| Roy Schooley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 April 1880 Welland, Ontario Canada |
| Died | November 13, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
| Residence | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation |
|
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Flora Mathilda Hein Schooley |
| Children | Robert Enich Schooley Roy Walter Schooley |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Ice hockey | ||
| Silver | 1920 Antwerp | Team Competition |
Roy D. Schooley (1880 - 1933) was a former treasurer for the City of Pittsburgh, as well as the founder of the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets hockey club, which later became the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Hockey League. In 1920, he assembled the first U.S. Olympic Hockey Team which won a silver medal in Antwerp, Belgium and is credited with helping to foster the growth of hockey in the United States. Schooley was also the brother-in-law to Harold Cotton of the Yellow Jackets-Pirates.
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Born in Welland, Ontario, Schooley became a nationalized citizen of the United States on September 27, 1912. He came to Pittsburgh in 1901 as an hockey referee and was viewed as an expert on the sport. He soon officiated many of the games played in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League.
It was during this time that he also became a reporter for the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph and the Gazette Times. After working on a few general assignments, Schooley was promoted to covering city politics. He soon became a member of the Republican Party and gained the backing of those politically active in the city and county. He then became the leading figure in several campaigns. He soon was put in charge of Joseph G. Armstrong's 1913 mayoral bid.
Once Armstrong was elected mayor in 1914, Schooley was given the title "Secretary to Mayor". However after a series of newspaper attacks against the Armstrong Administration, Schooley was transferred to the position of city clerk in charge of the Pittsburgh public works division.
After his career in politics, Schooley founded the Pittsburgh's amateur hockey team, the Yellow Jackets in 1915, and became the manager of the Duquesne Gardens. He also became secretary of the United States Amateur Hockey Association in 1916. Schooley's skills as the team's manager, brought the franchise International Championships in 1924 and 1925. The Yellow Jackets stopped playing when the United States Amateur Hockey Association folded at the end of the 1924–25 season. When Schooley encountered financial problems he sold the team to James Callahan, a lawyer from Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. Callahan renamed the team the Pittsburgh Pirates, after the city's major league baseball team, and the team joined the National Hockey League in 1925.
In 1920, Schooley became the manager of the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. As manager of the Olympic squad, he had full power to select the players for the team. Three days before the team was to depart for Antwerp, Belgium to begin Olympic play, the Pittsburgh Post reported that Schooley had resigned as manager amid rumors of unspecified friction, which he denied. He cited a family illness as the reason. The team that Schooley built, won a silver medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
In 1917 Schooley became the campaign manager for Edward V. Babcock, who would go on to become Pittsburgh's mayor in 1918. After Babcock's victory, Schooley was made the city treasurer. He later became the superintendent for the city's bureau of recreation. In 1926 he helped elect John S. Fisher, Governor of Pennsylvania as well as helping Charles H. Kline get re-elected mayor of Pittsburgh. He was then reappointed the Treasurer's Office.
Schooley was forced from the Treasurer's Office in 1931, the result of a purchasing scandal. The failure of the Franklin Savings and Trust Company brought forth an audit of the Treasurer's Office, since that office was in charge of distributing funds linked to the company. The audit revealed that the city's money was not protected by bonds, as required by law. Other irregularities soon developed which led to a jury indicitment of Schooley on embezzlement and misdemeanor charges.
Schooley was unable to attende his trial due to his failing health. The trial was postponed indefinitely and charges were still pending at the time of his death. He died at his home in Pittsburgh on November 13, 1933, surrounded by his friends and family.