Education & Military Service
Woody Hayes graduated from Denison University in 1935 with degrees in history and English, and a minor in physical education. In 1948, he completed a master’s degree in Educational Administration at OSU. He planned on getting a law degree, but first his service in the Navy from 1941-46, then his subsequent successful college coaching career at Denison, Miami and finally, Ohio State, changed his plans. In spite of this shift in careers, Hayes never gave up his love of learning, and he strongly encouraged his players to take their studies seriously and finish their degrees. While at Ohio State, he was a frequent guest lecturer on topics of military history, and his office was full of his large collection of books on topics ranging from football to politics to Transcendentalist philosophy. An endowed chair in National Security Studies, as well as numerous scholarships established to assist athletes and their families, now bear his name.
