1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, East York
Source: "East York Returns Reeve for 8th Term ", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [ Toronto, Ont]06 Dec 1954: 1.


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Etobicoke
Source: Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]07 Dec 1954: 7.


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Forest Hill
Source: Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]07 Dec 1954: 7.


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Leaside
Source: "Weston, Leaside Voters To Elect 10 Councillors", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Dec 3, 1954; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: pg. 8


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Long Branch
Source: "Mrs. Marie Curtis Reeve Again By An Overwhelming Majority", Toronto Daily Star, December 13, 1954, pg 10


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Mimico
Source: "Reeve W. Edwards Defeats Mayor Norris At Mimico", Toronto Daily Star, December 13, 1954, pg 10


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, New Toronto
Source: "Mayor Strath Defeated. D. Russell Easy Winner", Toronto Daily Star, December 13, 1954, pg 10


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, North York
Source: Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]07 Dec 1954: 7.


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Scarborough
Source: Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]07 Dec 1954: 7.


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, Weston
Source: "Election Returns", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [ Toronto, Ont]06 Dec 1954: 32


1954 Toronto municipal election, Suburbs, York
Source: "Election Results", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [ Toronto, Ont]06 Dec 1954: 32.


1954 Tour de France
The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 8 July to 1 August 1954. It consisted of 23 stages over 4,656 km (2,893 mi). The race was won by Louison Bobet, the second of his three consecutive wins.


1954 Tour de France, Teams
As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1954 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Seven national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Luxembourg/Austria (the latter a combined team). France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into North-East/Centre, West, South-East, Île-de-France and South-West. The combined team Luxembourg/Austria consisted of six Luxembourger cyclists, three Austrian cyclists and one from Liechtenstein. In total, 110 cyclists started the race.


1954 Tour de France, Teams
Notable absents were the Italian cyclists. In Italy, new sponsors had entered the market, named "extra-sportives" because they did not sell a product directly related to the sport. During the 1954 Giro d'Italia, this caused a strike, the Bernina strike. After this, the Italian federation decided not to send a team to the 1954 Tour de France. In May, Italian Cycling Federation head Adriano Rodoni announced Italian riders would not participate in the Tour.


1954 Tour de France, Route and stages
The 1954 Tour de France was the first time that the Tour had started outside France, as it started in Amsterdam. Also new was the team time trial. Although around 1930 the Tour had seen stages in which the teams started separately, in 1954 the team time trial format was reintroduced in a way that only the team time counted. Also the split stages were reintroduced. Stage 4 was divided into two parts: the team time trial of 10.4 km (part A), and a regular stage of 131 km (part B), both run on the same day.


1954 Tour de France, Route and stages
Similarly, stage 21 was divided into a regular stage of 134 km (part A) and an individual time trial of 72 km (part B), also both run on the same day. There were two rest days, in Bordeaux and Lyon. The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,556 m (8,386 ft) at the summit tunnel of the Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage 19.


1954 Tour de France, Race overview
In the first stage, Wout Wagtmans won the sprint, and took the yellow jersey. He would remain the leader until the team time trial in stage 4, when the French team won back enough time on the Dutch team for Bobet to take over the lead. In that time trial, over 10.4 km, the winning team was decided by adding the times of the three best cyclists per team. For the general classification, every cyclist got added his individual time. In the second part of the fourth stage, former winner Jean Robic hit a photographer during the sprint, fell down and had to give up.


1954 Tour de France, Race overview
In the eighth stage, Wagtmans had joined a breakaway, which won enough time on Bobet for Wagtmans to take back the yellow jersey. Wagtmans fell down in the eleventh stage, and although he managed to keep his lead until the start of the twelfth stage, he continued without morale. In the twelfth stage in the Pyrenees, three important riders attacked: Bauvin, Bahamontes and Malléjac. They stayed ahead, and Bauvin jumped to the first position in the general classification. Bobet was not far behind these three, and moved into the second place. In that twelfth stage, Hugo Koblet had fallen down, and lost 27 minutes, and his chances to win the Tour de France a second time. In the next stage, Koblet gave up.


1954 Tour de France, Race overview
In the fourteenth stage, the Swiss cyclists were fighting back. They were riding as fast as they could, and the leading group was getting smaller. Bauvin also could not keep up with that group, partly because he had a flat tire, and finished 8 minutes behind, losing the leading position. Bobet however could keep up with the Swiss pace, and took over the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.


1954 Tour de France, Race overview
In the sixteenth stage, Bauvin lost another 20 minutes, and dropped to sixth place. The Swiss cyclists had attacked Bobet where they could, but were unable to gain time on him. They had moved into second and third place of the general classification. In the eighteenth stage, Bobet dominated, and dropped all of the other contenders. He won by a margin of one minute and 49 seconds, and his margin in the general classification was 12 minutes 49 seconds, which would normally be large enough for the victory. Bobet also won the individual time trial, and thereby increased his margin even more.


1954 Tour de France, Race overview
The Swiss cyclists could not attack Bobet anymore in the last stages, so Bobet won his second Tour de France. The Swiss team had performed well though, capturing the second and third place in the general classification, winning the team classification and having Kübler win the points classification.


1954 Tour de France, Classification leadership and minor prizes
The time that each cyclist required to finish each stage was recorded, and these times were added together for the general classification. If a cyclist had received a time bonus, it was subtracted from this total; all time penalties were added to this total. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey. Of the 110 cyclists that started the 1954 Tour de France, 69 finished the race.


1954 Tour de France, Classification leadership and minor prizes
The points classification was calculated in the same way as in 1953, following the calculation method from the Tours de France from 1905 to 1912. Points were given according to the ranking of the stage: the winner received one points, the next cyclist two points, and so on. These points were added, and the cyclist with the fewest points was the leader of the points classification. In 1954, this was won by Ferdinand Kübler.


1954 Tour de France, Classification leadership and minor prizes
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1953: there were two types of mountain tops: the hardest ones, in category 1, gave 10 points to the first cyclist, the easier ones, in category 2, gave 6 points to the first cyclist, and the easiest ones, in category 3, gave 3 points. Federico Bahamontes won this classification.


1954 Tour de France, Classification leadership and minor prizes
The team classification was calculated as the sum of the daily team classifications, and the daily team classification was calculated by adding the times in the stage result of the best three cyclists per team. It was won by the Swiss team.


1954 Tour de France, Classification leadership and minor prizes
In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the cyclist considered most combative. The split stages each had a combined winner. The decision was made by a jury composed of journalists who gave points. The cyclist with the most points from votes in all stages led the combativity classification. At the end of the Tour de France, Lucien Lazaridès and François Mahé were leading this classification with equal points and shared the overall super-combativity award. The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given to the first rider to pass the memorial to Tour founder Henri Desgrange near the summit of the Col du Galibier on stage 19. This prize was won by Federico Bahamontes.


1954 Tour de France, Aftermath
After he won the Tour de France, Bobet would later win the 1954 UCI Road World Championships. The next year he would win the 1955 Tour de France, thereby becoming the first cyclist to win three Tours in a row.


1954 Tour de Romandie
The 1954 Tour de Romandie was the eighth edition of the Tour de Romandie cycle race and was held from 13 May to 16 May 1954. The race started and finished in Le Locle. The race was won by Jean Forestier.


1954 Tour de Suisse
The 1954 Tour de Suisse was the 18th edition of the Tour de Suisse cycle race and was held from 7 August to 14 August 1954. The race started and finished in Zürich. The race was won by Pasquale Fornara.


1954 Tour of Flanders
The 38th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 4 April 1954. Belgian Raymond Impanis won the race in a two-man sprint with French rider François Mahé. 38 of 230 riders finished.


1954 Tour of Flanders, Route
The race started in Ghent and finished in Wetteren – totaling 255 km. The course featured five categorized climbs:


1954 Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly election
Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin were held on 15 February 1954. 265 candidates competed for the 106 constituencies in the Assembly. There were 11 two-member constituencies and 95 single-member constituencies. Out of these, one single member and one two-member constituency was reserved for SC. The main contest in the election was between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the United Front of Leftists (UFL). Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress was also significant in some Tamil - significant constituencies.


