Delaware is the latest addition to my yearbook collection. I have mixed feelings about this one - on one hand Delaware is one of my absolute favorite football teams - and the history laid out in these pages is some of my favorite subject matter.
The scans are fine, they are largely black and white pictures (which is a design problem with the yearbook, not the digitization process). Sadly, the organization of the Delaware yearbooks have some of the worst web design in the history of yearbooks. The good news is that the content is there and if they wanted to make these texts searchable and more accommodating it won't be that difficult to upgrade the collection's HTML.
The things that can't be improved are many. Delaware's success, their tradition and their place as one of the top lower division programs of all time can't be diminished. Then there are legendary hall-of-fame Fightin' Blue Hens coaches Bill Murray, Dave Nelson and the unforgettable Tubby Raymond.
Delaware's Blue Hen (men's college yearbook) and Blue and Gold (women's college yearbook)
The pdfs are searchable, but each yearbook is segmented into sections which to their credit typically includes an "athletics" section for each year.
Such great history should have a better platform to perform searches, so it is a little disappointing for me to have so much stuff that I want to look up, but only so many hours available in day.
A more complete view of Delaware's football history can be found in the most recent (2011) Delaware football media guide (pdf). Notes on past Delaware teams include eastern championships (20), bowl games (6) and national championships (6).
The pictures included in these yearbooks capture some great moments in time, but there aren't many photo captions detailing these great black and white stills.
Non-football aside, here is a portrait of my grandfather: the late Ralph Jackson O'Day, 1939 graduate of the University.
Update: Now with the actual link to yearbooks.
