Member Biography

John Patrick Dalton was an accomplished ballroom dancer, but his fanciest footwork came on the gridiron when he twice kicked field goals to defeat arch rival Army. His 35-yard kick in 1910 gave the Midshipmen a 3-0 victory and unbeaten record in a season when Navy held every opponent scoreless. The next year, it was another 3-0 Navy victory over Army on an identical Dalton 35-yard field goal. It was Dalton's final game and when it ended he had this emotional tribute to his teammates: "Boys, this is the proudest moment of my life, because I led a group of fighters to victory." John played prep school ball in St. Louis and attended Christian Brothers College there before his appointment to the Naval Academy. While at CBC, Dalton played soccer and developed his accurate kicking style. During his junior and senior seasons at Navy, John scored 14 touchdowns and the Midshipmen out- scored their competition, 251-11. Although his dramatic field goals would become the basis for his immortality among Annapolis standouts, Dalton was equally as destructive as a ball-carrier. Following graduation, John served as a Lieutenant-Commander during World War I. He died of a bronchial ailment at the age of 29.