1954 Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly election, State reorganization and merger
On 1 November 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Kerala was formed by the merger of Travancore-Cochin state with the Malabar district (including Fort Cochin and the Laccadive Islands) of Madras State, Kasaragod taluk of the South Canara district and the Amindive Islands. The southern part of Travancore-Cochin, the five taluks of Agastheeswaram, Thovala, Kalkulam, Vilavahcode and Shencotta, were transferred from Travancore-Cochin to the Madras State. After the reorganization, the assembly constituencies increased from 106 with 117 seats in 1954 to 114 with 126 seats in 1957.


1954 Tulane Green Wave football team
The 1954 Tulane Green Wave football team was an American football team that represented Tulane University during the 1954 college football season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. In their first year under head coach Andy Pilney, the team compiled a 1–6–3 record.


1954 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 1954 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa during the 1954 college football season. In their second year under head coach Bernie Witucki, the Golden Hurricane compiled a 0–11 record, 0–4 against Missouri Valley Conference opponents, and finished in last place in the conference.


1954 Turkish general election
General elections were held in Turkey on 2 May 1954.The electoral system used was the multiple non-transferable vote. The result was a victory for the Democrat Party, which won 503 of the 541 seats. Voter turnout was 88.6%.


1954 U.S. National Championships (tennis)
The 1954 U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open) was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The tournament ran from 28 August until 6 September. It was the 74th staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the fourth Grand Slam tennis event of the year.


1954 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Men's doubles
Vic Seixas /  Tony Trabert defeated  Lew Hoad /  Ken Rosewall 3–6, 6–4, 8–6, 6–3


1954 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Women's doubles
Shirley Fry /  Doris Hart defeated  Louise Brough /  Margaret Osborne duPont 6–4, 6–4


1954 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Mixed doubles
Doris Hart /   Vic Seixas defeated  Margaret Osborne duPont /  Ken Rosewall 4–6, 6–1, 6–1


1954 U.S. National Championships – Men's Singles
Third-seeded Vic Seixas defeated Rex Hartwig 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4 in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1954 U.S. National Championships.


1954 U.S. National Championships – Men's Singles, Seeds
The tournament used two lists of ten players for seeding the men's singles event; one for U.S. players and one for foreign players. Vic Seixas is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1954 U.S. National Championships – Women's Singles
Second-seeded Doris Hart defeated Louise Brough 6–8, 6–1, 8–6 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1954 U.S. National Championships and completed the career grand slam in singles. Maureen Connolly was the three-time defending champion, but was unable to defend her title after a horse riding accident.


1954 U.S. National Championships – Women's Singles, Seeds
The eight seeded players are listed below. Doris Hart is the champion; others show in brackets the round in which they were eliminated.


1954 U.S. Open (golf)
The 1954 U.S. Open was the 54th U.S. Open, held June 17–19 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. On the Lower Course, Ed Furgol won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Gene Littler.


1954 U.S. Open (golf)
Littler owned the 36-hole lead by two strokes over defending champion Ben Hogan and Furgol. After a 76 in the third round, Littler fell three strokes back of Furgol, who shot a 71 to take a one-stroke lead over Dick Mayer. Hogan made four bogeys at the first six holes and fell out of contention with a 76.


1954 U.S. Open (golf)
In the final round on Saturday afternoon, Littler rebounded with a 70, but it was not enough. Furgol was helped by a great recovery on the 18th. After hitting his drive into the trees, he played his escape shot onto the 18th fairway of Baltusrol's other course. From there he managed to make par, carding a 72 for a 284 total. Mayer was tied with Furgol as he played 18, but he double-bogeyed the hole to fall into third.


1954 U.S. Open (golf)
This U.S. Open was the first to be nationally televised, one hour of the final round, carried by NBC. It was also the first in which ropes were used to control the gallery, and prize money was increased by 20% over the previous year. This was the fourth U.S. Open at Baltusrol, but the first on the Lower Course, which later hosted in 1967, 1980, and 1993.


1954 U.S. Open (golf), Course layout
Lengths of the courses for previous major championships at Baltusrol:


1954 U.S. Women's Open
The 1954 U.S. Women's Open was the ninth U.S. Women's Open, held July 1–3 at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts. It was the second conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA).


1954 U.S. Women's Open
Babe Zaharias won her third U.S. Women's Open, twelve strokes ahead of runner-up Betty Hicks, a record victory margin which still stands. It was the last of her ten major championships and her final U.S. Women's Open as a competitor.


1954 U.S. Women's Open
Zaharias missed the event in 1953 while recovering from surgery for colon cancer. She did not defend in 1955 due to back surgery, which discovered that cancer had recurred near her sacrum and she died in September 1956 at age 45.


1954 U.S. Women's Open
Future four-time champion Mickey Wright, age 19, was the low amateur and tied for fourth place. She was paired with Zaharias on Saturday for the final two rounds and impressed the three-time champion.


1954 UCI Road World Championships
The 1954 UCI Road World Championships took place in Solingen, West Germany.


1954 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race
The men's road race at the 1954 UCI Road World Championships was the 21st edition of the event. The race took place on Sunday 22 August 1954 in Solingen, West Germany. The race was won by Louison Bobet of France.


1954 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 1954 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Cologne and Wuppertal, West Germany from 27 to 29 August 1954. Five events for men were contested, 3 for professionals and 2 for amateurs.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1954 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1954 college football season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and were coached by Red Sanders. It was Sanders' sixth season as the UCLA head coach; the Bruins finished 9–0 overall, and were Pacific Coast Conference Champions with a 6–0 record. In nine games, UCLA outscored their opponents, 367 to 40.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team
The Bruins were not eligible to play in the Rose Bowl vs. co-top-ranked Ohio State because of the PCC's "no repeat" rule, in effect for most of the decade, after California lost a third straight Rose Bowl in January 1951. Since UCLA had played in the 1954 Rose Bowl, they were excluded from the 1955 event. The game likely would have made for a de facto national championship game, but thus, rival USC (whom the Bruins soundly defeated 34–0) went instead, and lost 20–7 to Ohio State. Following the outcome, UCLA and Ohio State split the national championship.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team
UCLA was selected national champion by NCAA-designated major selectors of Dunkel,  FW, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, and UPI/coaches, and co-champion by both Football Research and Helms. This consensus national championship is claimed by the school. Ohio State was selected national champion by the AP Poll among other selectors.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team
During the season, the Bruins debuted their powder blue uniforms, referred to as "powder-keg blue" by head coach Sanders, that featured two white stripes around the shoulders. The white uniforms with blue stripes were used the previous season during the game against USC but this was the earliest known instance of the stripes becoming a regular part of the UCLA uniform.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Previous season
The Bruins finished the 1953 regular season with a 9–1 record, and won the Pacific Coast Conference at 6–1; the loss was by a point (20–21) at Stanford. UCLA participated in the 1954 Rose Bowl, but lost 20–28 to the #5 Michigan State Spartans.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, San Diego Navy
The Bruins had originally scheduled Santa Clara to open their season but after the Broncos suspended football, the San Diego Naval Training Center was scheduled as a replacement. Although the San Diego NTC featured players such as All-American Bucky Curtis from Vanderbilt and All-PCC Earl Stelle from Oregon, UCLA was favored three touchdowns.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, San Diego Navy
Primo Villanueva scored the first two touchdowns of the game and the Bruins led 13–0 within 7 minutes. Bruce Ballard, Sam Brown, Villaneuva, and Bob Davenport would each score another running touchdown giving the Bruins a 40–0 halftime lead. Davenport, Gerry McDougal, and Doug Peters would each score three more running touchdowns and Ronnie Loudd would score a passing touchdown from Gerry McDougal  to give UCLA a punishing 67–0 victory.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Kansas
The Bruins scored three consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter. Kansas player Ralph Moody scored the first Kansas touchdown on an 82-yard punt return. Jack Ellena would score on a 50-yard punt return in the fourth quarter and Don Shinnick would score on a 73-yard run to give the Bruins a 32–7 victory.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Maryland
Maryland were the 1953 national champions. Bob Davenport gained 89 yard on 23 carries and scored both of UCLA's touchdowns. Maryland's Howard Dare scored a touchdown on a pass from Charley Boxold to give the Terrapins the lead early in the fourth quarter. Davenport scored the go ahead touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter to give the Bruins the victory.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Washington
Bob Davenport scored two rushing touchdowns, Primo Villanueva scored one rushing touchdown, and Johnny Herman converted all three extra points to give UCLA a 21–0 led midway through the third quarter. After Bruins Coach Sanders replaced his starters with his second and third string players, Washington quarterback Bob Cox threw a passing touchdown to Dean Derby and Bob Dunn converted the extra point to reduce UCLA's lead to 21–7 at the end of the third quarter.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Washington
In the fourth quarter, Sam Brown fumbled which allowed Washington to recover at the UCLA 25. Cox threw another touchdown, this time to Corky Lewis but Dunn missed the extra point kick. Brown fumbled again for a 13-yard loss and Washington scored another passing touchdown on a 56-yard drive. Dunn's extra point reduced the UCLA lead to 21–20 with 2:30 minutes left. The Bruins would hold out to win the game.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Stanford
The Bruin defense intercepted Stanford quarterbacks Jerry Gustafson and John Neff eight times and returned them for 210 total yards. Sam Brown set a new conference record for punt returns with 132 yards in three returns. Villanueva, Davenport and Brown each scored twice while Decker, Loudd, Heydenfeldt and McDougall scored once each for a total of 10 touchdowns.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Oregon State
Sam Brown scored two touchdowns and Bob Davenport, Johnny Hermann, Primo Villanueva, Doug Peters, Don Shinnick, Russ Hampton, and Clarence Norris each scored a touchdown to give UCLA the 61–0 victory over Oregon State. The Bruins rushed for 498 yards and 593 total yards while holding Oregon State to 88 rushing yards and 111 total yards.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, California
Primo Villanueva rushed for two touchdowns in the first half and threw a touchdown pass to Johnny Hermann in the fourth. Cal's Paul Larson set new Bears record for passes (38), pass completions (25), and pass yards (280) and Williams scored the Bear's lone touchdown on a 7-yard run.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, Oregon
With the victory, UCLA set a new single scoring record of 333 points, surpassing the previous record of 327 points in just 8 games. Rommie Loudd scored the first points of the game on a 16-yard pass from Primo Villanueva. Bob Davenport, Jim Decker, Doug Bradley, Sam Brown, and Rommie Loudd each scored rushing touchdowns. Oregon only moved passed the 50 yard line two and the UCLA defense limited George Shaw, the country's leading passer with 178 yard per game, to only 29 yards.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Game summaries, USC
A 48-yard pass from Primo Villanueva to Bob Heydenfeldt gave UCLA a 7–0 first quarter lead. The Bruins poured on with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter: Bob Davenport scored from the one-yard line, Villanueva passed to Terry Debay for a 12-yard touchdown, Rommie Loudd caught a pass from Doug Bradley for an 8-yard touchdown, and Sam Brown passed to Bruce Ballard for a 17-yard touchdown. USC had only 5 yards rushing.


