Chadron State College Athletics

Shipp was a farm boy from the Hay Springs area. He attended high school at the Nebraska School of Agriculture at Curtis, graduating in 1919. He worked in a store in Hay Springs the following year, then enrolled at Chadron State in the fall of 1920 after obtaining a job as the “soda squirt” at the Corner Drug Store in downtown Chadron.
Shipp said he made the Chadron State football team by tackling the coach, who was Ralph West. He stated that after CSC was defeated 33-0 by South Dakota Mines in the season opener, Coach West was trying to teach his backs how to block. To demonstrate, West took over at quarterback during practice.  On two consecutive plays Shipp, who was at defensive end, avoided the blockers and made hard tackles on the coach. After the second one, West got up and said, “Shipp, anyone who can tackle like that can play end.”
So he started at end all four years and earned all-conference honors in 1923, when the Eagles won seven straight before tying Peru State 10-10 in the season finale.
After coaching one year at Gordon, and eight years at Agra, Kan., Shipp spent most of his career working for the Soil Conservation Service.  He and his wife, Claire, were living in Boulder, Colo., when he died in July 1996.