Eddie Wiest was a standout four-year varsity letterman in football (1938-41) and baseball (1939-42) at Millersville.
On the gridiron, he is remembered for his rushing exploits. During the Marauders' 1940 undefeated season (7-0 record), Wiest scored 12 touchdowns for 72 points--both 'Ville single-season standards that stood for more than four decades. Those totals still rank in the top 10 today. The 1940 squad was cited by The Washington Post as the best small college team in the nation.
Of note, when the undefeated season was on the line in the finale against Kutztown, Wiest electrified the Marauder faithful when he raced 95 yards for a touchdown on the second half kickoff to help seal a 32-0 victory and the '40 team's place in immortality.
Wiest, a native of Shamokin, earned Associated Press Little All-America Honorable Mention following that historic '40 grid campaign. As senior co-captain, he contributed to a 4-2 Marauder mark in 1941 which was the final campaign before the program was interrupted for four years due to World War II.
On the baseball diamond, Wiest was a hard-hitting catcher and third baseman.
Wiest served his country with honor in the U.S. Marine Corps during the war. Following his discharge from military service in 1946, he returned to Millersville and served as an assistant for incoming head coach John Fischer. Also in '46, he served as Assistant Dean of Men at MSTC and worked closely with Dr. Clyde Stein.
His collegiate mentor in his playing days, Ivan "Poss" Stehman, helped Wiest receive a post-graduate scholarship at New York University, where he earned a master's degree in traffic safety.
From 1947 to 1984, Wiest served as a driver education teacher at Newton (Mass.) High School. He developed a curriculum for the first scholastic driver education program in Massachusetts, instructed teacher trainees at more than 25 universities, and was a pioneer in the development of drivers ed instruction and certification programs in the New England states. Early in his tenure at Newton High, he spent two years as its football, basketball and baseball coach.
Wiest was chair of the City of Newton Traffic Commission from 1969 to 1981 (from which he received a bronzed parking meter as a retirement gift), and also was a past president of the Massachusetts Driver Education and Traffic Association.
Throughout his life, Wiest was an avid alumnus and fan of Marauder football. He witnessed numerous Millersville grid games not only at Homecoming but also on the road at places as diverse as New Haven, Conn. and Orlando, Fla.
Eddie Wiest passed away May 4, 2002 at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, five children, and 10 grandchildren.