1954 UCLA Bruins football team, Personnel, Coaching staff
Henry "Red" Sanders returned to coach the Bruins for the sixth season. The Bruin coaching staff included four future college head coaches, including three (Barnes, Dickerson, and Prothro) who would eventually serve as UCLA head coaches.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Summary
Spanish Battleship secured a second consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title becoming the first greyhound in history to do so. In addition to the Derby win, during the year he won the Tostal Cup at Harold's Cross Stadium and Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park before an injury curtailed his efforts in the Callanan Cup final. After his historic Derby win he would win the Tipperary Cup with two track record runs and a victory in the McCalmont Cup but would be a shock loser in the final of the McAlinden Cup for the second year running. Pauls Fun won the English Greyhound Derby for Leslie Reynolds securing a record fifth title for the trainer.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
Prince Lawrence and Ardskeagh Ville claimed the pre-derby classics, the Grand National and Gold Collar respectively. Jack Harvey went on a significant three classic winning run; his Gold Collar finalist Demon King captured the sprinters classic the Scurry Gold Cup. The following month during the Laurels, at Wimbledon Stadium Coolkill Chieftain picked up the £1,000 first prize and then in September his Laurels runner up Pancho Villa secured a four and half-length victory in the St Leger final. In addition he also won the Puppy Derby with Gulf of Darien.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
The Scottish Greyhound Derby moved to October in an attempt to gain more entries and this seemed to work when the competition received a good entry, including a pair of brothers who emerged to dominate the event. Rushton Mac (by Rushton News out of Rushton Panda) defeated his brother Rushton Spot, who was eliminated from the English Derby at the semi-final stage. Rushton Mac had previously won the Edinburgh Cup. The kennel brothers were trained by Frank Johnson and Rushton Mac won the Pall Mall Stakes and Select Stakes titles.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
West Ham Stadium received a star studded line up for the Cesarewitch final in October. Matchlock beat a field in the final by seven lengths that included Derby champion Pauls Fun, St Leger champion Pancho Villa, Title Role and Barrowside. The last major event of the year was the Grand Prix and the Rushton brothers took the first two places again, only this time in a reversal of the Scottish Derby final.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
Kensington Perfection trained by Bill Higgins at Oxford Stadium completed an impressive four timer by winning four National Produce stakes finals at Stamford Bridge, Catford Stadium, Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium (The Regency) and Eastville Stadium.


1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Tracks
A new track in Weymouth opened during August; the site was on Radpole Lane and was known as the Wessex Stadium and Somercotes opened the following month. Stanley Greyhound Stadium withdrew from the National Greyhound Racing Club under the 'Combine' licence.


1954 UMass Redmen baseball team
The 1954 UMass Redmen baseball team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1954 NCAA baseball season. The Redmen played their home games at Alumni Field. The team was coached by Earl Lorden in his 7th year as head coach at UMass.


1954 UMass Redmen baseball team
The Redmen won the District I to advance to the College World Series, where they were defeated by the Missouri Tigers.


1954 UMass Redmen football team
The 1954 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1954 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 4–4 overall and 1–3 in conference play.


1954 USC Trojans football team
The 1954 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1954 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jess Hill, the Trojans compiled an 8–4 record (6–1 against conference opponents), finished in second place in the Pacific Coast Conference, lost to Ohio State in the 1955 Rose Bowl, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 258 to 159.


1954 USC Trojans football team
Jim Contratto led the team in passing with 32 of 79 passes completed for 702 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. Jon Arnett led the team in rushing with 96 carries for 601 yards and seven touchdowns. Lindon Crow was the leading receiver with seven catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns.


1954 USC Trojans football team
Three Trojans received first-team honors from the Associated Press on the 1954 All-Pacific Coast Conference football team: back Lindon Crow; tackle Ed Fouch; guard Jim Salsbury.


1954 USSR Chess Championship
The 1954 Soviet Chess Championship was the 21st edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 7 January to 7 February 1954 in Kiev. The tournament was won by Yuri Averbakh. The final were preceded semifinals events at Moscow, Leningrad, Rostov and Vilnius.


1954 United States Capitol shooting
The 1954 United States Capitol shooting was an attack on March 1, 1954, by four Puerto Rican nationalists wanting Puerto Rico's independence from US rule. They shot 30 rounds from semi-automatic pistols from the Ladies' Gallery (a balcony for visitors) of the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol.


1954 United States Capitol shooting
The nationalists, identified as Lolita Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Andres Figueroa Cordero, and Irvin Flores Rodríguez, unfurled a Puerto Rican flag and began shooting at Representatives in the 83rd Congress, who were debating an immigration bill. Five Representatives were wounded, one seriously, but all recovered. The assailants were arrested, tried and convicted in federal court, and given long sentences, effectively life imprisonment. In 1978 and 1979, their sentences were commuted by President Jimmy Carter. All four returned to Puerto Rico.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Independence movement in Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded on September 17, 1922 by people seeking independence. They contended that, as a matter of international law, the 1898 Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish–American War, could not empower the Spanish to "give" what was no longer theirs, in light of the 1897 Carta de Autonomía (Spanish Charter of Autonomy), whereby the Spanish Empire released Puerto Rico from colonial rule, giving the island sovereignty. While the Nationalists and other political parties supported independence, some political parties supported autonomy for the island within a formal relationship with the United States.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Independence movement in Puerto Rico
During this period of unrest, the electorate increasingly voted for the People's Democratic Party (PPD), which by 1940 controlled a majority in the legislature. It supported the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 by the US Congress, which established Puerto Rico as an Estado Libre Asociado ("Free Associated State"), with some autonomy. The people could elect their own governor, from the ruling PPD party; a bicameral legislature was established, and executive functions similar to those of American states were developed. The US retained responsibility for defense and foreign treaties.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s were a call for independence against the US government. The party demanded the recognition of the 1897 Carta de Autonomía, and Puerto Rico's international sovereignty. It also repudiated the status of Estado Libre Asociado, established in 1950 by law, as continued colonialism.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
The Nationalist president, Pedro Albizu Campos, ordered armed uprisings on October 30, 1950, in several towns, including Peñuelas, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Arecibo and Ponce. The most notable uprisings occurred in Utuado, Jayuya, and San Juan. They were suppressed by Puerto Rican forces, assisted by US forces.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
In Utuado, police killed the insurgents after they attacked the station. In Jayuya, insurgents declared the "Free Republic of Puerto Rico" after taking control of the police station; they held the city for three days, until the U.S. sent bomber planes, artillery, Puerto Rican National Guard and Army troops to suppress the revolt. In San Juan, the Nationalists attacked the governor's residence, intending to assassinate the governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, but were unsuccessful.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
The revolts resulted in many casualties: of the 28 dead, 16 were Nationalists, 7 were police officers, 1 a National Guardsman, and 4 were uninvolved civilians. Of the 49 wounded, 23 were police officers, 6 were National guardsmen, 9 were Nationalists, and 11 were uninvolved civilians.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
The actions were not limited to Puerto Rico. Two Puerto Rican Nationalists, who were living in New York City at the time, planned to assassinate the US president, Harry S. Truman. On November 1, 1950, they attacked police and Secret Service to gain access to Blair House in Washington, D.C., where Truman was staying during major renovations of the White House. One Nationalist, Griselio Torresola, was killed in the attack, as was a White House police officer, Leslie Coffelt. The other, Oscar Collazo, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party response
Acknowledging the importance of the question of Puerto Rico's status, Truman supported a plebiscite in Puerto Rico in 1952 offering a choice between continued direct rule as a colony and limited autonomy. While nearly 82% of those voting approved the new constitution and Free Associated State, or Commonwealth, independence was not an option on the ballot and most Nationalists boycotted the election.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Attack preparations
Nationalists were not satisfied with the people's vote in the plebiscite. In the early 1950s, Don Pedro Albizu Campos, president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, had been corresponding from his prison with 34-year-old Lolita Lebrón. Some of this correspondence discussed the Nationalist Party revolts of 1950. It also discussed Puerto Rican Governor Luis Muñoz Marín, who had succeeded in having Puerto Rico declared an Estado Libre Asociado (Free Associated State) of the U.S.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Attack preparations
In 1954, a group of Nationalists, which included Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Irvin Flores and Andrés Figueroa Cordero, decided to focus the world's attention on Puerto Rico's status, which they considered as a colony of the U.S. They planned to attack multiple locations in Washington, D.C. with force.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Background, Attack preparations
Albizu Campos did not order this attack, but the Nationalists continued to plan for it. Lebrón decided to lead the group and, eventually, the attack. Lebrón concluded that a single attack on the House of Representatives had a greater prospect for success than trying to attack multiple targets. They chose the date of March 1, 1954, to coincide with the opening of the Conferencia Interamericana (Interamerican Conference) in Caracas. Lebrón intended to call attention to Puerto Rico's independence cause, particularly among the Latin American countries at the conference.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Attack
On the morning of March 1, Lebrón traveled to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, where she rendezvoused with the rest of the group. They took the train to Washington, DC, and went the short distance from Union Station to the Capitol. Rafael Cancel Miranda suggested they postpone the attack, as it was late and the weather was rainy. Lebrón said, "I am alone" and continued towards the Capitol building's interior. The group looked at each other, and decided to follow her.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Attack
When Lebrón's group reached the visitor's gallery above the House chamber, they sat while the representatives discussed the Mexican economy and issues of immigration. After Lebrón gave the order, the group quickly recited the Lord's Prayer. She stood up and shouted, "¡Viva Puerto Rico libre!" (approximately, "Long live a free Puerto Rico!") and unfurled the flag of Puerto Rico. The group opened fire with semi-automatic pistols directed toward the Representatives below.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Attack
Five representatives were shot in the attack. The wounded lawmakers were Alvin Morell Bentley (R-Michigan), who took a bullet to the chest, Clifford Davis (D-Tennessee), who was shot in the leg, Ben F. Jensen (R-Iowa), who was shot in the back, as well as George Hyde Fallon (D-Maryland) and Kenneth A. Roberts (D-Alabama). House pages helped carry Bentley off the House floor. The representatives were treated and recovered.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Attack
Lebrón said she fired her shots at the ceiling, while Figueroa's pistol jammed. Some 30 shots were fired (mostly by Cancel, according to his account), wounding five lawmakers. Upon being arrested, Lebrón yelled, "I did not come to kill anyone, I came to die for Puerto Rico!"


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Aftermath and arrests
The Nationalists were immediately arrested in Washington, D.C. The next morning in Puerto Rico, the Insular Police raided the home of Pedro Albizu Campos, president of the Nationalist Party, with guns and tear gas. Under the command of the Chief of Police of Puerto Rico, Salvador T. Roig, they fired into Campos' home from the roof of a Pentecostal Church and from a boarding house which faced the home. They arrested Campos and took him to jail. He was unconscious and half-asphyxiated when taken from the house.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Aftermath and arrests
Police Chief Roig later said that the order to arrest Albizu Campos "did not make any sense." Albizu Campos's phones were tapped, his mail was being intercepted, and Albizu was under 24-hour surveillance by the FBI, the CIA and the Insular Police. The FBI reports on Albizu Campos and the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party ultimately exceeded over one million pages in length. They found no evidence that Albizu was directly connected with the attack on Congress.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Aftermath and arrests
The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín, revoked Albizu's pardon, and had the political leader returned to La Princesa prison, from which he had been released only six months before. He was accused of sedition, violation of Puerto Rico Law 53 of 1948 (otherwise known as the "Gag Law") and the attempted violent overthrow of the U.S. government. Two years later, on March 25, 1956, Albizu Campos suffered an embolism and a stroke while in prison, leaving him semi-paralyzed and mute. He was not released from U.S. federal custody for another nine years, shortly before his death, which occurred on April 21, 1965.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
Lebrón, Cancel Miranda and the other defendants were charged in federal court in Washington with attempted murder and other crimes. The trial began on June 4, 1954, with federal Judge Alexander Holtzoff presiding over the case, under strict security measures. A jury composed of seven men and five women was assembled; their identities were kept secret. The prosecution was led by Leo A. Rover; 33 witnesses testified.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
Ruth Mary Reynolds helped secure Conrad Lynn's services as a lawyer for Lebrón and the other three co-defendants. The accused were the only ones to testify in their defense. Lebrón reaffirmed that she came, not to kill, but "to die for the liberty of her homeland."


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
On June 16, 1954, the jury declared the four guilty, except that Lebrón was acquitted of assault with the intent to kill and instead convicted of the lesser offense of assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecutor demanded the death penalty but Judge Holtzoff decided maximum consecutive prison terms: 75 years' imprisonment for each of the men, and 50 years for Lebrón. Given the age of the accused, this effectively meant imprisonment for life, unless they were earlier paroled.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
American League lawyers appealed the sentence. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences in early 1956.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
On July 13, 1954, the four defendants were taken to New York, where they appeared before federal Judge Lawrence E. Walsh of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, to face related charges, with additional co-defendants, of seditious conspiracy. This charge encompassed, but was broader than, the attack on the Congress. They declared themselves not guilty on the charge of "trying to overthrow the government of the United States," but remained firm in demanding independence for Puerto Rico. Among the prosecution's witnesses was Gonzalo Lebrón Jr., who testified against his sister.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
On October 26, 1954, the jury found all of the defendants guilty of conspiracy. Judge Walsh sentenced them to six additional years in prison, except that Cancel Miranda, considered to be the primary shooter, received a total prison sentence of 85 years. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conspiracy convictions and consecutive sentences in 1955.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment
The four were sent to different prisons: Figueroa Cordero to the federal penitentiary in Atlanta; Lebrón to the women's prison in Alderson, West Virginia; Cancel Miranda was to Alcatraz, in the center of San Francisco Bay; and Flores Rodriguez to Leavenworth, Kansas, where Oscar Collazo was incarcerated following his involvement in the attempted assassination of President Harry S Truman in 1950.


1954 United States Capitol shooting, Trial and imprisonment, Release
Figueroa Cordero was released in 1978. One year later, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentences of the remaining perpetrators. Some analysts said this was in exchange for Fidel Castro's release of several American CIA agents being held in Cuba on espionage charges, but the US said that was not the case. The Nationalists were received in Puerto Rico with a heroes' welcome from roughly 5,000 people at San Juan International Airport.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections
The 1954 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1954 which occurred in the middle of President Dwight Eisenhower's first term. Eisenhower's Republican Party lost eighteen seats in the House, giving the Democratic Party a majority that it would retain in every House election until 1994. As of 2021, this is the last time the House changed partisan control in two cycles in a row.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections
Perhaps the major reason for the Republican defeat was the backlash against the Army-McCarthy Hearings, in which prominent Republican Senator Joe McCarthy accused countless political and intellectual figures of having Communist ties, usually with no evidence. Another issue was the Dixon-Yates contract to supply power to the Atomic Energy Commission.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections
Sam Rayburn of Texas became Speaker of the House, exchanging places with new Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin Jr. of Massachusetts; they went back to what they had been before the 1952 elections.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections, California
Of the thirty races, two incumbents retired and were replaced by new members from their party; one Republican lost re-election to a Democrat and one Democrat lost re-election to a Republican; and twenty six incumbents were re-elected.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in California
The United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1954 was an election for California's delegation to the United States House of Representatives, which occurred as part of the general election of the House of Representatives on November 6, 1954. Democrats gained two seats and lost one seat.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in California, Results
Final results from the Clerk of the House of Representatives:


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
The 1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 2, 1954 to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. The primary elections were held on July 13. All six incumbents were re-elected and the composition of the state delegation remained solely Democratic.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1st congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman L. Mendel Rivers of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1941, defeated Republican challenger Mrs. John E. Messervy.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2nd congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John J. Riley of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1951, defeated Republican challenger I.S. Leevy.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 3rd congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1951, defeated Republican challenger C.M. Smith.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 4th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Robert T. Ashmore of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1953, defeated Republican challenger Lena Bellotte.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 5th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James P. Richards of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1933, defeated Wade S. Weatherford in the Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 6th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McMillan of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1939, defeated Republican challenger Vernon Johnson.


1954 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia
The 1954 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 2, 1954 to determine who will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Virginia had ten seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1950 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.


1954 United States Senate election in Alabama
The 1954 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 2, 1954.


1954 United States Senate election in Alabama
Incumbent Senator John Sparkman was re-elected to a second term in office over Republican Junius Foy Guin Jr.


1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas
The 1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent U.S. Senator John L. McClellan was re-elected to a third term in office, after defeating a primary challenge from former Governor of Arkansas Sid McMath.


1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas
Because the Republican Party (or any other party) did not field a candidate in the general election, McClellan's primary victory was tantamount to election.


1954 United States Senate election in Colorado
The 1954 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Edwin C. Johnson did not run for re-election. Republican Lieutenant Governor Gordon Allott defeated Democratic U.S. Representative John A. Carroll in the race for the open seat.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia
The 1954 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Russell Jr. was re-elected to a fourth term in office.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia
As was common at the time, the Democratic candidate ran with no opposition in the general election so therefore the Democratic primary was the real contest, and winning the primary was considered tantamount to election.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Democratic primary
The Democratic primary election was held on September 8, 1954. As Russell was unopposed, there was no run-off.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Democratic primary, County unit system
From 1917 until 1962, the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Georgia used a voting system called the county unit system to determine victors in statewide primary elections.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Democratic primary, County unit system
The system was ostensibly designed to function similarly to the Electoral College, but in practice the large ratio of unit votes for small, rural counties to unit votes for more populous urban areas provided outsized political influence to the smaller counties.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Democratic primary, County unit system
Under the county unit system, the 159 counties in Georgia were divided by population into three categories. The largest eight counties were classified as "Urban", the next-largest 30 counties were classified as "Town", and the remaining 121 counties were classified as "Rural". Urban counties were given 6 unit votes, Town counties were given 4 unit votes, and Rural counties were given 2 unit votes, for a total of 410 available unit votes. Each county's unit votes were awarded on a winner-take-all basis.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Democratic primary, County unit system
Candidates were required to obtain a majority of unit votes (not necessarily a majority of the popular vote), or 206 total unit votes, to win the election. If no candidate received a majority in the initial primary, a runoff election was held between the top two candidates to determine a winner.


1954 United States Senate election in Georgia, Bibliography
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1954 United States Senate election in Illinois
The 1960 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas was reelected to a second term.


1954 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information
The primary (held on April 13) and general election coincided with those for House and those for state elections.


1954 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information, Turnout
Turnout in the primaries was 27.07%, with a total of 1,431,554 votes cast. Despite a crowded field for the Republican nomination, the primaries experienced what The New York Times reporter Richard J. H. Johnston referred to as, "one of the lightest primary votes of recent years," in Illinois.


1954 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information, Turnout
Turnout during the general election was 63.69%, with 3,368,021 votes cast. This election saw less votes cast than were cast in either of the two coinciding races for statewide executive offices in Illinois.


1954 United States Senate election in Iowa
The 1954 United States Senate election in Iowa took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Guy Gillette ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Republican U.S. Representative Thomas E. Martin.


1954 United States Senate election in Iowa
This was the fifth consecutive election in which the incumbent lost and this seat changed parties.


1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky
The 1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper, who won a 1952 special election to fill the vacant seat of Virgil Chapman, ran for a full term in office but was defeated by Democratic former Senator and Vice President of the United States Alben Barkley.


1954 United States Senate election in Kentucky, Aftermath
Following his victory, Barkley served a little over a year before dying of a heart attack on April 30, 1956. Cooper won the November special election to succeed him and returned to the Senate.


1954 United States Senate election in Louisiana
The 1954 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Senator Allen J. Ellender was re-elected to a fourth term in office.


1954 United States Senate election in Louisiana
On July 27, Ellender won the Democratic primary with 59.15% of the vote. At this time, Louisiana was a one-party state, and the Democratic nomination was tantamount to victory. Ellender won the November general election without an opponent.


1954 United States Senate election in Maine
The 1954 United States Senate election in Maine was held on September 13, 1954. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith was re-elected to a second term over Democrat Paul Fullam.


1954 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
The United States Senate election of 1954 in Massachusetts was held on November 2, 1954, with Republican Incumbent Leverett Saltonstall defeating his challengers.


1954 United States Senate election in Michigan
The 1954 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Homer S. Ferguson ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by the Democratic Detroit Board of Education member Patrick V. McNamara.


1954 United States Senate election in Michigan, Democratic primary, Campaign
The campaign was cut short abruptly when Blair Moody died of a heart attack fourteen days before the August 3 primary.


1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota
The 1954 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey defeated Republican Minnesota State Treasurer Val Bjornson, to win a second term.


1954 United States Senate election in Mississippi
The 1954 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland won re-election to his third term.


1954 United States Senate election in Mississippi
Because Eastland faced only nominal opposition in the general election, his victory in the August 24 primary over Lieutenant Governor Carroll Gartin was tantamount to election.


1954 United States Senate election in Montana
The 1954 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent United States Senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary against trivial opponents, he advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by Wesley A. D'Ewart, the Republican nominee and the United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district. A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.


1954 United States Senate election in Nebraska
The 1954 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 2, 1954. The Republican Representative, Carl Curtis, was elected for the first time. He defeated former governor Keith Neville. 2 other Senate elections in Nebraska were held on the same day; the special election to finish Dwight Griswold's term, and the special election to finish Hugh A. Butler's term. Curtis was appointed to the Senate before his elected term, on January 1, 1955, following the resignation of incumbent Senator Hazel Abel.


