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- [S237] Chattanooga Central High School, Class of 1963, (http://63pounders.com/faculty-index.php).
Ralph Eugene Olinger
Feb 22, 1912 - Sep 14, 1987
Ralph Eugene Olinger was born February 22, 1912 at Soddy, TN to coal miner John Thomas Olinger and Algie Parazade Flerl Olinger. Ralph was the 7th of eight children. In 1922 Ralph's father became foreman of the Durham Coal & Iron's mines and the Olingers relocated to North Market Street. Ralph entered Central in fall 1925 and played varsity football 1927-9, but it was in his first year on the basketball team that made history. The 1929 basketball team was not only undefeated but won the TIAA tournament in Nashville by outscoring their last three opponents 101-25, including a 36-0 shutout of BGA, in which Olinger "played one of the best defensive games that has been seen.." -Chattanooga Times March 9, 1929. Olinger actually graduated in 1929, but being only 17 and lacking money for college, opted for another year at Central and celebrated by blocking two punts for touchdowns in the 1929 football game against City.
Olinger entered the University of Chattanooga in 1930, playing freshman football and basketball. For each of his years on the varsity basketball team (1932-4) he was the leading scorer and rebounder and an All- Dixie Conference selection. Olinger also started at tackle on the football team in 1932-3. After graduating from UC with a BS in Science, Olinger married Margarite Frances Fields on October 20, 1934, then began his teaching career back at Central and also became the B team football coach in 1935. In 1941 Olinger left teaching and entered the Army in 1942. Following his discharge, Olinger entered UT in Knoxville and received his MS in Physics (working as a truant officer at one point to support his family), then returned to Central fall of 1951.
During his second stint at Central Olinger designed and constructed the mechanical apparatus at the Gooney Golf facility on Brainerd Road. He taught general science and physics until 1967, opting to go to J B Brown Jr High, when the junior high at Central was discontinued. He retired in 1974 and moved to Asheville, NC to be near his daughter, Eugenia (Central '58), where he channeled his lifelong interest in botany by working at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. After his wife of 50 years, Marguerite, passed in 1986, Ralph followed shortly, dying in Altamonte Springs, FL on Sept 14, 1987. He was survived by his daughter, Eugenia Heist.
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