Background
Rafferty was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 1879. He was the son of Gilbert Thomas Rafferty and Harriett Martin Oliver.
head coach gridiron football player
Rafferty was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 1879. He was the son of Gilbert Thomas Rafferty and Harriett Martin Oliver.
He attended preparatory school at Andover.
He played at the end position for the Bulldogs football team from 1900 to 1903, was captain of "s 1903 football team, and was selected as a first-team All-American in 1903. He also served as the head coach of the football team in 1904, leading the team to a record of 10–1. He played two years at the end position for Andover"s football team
He subsequently enrolled at University"s Sheffield Scientific School.
While attending, he played for the Bulldogs football team from 1900 to 1903. He played at the end position for as a substitute in 1900 and 1901 and as a starter in 1902 and 1903.
However, he did not play the full season during his junior year due to a condition in his academic studies. In February 1903, he was elected by his teammates as the captain of "s 1903 football team
He was also selected in 1903 as a consensus first-team All-American at the end position by Walter Camp for Collier"s Weekly, Caspar Whitney, for Outing magazine, Fielding H. Yost, and Charles Chadwick.
After graduating from in 1904, Rafferty returned in the fall of 1904 as the head coach of "s football team with Walter Camp serving as the general advisory coach. He led the team to a record of 10–1–0 in his one season as head coach. During the period from 1899 to 1912, had 14 different head football coaches in 14 years – despite compiling a combined record of 127–11–10 in those years.
During that 14-year span, the football team has also been recognized as the national championship team by one or more of the major national championship selectors on seven occasions – 1900 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis), 1901 (Parke Davis), 1902 (Parke Davis), 1905 (Parke Davis, Whitney), 1906 (Billingsley, Parke Davis, Whitney), 1907 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis, Whitney), and 1909 (Billingsley, Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis).
Rafferty was married in June 1912 to Regina Corinne Gelshenen. in New York, New New York At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Rafferty was listed as a resident of Greenwich employed as a silk importer.
A passport application filed by Rafferty in May 1921 indicated that he continued in the employ of H. J., importers and exporters of heavy chemicals and fertilizer materials. The application indicated that he intended to travel in France, the British Isles, Belgium, Spain and Gibraltar on business for his employer and on vacation for three months.
At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Rafferty was listed as a resident of Greenwich employed as a salesman for an importing company.
Rafferty died in October 1949 at Greenwich, Connecticut. Rafferty"s grandson, Kevin Rafferty, is a documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe.