How the Rabb-its came to be

In this life we know people who have done extraordinary things.

People who have gone above and beyond what was intended or asked of them. People who have shaped the landscape of their lives and those around them.

I love history. I love knowing how towns received their names or how certain events unfolded.

I love learning how people or events changed the course of history, especially when it involved a good turn for the best.

One name comes to mind when I think of a person who has shaped the landscape of their life and those around them and that man was William Edward Rabb.

Rabb was a caring man who shaped the course of history during WW I and WW II, outlined rules for football in the state of Texas, brought football to Atlanta High School, helped countless abandoned animals find homes, cared deeply for those around him, dedicated himself to land conservation and many more things.

For those who don’t know or may have forgotten, Rabb was more than just the creator of Atlanta High School football; he was a dedicated father, military man, attorney, coach, educator and friend to many.

Articles like these would not be possible without the countless notes and letters given to us by his daughter, the late and dearly missed Marilee Rabb Chapman, and other family members.

If ever there was someone who exhibited and radiated Atlanta Rabbit pride it was Mrs. Marilee.

You could hear the enamored love for her father and the Atlanta school district in each word when conversing with her by phone or letter.

As I embraced the words she spoke or wrote I thought how astounding this man must have been.

I thought to myself, “how humbling it would have been to live in those days and be in contact with such a remarkable person”.

As former Journal writer Sonny Long pointed out in his Rabb article back in 1989 – I found more than a self-made man who worked his way through college and law school. I found a man who cared: about people, of all kinds from all walks of life, who cared about animals and the human condition. A man with a sense of humor. He was an organizer and a doer.

I agree with Mr. Long 100 percent. Once in a while an extraordinary person comes along who manages not only to accomplish a lot of their personal life goals, but also to motivate and inspire many others to do the same.

That statement exemplifies Coach Rabb.

Mr. Football or lawyer Rabb, as he was known, was a native of Rains County and played at Weatherford College where he was the team’s most outstanding player.

Later on Rabb attended Cumberland University Law School in Lebanon, Tenn., on a football scholarship.

At Cumberland he was an All-Star quarterback. After he graduated from law school he became the first judge in Rains County and the youngest judge in Texas at that time.

He resigned from his judgeship in 1916 to enter World War I and served in the Air Corps Intelligence Corps which would later become the Air Force.

Rabb’s suggestions and the new use of aircraft in the military brought the transportation unit into existence.

He wrote the field orders and manuals of instruction for the new branch of service. He established standards for all others to follow.

After the war he moved to Atlanta where he practiced law and became the city attorney.

In 1919 some of the local Atlanta boys, who had dropped out of school, asked lawyer Rabb if he would teach them the game of football.

Rabb, who had a great love for football, realized the importance of teaching good sportsmanship, shaping character, shaping school and town spirit and decided to coach the young men.

He agreed and the first thing on his agenda was talking all of the dropout players in returning to school with the promise they could play football.

Not only did they return they all graduated and became successful in life.

The initial mascot for the team was the Wolves and did they ever show characteristics of a dominating animal.

Under Rabb’s direction the Wolves dominated much larger enrolled schools at that time.

As written by former Atlanta coach Gordon Pynes - As indicated by the scores from the early 1920’s, Rabb certainly knew the game. Results of games reported in 1922 and 23 editions of The Citizens Journal give interesting accounts of how the Wolves performed against schools with much larger enrollments than Atlanta.

A report of a 1922 encounter with Hope, Arkansas, tells how the Wolves rode to a hard fought 24-6 win. Arkansas High suffered a 42-0 shellacking from the Wolves that season.

The big game in the 1922 season took place in Texarkana against the Texas High Tigers. According to the Journal reporter, Coach Rabb’s boys “fought like demons and completely outclassed the Tigers”. Final score: Atlanta Wolves win 20 -7.

It was also reported that the crowd attending this clash was the “greatest ever seen in this part of the country”.

No doubt Rabb’s eleven were at their best by running up an incredible 117-0 tally.

The Arkansas Highs Razorbacks came to Atlanta to open the 1923 season and suffered a 20-6 loss. Other wins came over Hope, Nashville, Winnsboro and Texas High again.