1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The 1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1954. Republican U.S Representative Clifford P. Case defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Charles R. Howell with 48.66% of the vote.


1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey
This election was decided by the fewest votes (3,507) and narrowest percentage margin (0.19%) in New Jersey history.


1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey, General election, Campaign
During the campaign, Case openly criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, and pledged to vote against seating McCarthy on any committee with investigative functions. McCarthy's supporters called him "a pro-Communist Republicrat" and "Stalin's choice for Senator." The Star-Ledger quoted former Communist Party leader Bella Dodd as saying  that Case's sister Adelaide was "an active member of several Communist front groups." It was later revealed, however, that the Adelaide Case in question was not the candidate's sister but a college professor who had died in 1948. A conservative faction within the Republican Party unsuccessfully attempted to force Case off the ballot, also proposing a write-in campaign for former U.S. Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr., co-author of the Taft-Hartley Act. Case was endorsed by President Eisenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina
The 1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 1954. Interim Democratic Senator Alton A. Lennon, who had been appointed to fill the vacant seat left by the death of Willis Smith, ran for re-election. Lennon lost the Democratic primary to former Governor W. Kerr Scott, who easily won the general election over Republican Paul C. West.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina
Scott also won the simultaneous special election to complete the remainder of Willis Smith's term unopposed.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina
On the same day, Sam Ervin won a special election to North Carolina's other Senate seat, to complete the unexpired term of Clyde Hoey, making this one of the extremely rare occasions when one state held three U.S. Senate elections simultaneously.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Background
Incumbent Senator Willis Smith died on July 10, 1953. Governor of North Carolina William B. Umstead appointed former State Senator Alton A. Lennon to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected. The special election for the remainder of Smith's term was scheduled for November 2, 1954, simultaneous with the general election for the next term.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Democratic primary, Results (General)
Scott secured the Democratic nomination for the term beginning in 1955.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina, Democratic primary, Results (Special)
Although Lennon qualified for a run-off in the special primary election, he declined to seek one as he had already been eliminated from the race for the full term.


1954 United States Senate election in North Carolina, General election, Results (Special)
West did not qualify for the ballot in the special election, leaving Kerr unopposed.


1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
The 1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Robert S. Kerr ran for re-election to a second term. He faced strong competition in the Democratic primary from former Governor Roy J. Turner, and though he won a sizable victory over Turner in the primary, he fell shy of an outright majority. Turner, however, withdrew from the race before a runoff election could be held. On the Republican side, U.S. Attorney Fred Mock won the nomination following a runoff against newspaper publisher Raymond Fields. In the general election, Kerr ended up easily defeating Mock, but with a significantly reduced victory from 1948.


1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma, Democratic primary, Results
Following the Democratic primary, Kerr had a sizable lead over Turner, but fell just short of a majority, thereby triggering a runoff election. However, several weeks after the primary, Turner withdrew from the runoff, announcing that he would not be able to adequately finance his campaign. After Turner's withdrawal, David C. Shapard, who placed a distant third in the primary, announced that he would attempt to force a runoff with Kerr. The State Election Board denied Kerr's request, and he appealed to the state Supreme Court, which quickly denied his appeal, concluding that his claim had no "apparent merit."


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina
The 1954 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 2, 1954 to select the next U.S. senator from the state of South Carolina. Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote in an election where other candidates had ballot access (William Knowland of California in 1946 was the first Senate candidate to win via write-in, but the ballots in that election were blank with no candidates listed, so essentially every candidate was running a write-in campaign). A Senate election where the victor won by a write-in campaign would not happen again until 2010.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, State Democratic Party executive committee
Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, State Democratic Party executive committee
The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, State Democratic Party executive committee
Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, Campaigns of the candidates
Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule" and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, Campaigns of the candidates
On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.


1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign, Campaigns of the candidates
Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election.


1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota
The 1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican Senator Karl E. Mundt ran for re-election to his second term. He was opposed by former State Representative Kenneth Holum, the Democratic nominee. Mundt defeated Holum in a landslide to win re-election.


1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota, Primary elections
Both Mundt and Holum won their primaries without opposition. Mundt announced that he would seek a second term on December 31, 1953, amid speculation that Governor Sigurd Anderson would challenge him in the Republican primary. However, on February 9, 1954, Anderson announced that he wouldn't challenge Mundt, and would instead retire rather than seek re-election. No candidates emerged against Mundt until Kenneth Holum, a former State Representative from Groton, announced his campaign on April 5, 1954.


1954 United States Senate election in South Dakota, Primary elections
Former State Senator David L. Wickens announced that he would challenge Mundt in the Republican primary, but was unable to gather a sufficient number of petitions and dropped out of the race. With Wickens out of the race, no other candidates emerged, and Mundt and Holum faced no opposition for their parties' nominations. Accordingly, both races were removed from the primary election ballot.


1954 United States Senate election in Texas
The 1954 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson was re-elected to a second term in office, easily dispatching his challengers.


1954 United States Senate election in Virginia
The 1954 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 2, 1954. Democratic incumbent Senator Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a second term in office.


1954 United States Senate elections
The 1954 United States Senate elections was a midterm election in the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. Eisenhower's Republican party lost a net of two seats to the Democratic opposition. This small change was just enough to give Democrats control of the chamber with the support of an Independent (Wayne Morse of Oregon) who caucused with them.


1954 United States Senate elections
The elections resulted in a divided government that continued to the end of Eisenhower's presidency and a Democratic majority that would last until 1981.


1954 United States Senate elections
As of 2021, this is the last Senate election cycle in which a state had to hold three elections for both seats (two special elections and one regular election) due to the near-simultaneous deaths of both incumbent Senators.


1954 United States Senate elections, Results summary
Colored shading indicates party with largest share of that row.


1954 United States Senate elections, Retirements
Republicans made a net gain of two seats from retirements.


1954 United States Senate elections, Race summaries, Special elections during the 83rd Congress
In these special elections, the winners were seated during 1954 or before January 3, 1955; ordered by election date, then state, then class.


1954 United States Senate elections, Race summaries, Races leading to the 84th Congress
In these general elections, the winner was seated on January 3, 1955; ordered by state.


1954 United States Senate elections, California (special)
Following the resignation of Richard Nixon to assume the vice presidency, Governor Earl Warren appointed Thomas Kuchel to Nixon's seat; Kuchel assumed the office on January 2, 1953.


1954 United States Senate elections, Massachusetts
Democrat Foster Furcolo (Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts since 1952 and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district from 1949-1952) beat John I. Fitzgerald (former member of the Boston City Council and Democratic candidate for Senate in 1948) and Joseph L. Murphy (former member of the Massachusetts Senate).


1954 United States Senate elections, Massachusetts
Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall (United States senator since 1945 and Governor of Massachusetts from 1939-1945) was renominated. Other nominees included Socialist Workers Thelma Ingersoll (ran for Senate in 1952.) and Prohibition Harold J. Ireland (candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General in 1948 and 1952).


1954 United States Senate elections, Montana
In Montana incumbent senator James E. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 1934 and was re-elected in 1936, 1942, and 1948, ran for re-election.


1954 United States Senate elections, Montana
Murray won the Democratic primary against trivial opponents (farmer Ray E. Gulick and Sam G. Feezell).


1954 United States Senate elections, Montana
Republican Wesley A. D'Ewart United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district beat Robert Yellowtail, former Superintendent of the Crow Indian Reservation, for the GOP nomination.


1954 United States Senate elections, Montana
A contentious and close election ensued, but ultimately, Murray was able to narrowly win re-election over D'Ewart to a final term in the Senate.


1954 United States Senate elections, Nebraska
Nebraska had three Senate elections on the ballot. Both incumbents had died in the span of three months, leading to appointments and special elections.


1954 United States Senate elections, Nebraska, Nebraska (special, Class 1)
Incumbent Republican Hugh A. Butler died July 1, 1954 and Republican Samuel W. Reynolds was appointed July 3, 1954 to continue the term. Reynolds did not run to finish the term, and Republican Roman Hruska won the seat in November to finish the term ending in 1959.


