Plant, Class of 1906

When one thinks of basketball at Peddie, one immediately thinks of John Plant, who so successfully coached the Peddie varsity boys basketball team for over 20 years. His motto “a Peddie sport for every boy” has been the foundation of the Peddie programs as Director of Athletics.

In 1920 the New Jersey private school tournament was started, and for six successive years Plant’s teams won the state championship.

He did much through the example of his teams to show what true sportsmanship was. No other man in the history of the school has exerted as much personal influence for good on Peddie students as did John Plant through his five years as a student and his 20 years on the faculty.

John J. McCloy addressed alumni at a New York dinner and said in the following tribute:

“There was the Old Roman, as we called him — tireless, cheerful, patient, as mighty as Hercules himself. How many boys benefited by the attention he spent on them and on the development on their bodies! He inspired us to play, or play at, all sports. I was never good enough really to excel at Peddie, but when I got to college I found that I could play almost any sport creditably and, what is just as important, with real enjoyment. This was all thanks to John Plant and his inspiring character.”

Because of his powerful physique John became an outstanding tackle on the football team during his first year at Peddie and was greatly responsible for Peddie’s 1904 undefeated and unscored-on team. While a student John continued to play some professional basketball.

While as head coach of the track team, Plant developed some excellent track men. From 1909 to 1917, every school record was broken except the mile, which had been established in 1905 by Arthur Pierce. Then in 1923, Mr. Plant’s track team won the state championship meet held at Lawrenceville. In 1924 his team won second in the Yale Interscholastics and in 1925 his team captured the championship cup at the Swarthmore Interscholastics.

Plant also started soccer as a sport at Peddie in 1913.

When Plant left Peddie in 1926 to accept the position at Bucknell University of director of physical education and coach of basketball and track, The Trenton Times editorialized, in part, as follows:

“Meager scholastic foundations compelled him to study hard night after night. But he found time to become the school’s leading athlete. Not alone were his laurels gained by his athletic prowess. His sportsmanship soon made Plant a leader in his class and school. He played the game fair and impressed on his fellows the idea of a square deal. “Win if you can, but play fair,” has always been John’s motto.”