Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Ed Melanson was a native of Malden, Mass. and a four-year member of the Villanova baseball and football teams. He graduated in 1930 and was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1985. Nicknamed “Red” for the color of his hair, Melanson was the football team captain as a senior.
 
The baseball team was 53-32 (.624) during Melanson's career, including an 18-4 mark in 1928. Head coach Charles McGeehan’s squad that year came within eight runs of an undefeated season. Villanova lost four games by a total of eight runs, including a 12-8 loss to the professional Wilkes-Barre team which was a member of the New York-Penn League. The other defeats were narrow setbacks to Fordham (3-1), Bucknell (1-0 in 10 innings) and NYU (3-2).  The team went 9-0 at home and closed the season with a nine-game winning streak from May 8 through the concluding game against Lehigh on June 9.
 
As a football player Melanson played from 1926-29 under Harry Stuhldreher, a member of Notre Dame’s legendary “four horsemen backfield” who was the Villanova head coach from the 1925-35 seasons. Melanson was part of one of the most successful stretches in program history for the Wildcats gridiron squad. The team compiled a record of 26-5-3 (.809) while Melanson was on the roster, including an unbeaten (7-0-1) season in 1928. Among the more notable victories for Villanova during Melanson’s career was a 24-6 triumph over North Carolina State at Franklin Field on November 23, 1929.
 
In addition to athletics, Melanson was also a member of the New England Club his junior and senior years. He graduated with a B.S. in Economics.