1954 United States Senate elections, Nebraska, Nebraska (special, Class 2)
Incumbent Republican Dwight P. Griswold died April 12, 1954, and Republican Eva Bowring was appointed April 16 to continue the term. In November, Republican Hazel Abel was elected to finish the term.


1954 United States Senate elections, Nebraska, Nebraska (regular)
Although elected to finish the class 2 term, Abel did not run for the next term, and Republican Carl Curtis was elected in November to the next term.


1954 United States Senate elections, Nebraska, Nebraska (regular)
On December 31, 1954 Abel resigned and Curtis was appointed January 1, 1955, two days ahead of his elected term.


1954 United States Senate elections, North Carolina
Like Nebraska, North Carolina had three elections on the ballot. Both senators had died during the 83rd Congress, leading to appointments and special elections.


1954 United States Senate elections, North Carolina, North Carolina (special, Class 2)
Democrat Willis Smith died June 26, 1953 and Democrat Alton A. Lennon was appointed July 10, 1953 to continue the term. In November, Lennon lost the nomination to Democrat W. Kerr Scott to finish the term. Scott took office November 29, 1954.


1954 United States Senate elections, North Carolina, North Carolina (regular)
Democrat W. Kerr Scott was also elected to the next term, which would begin January 3, 1955.


1954 United States Senate elections, North Carolina, North Carolina (special, Class 3)
Democrat Clyde R. Hoey died May 12, 1954 and Democrat Sam Ervin was appointed June 5, 1954 to continue the term. In November, Ervin was elected to finish the term.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
In South Carolina, Senator Burnet R. Maybank did not face a primary challenge in the summer and was therefore renominated as the Democratic Party's nominee for the election in the fall. However, his death on September 1 left the Democratic Party without a nominee and the executive committee decided to nominate state Senator Edgar A. Brown as their candidate for the election. Many South Carolinians were outraged by the party's decision to forgo a primary election and former Governor Strom Thurmond entered the race as a write-in candidate. He easily won the election and became the first U.S. senator to be elected by a write-in vote (William Knowland of California in 1946 was technically the first, but the ballots in that election were blank with no candidates listed, so essentially every candidate was running a write-in campaign).


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Sitting Senator Burnet R. Maybank entered the 1954 contest without a challenge in the Democratic primary nor in the general election. His unexpected death on September 1 caused panic and confusion within the hierarchy of the state Democratic party because the state law required that a party's nominee be certified by September 3. Hours after Maybank's funeral, the state Democratic executive committee met in secret and chose state Senator Edgar A. Brown of Barnwell County as the party's nominee for the general election. Not only was Brown a part of the "Barnwell Ring", but he was also a member of the executive committee.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
The state Democratic Party's decision to choose a candidate without holding a special primary election drew widespread criticism across the state. On September 3, The Greenville News ran an editorial advocating that a primary election be called and several newspapers across the state followed suit. At least six county Democratic committees repudiated the action by the state committee and called for a primary election. Despite repeated calls for a primary, the state executive committee voted against holding a primary because they did not think that there was enough time before the general election to hold a primary election.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Immediately after the executive committee voted against holding a primary election, former Governor Strom Thurmond and lumberman Marcus Stone announced their intention to run as Democratic write-in candidates. Thurmond and his supporters stated that the executive committee had several legal alternatives as opposed to the outright appointment of state Senator Brown. In addition, Thurmond promised that if he were elected he would resign in 1956 so that the voters could choose a candidate in the regular primary for the remaining four years of the term.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Thurmond received support from Governor James F. Byrnes and from those who backed his Presidential bid as a Dixiecrat in the 1948 Presidential election. Thurmond framed the race as a "moral issue: democracy versus committee rule" and his write-in campaign was repeatedly assisted by every newspaper in the state, except for those in Anderson. For instance, The News and Courier devoted its front page on November 2 to show voters a sample ballot and it also provided detailed instructions on how to cast a write-in vote. Not only that, but the newspaper also printed an editorial on the front page giving precise reasons why voters should vote for Thurmond instead of Brown.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
On the other hand, Brown was supported by the Democratic party regulars and he also gained the endorsement of Senator Olin D. Johnston. Brown based his campaign entirely on the issue of party loyalty, stressing that Thurmond was a Republican ally because he had voted for President Eisenhower in 1952.


1954 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Marcus A. Stone, a lumberman in Florence and Dillon, was a candidate in previous Democratic primaries for governor and senator. He did very little campaigning for the general election.


1954 United States Senate elections, Virginia
In Virginia, Democratic incumbent Senator Absalom Willis Robertson defeated Independent Democrat Charles Lewis and Social Democrat Clarke Robb and was re-elected to a second term in office.


1954 United States Senate elections, Wyoming
There were two elections the same day to the same seat, due to the June 19, 1954 death of Democrat Lester C. Hunt. Both elections were won by Democratic former senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney.


1954 United States Senate elections, Wyoming, Wyoming (special)
Republican Edward D. Crippa was appointed June 24, 1954 to continue the term, pending a November 2, 1954 special election.


1954 United States Senate elections, Wyoming, Wyoming (regular)
O'Mahoney would serve out this one term and then retire.


1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming
The 1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Lester C. Hunt died from suicide on June 19, 1954, and Republican Governor Clifford J. Rogers appointed former state highway commissioner Edward D. Crippa to replace him. Two elections for the Senate seat were held on the same day; one as a special election to fill the remainder of Hunt's original six-year term, and another to select a Senator to serve the next six-year term. Senator Crippa did not run for re-election.


1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming
Crippa did not run for re-election; instead, Congressman William Henry Harrison III won a contested Republican primary and advanced to the general election, where he faced former Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney, the Democratic nominee. In the midst of a largely neutral political environment—Democrats gained a handful of seats in Congress nationwide, which enabled them to flip the Senate, while Republican Milward Simpson narrowly won the gubernatorial election—O'Mahoney narrowly defeated Harrison to return to the Senate.


1954 United States Senate elections in Wyoming
As of 2021, this is the last time Democrats won Wyoming's Class 2 Senate seat.


1954 United States Senate special election in California
The 1954 United States Senate special election in California was held on November 2, 1954, to elect a U.S. Senator to complete the unexpired term of Senator Richard Nixon, who resigned on becoming Vice President of the United States following the 1952 presidential election. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel, who had been appointed by Governor Earl Warren, won election to the remainder of the term, defeating Democratic nominee Sam Yorty.


1954 United States Senate special election in California, Bibliography
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1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio
The 1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio was held on November 2, 1954 to complete the unexpired term of late Senator Robert A. Taft, who died in office on July 31, 1953. Interim Senator Thomas A. Burke ran to complete the term in office but was narrowly defeated by U.S. Representative George Bender.


1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio, Background
On July 31, 1953, incumbent Republican Senator Robert A. Taft died in office. His term was scheduled to expire in 1957. Governor Frank Lausche appointed Thomas A. Burke, the Democratic Mayor of Cleveland, to fill his seat until a successor could be duly elected.


1954 United States Senate special election in Ohio, Background
The special election was scheduled for November 2, 1954, concurrent with the regularly scheduled state and federal elections. Burke ran to complete the term.


1954 United States Senate special elections in Nebraska
Two special elections in Nebraska were held on November 2, 1954, alongside a regular election. The Class I election was to finish Hugh A. Butler's term, with Samuel W. Reynolds appointed to the vacancy on July 3, 1954. The Class II election was to finish Kenneth S. Wherry's term, with Eva Bowring as incumbent at the time of the election. Both seats were held by Republicans, with Roman Hruska winning the Class I election and Hazel Abel winning the Class II election.


1954 United States Senate special elections in Nebraska, Class I
In the 1952 election, incumbent Senator Hugh A. Butler was re-elected to a third term. Following his death on July 1, 1954, Samuel W. Reynolds was appointed to the vacant seat. Roman Hruska won the special election to complete Butler's term, defeating James F. Green.


1954 United States Senate special elections in Nebraska, Class II
In the 1948 election, Kenneth S. Wherry was re-elected to a second term. Following his death on November 29, 1951, Fred A. Seaton was appointed to the seat until the special election the following year, when Dwight Griswold was elected to finish Wherry's term. He died on April 12, 1954, and Eva Bowring was appointed to the vacancy, the first woman to represent Nebraska in the Senate. Hazel Abel (on the ballot as Mrs. George P. Abel), became the first woman elected to the Senate from Nebraska on November 2, 1954. She resigned on December 31, 1954, to give the incoming Senator Carl Curtis a seniority advantage. Curtis was appointed the following day.