With dominating wins like that over bigger schools, which also included Centenary College and Texarkana College, the Wolves’ opponents gathered together and protested that Rabb was not a faculty member and should not be able to coach.

The determined Rabb enrolled at the University of Texas and achieved an educational certificate.

Not only did the Atlanta school board hire him as coach, he was hired on as a teacher and principal as well.

Aside from being a lawyer, educator, principal and coach Rabb organized the Boy Scouts in Atlanta and became the first scout master.

He also organized the National Guard in Atlanta and served as the first commanding officer of the local unit for 20 years.

Talk about having your hands full but Rabb was up for the challenge.

Rabb was instrumental in making Atlanta’s school colors maroon and white, and also wrote the school’s first song entitled “For Atlanta’s Honor”.

Rabb loved his players and they loved him and at some point the Wolves chose to change the team name to the Rabb-its in his honor.

I couldn’t find but one team that was named for a man and that was the Cleveland Browns.

Other teams often scoff at and tease the Rabbit faithful for their furry mascot not knowing the story behind it.

Over time Rabb helped shape the high school football landscape as well.

Rabb was a keen, intellectual man who helped the State of Texas set rules and guidelines for high school football players.

His plan for having town’s classified according to its size for football play was adopted by the Interscholastic League Board.

As a soldier he served as the judge of Base General Courtmartial and was Camp Commander in charge of 4,000 German prisoners of war.

His duties during the war was to deliver vitally needed supplies to combat troops.

At the end of WW II he was commanded to dump army surplus into the sea but Rabb realized the dire need for such surplus at churches and schools in the Philippines.

Rabb contacted General Eisenhower for permission to donate tents and other articles to the Philippines and his request was granted.

With that great mindset and gesture Rabb received a written letter from the Methodist Bishop in Manila thanking him for his fine gestures of Christian fellowship and helpfulness.

For his exploits he was awarded a Bronze Medal, the Meritorious Service Ribbon and the Filipino Liberation Medal as well as various other service ribbons.

As a conservationist who cared about the land he planted between 250,000 and 500,000 pine seedlings in the area.

For that feat he was awarded the Certificate of Merit for the most outstanding accomplishment in soil conservation in Texas in 1958.

As a lawyer Rabb never charged anyone who could not pay. He often talked couples out of divorcing and made deeds and wills free of charge.

As a person he loved people and shared all he had with others including his time, knowledge and even his land.

In looking through notes given to the Journal Rabb deeded some of his land to African-American families because they had no land to bury their loved ones on.

They named the deeded land for a cemetery Lawyer Rabb Cemetery which Rabb thought was a tremendous honor.

Mrs. Marilee recalled her father buying a poor group of her students she taught shoes, clothes, magic slates and crayons for each child. He used a slate for learning and wanted them to have one too.

He led the singing in his Sunday school class, loved animals and rescued many abandoned animals and found them homes, and gave the most valuable thing he could give to others – his time – without the benefit of a salary.

As written by Mrs. Marilee - Of course behind every great man is a great woman and Faye Marie King Rabb was the greatest. Sometimes I think that the loved ones left at home during war time deserved medals. Dad was gone for years between Pearl Harbor, training his guardsmen and until the war was over. She continued to teach school and taught her Sunday school class for 50 years.

Mrs. Faye was from Atlanta. Had she not been history for the Rabb-its, Atlanta and Cass County may have been a lot different.

Coach Rabb may not have ever moved to this area. I like to think that anyone ever associated with him or the Rabbits is mighty glad he did.

William Edward Rabb passed away in 1975 in San Antonio while visiting family.

With his passing Rabb left Atlanta High School, the state of Texas and the world the enduring legacy of his inspirational leadership through war and peace.

After Rabb retired the Ed Rabb Award was handed out each year to the athlete who typified spirit and dedication as exemplified by him.

Atlanta ISD still hands out the Coach Rabb Award for the most spirited athlete at its annual athletic banquet.

For future Rabbits, remember where the Rabbits’ name came, or more importantly who it came from, before you take to the field of battle.

Mr. Long called Rabb a great man. That is beyond contestation.

This extraordinary man’s intellect and expertise extended beyond counties, this country and across the world.

He was an extraordinary man and friend to all.