1954 United States elections
The 1954 United States elections were held on November 2, 1954. The election took place in the middle of Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower's first term. In the election, the Republicans lost the Congressional majorities they had won in the previous election, due in most part to the backlash from Mccarthyism and the numerous controversies it spawned including the Army hearings and the suicide of Democratic Senator Lester C. Hunt.


1954 United States elections
In the House, the Republicans lost eighteen seats to the Democratic Party, losing control of the chamber. Republicans would not re-take the House until 1994. The Republicans also lost control of the U.S. Senate, losing two seats to the Democrats. Republicans would not re-take control of the Senate until 1980.


1954 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1954, in 34 states, concurrent with the House and Senate elections, on November 2, 1954 (September 13 in Maine). The special election in Florida was due to the death of incumbent governor Daniel T. McCarty on September 28, 1953.


1954 United States gubernatorial elections
In Tennessee, the governor was elected to a 4-year term for the first time, instead of a 2-year term.


1954 Uruguayan Primera División
The 1954 Primera División Uruguaya was contested by 10 teams, and Peñarol won the championship.


1954 Uruguayan general election
General elections were held in Uruguay on 26 November 1954. The National Council of Government, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate were all elected by a single vote cast by each voter. The result was a victory for the Colorado Party.


1954 Utah Redskins football team
The 1954 Utah Redskins football team represented the University of Utah during the 1954 college football season.


1954 Utah Redskins football team, NFL draft
Utah had two players selected in the 1955 NFL Draft.


1954 Utah State Aggies football team
The 1954 Utah State Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Utah State University in the Skyline Conference during the 1954 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach John Roning, the Aggies compiled a 4–6 record (4–3 against Skyline opponents), placed third in the Skyline Conference, and were outscored by opponents by a total of 187 to 158.


1954 VFA season
The 1954 Victorian Football Association season was the 73rd season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne by 32 points in the Grand Final on 2 October. It was Williamstown's sixth premiership, and the first of five premierships won in six seasons from 1954 until 1959.


1954 VFA season, Premiership
The home-and-home season was played over twenty matches, before the top four clubs contested a finals series under the Page–McIntyre system to determine the premiers for the season.


1954 VFL Grand Final
The 1954 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Footscray Football Club and Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 25 September 1954. It was the 58th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League (VFL), staged to determine the premiers for the 1954 VFL season.


1954 VFL Grand Final, The match
The match, attended by 80,897 spectators, was won by Footscray by 51 points, marking that club's first VFL premiership; it had won 9 premierships in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) before entering the VFL in 1925.


1954 VFL Grand Final, The match
Footscray led by 29 points at quarter-time and were comfortably in front for the rest of the game. Jack Collins kicked 7 goals for the match and John Kerr had 32 disposals.


1954 VFL season
The 1954 Victorian Football League season was the 58th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.


1954 VFL season, Premiership season
In 1954, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances.


1954 VFL season, Premiership season
Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.


1954 VFL season, Premiership season
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1954 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.


1954 VFL season, Finals Series, Grand Final
This was Footscray's maiden Grand Final appearance, while Melbourne were in their 9th Grand Final chasing their 7th VFL premiership. With most of the crowd behind them, Footscray got off to a big start, kicking six goals to one in the first quarter to eventually run out 51-point winners, doubling Melbourne's score. Melbourne would go on to win five of the next six Grand Finals.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team
The 1954 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute, now known as Virginia Tech, in the 1954 college football season. The team, coached by Frank Moseley, had an 8–0-1 record. The team was ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll. Three major college football teams had perfect records in 1954, but the Gobblers only prevailed over one team with a winning record, fellow Southern Conference member Richmond, which was 5–4.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team
Despite its record, and some interest from bowl scouts, Tech did not earn a berth in a postseason game. There were only 14 teams who played in bowl games following the 1954 season.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team
It was the first undefeated season for Virginia Tech since the 1918 team went 7–0. It also marks the last time that a Virginia Tech team has gone undefeated (although the 1999 team went 11–0 in regular-season play before losing the National Championship game played in the 2000 Sugar Bowl).


1954 VPI Gobblers football team
The Techmen were 3-0-1 in the conference, with the lone blemish coming in a tie with William & Mary, which finished the year 4-4-2. Tech finished second in the Southern to West Virginia which was 4-0. Those two teams did not face off during the season. Three Tech players were elected to the first-team all-conference squad: end Tom Petty who caught nine passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns;  who led the league in rushing with 647 yards; and future Baltimore Colts star George Preas, a star interior lineman. Howie Wright, injured early in the year, was elected to the second team.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team
Frank O. Moseley, the 41-year-old head coach, was unanimously named the Associated Press Big-Six coach of the year. (The Big-Six was not a conference, but instead a press-inspired grouping of the six major college athletic programs in the state: Virginia Tech, William & Mary, UVA, VMI, Richmond, and Washington and Lee - ironically a school that did not field a varsity program in 1954). The state newspapers also coined seven other state athletic teams the "Little Seven": Emory and Henry; Hampden Sydney; Randolph-Macon; Bridgewater; Roanoke College (basketball only); and Lynchburg College (basketball only). The first team all Big-Six team included Beard, Petty and Preas, plus center Jack Prater and guard Billy Kerfoot.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, NC State
Howie Wright scored two touchdowns to lead the Gobblers to their first victory of the year, beating NC State, 30-21. After falling behind 7–0 in the first quarter, Wright took a handoff from quarterback Johnny Dean and raced 67 yards to knot the score. The Tech defense did not allow the Wolfpack a first down in the second or third quarters, and in fact put the Gobblers in front 9–7 when George Preas tossed the NC State quarterback in the end zone for a safety.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, NC State
On the drive following the free kick, Bill Cranwell took the ball in from the six, capping a 12-play drive. After leading 16–7 at the half, the Techmen scored on another run by Wright, this one from the one. After NC State matched that score with a touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff, quarterback Dean gave the Gobblers their final tally from one-yard out. The Gobblers had taken the ball into NC State territory after an interception by Cranwell. They held on for the 30–21 win. VPI had 317 yards on the ground, and had a total of 19 first downs. Dickie Beard was 4-for-4 on extra point tries.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest
Howie Wright and Johnny Dean each accounted for two touchdowns as the Gobblers shut out Wake Forest in the sixth Tobacco Bowl played in Richmond, Virginia. Both of Wright's scores were over 60 yards, with the first coming on a 62-yard completion by Dean, and the second on a 64-yard jaunt off right tackle. Dean also had a one-yard score to begin the onslaught in the first quarter. The Tech defense was brutal against the Wake air attack, intercepting six passes, two of those by Wright, who plays in both the offensive and defensive backfields. Bill Cranwell and Billy Anderson also scored for the Techmen.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Clemson
Tech beat its third Atlantic Coast Conference team in three weeks when it ran up an 18–0 lead by halftime and held on for an 18–7 upset win over Clemson. Johnny Dean scored twice following a first period touchdown by Dickie Beard. Dean also had an interception. Beard had a total of 74 yards on 17 carriers. The win was the first for the Gobblers over Clemson in five tries stretching over 20 years.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Richmond
Sixteenth-ranked Richmond Tech had to come from behind in the second quarter, and overcome the loss of its first string quarterback, to win against the Richmond Spiders. Johnny Dean, who had starred for the Gobblers in its first three wins, scored the game's first touchdown, but had to be taken from the field on a stretcher after breaking his ankle. Howie Wright was also injured and had to leave the game. It was the Gobblers' second win in Richmond City Stadium in three games.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Virginia
Dickie Cranwell passed 20-yards to Grover Jones in the end zone to cap a 73-yard second period drive which accounted for all the scoring in the 6–0 rivalry win for 14th-ranked VPI over Virginia. The game was played at Victory Stadium in Roanoke. Cranwell, a sophomore, was starting his first game in place of quarterback Johnny Dean. Dickie Beard led the defense, intercepting three UVA passes. The game assured the Gobblers of an undefeated record against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams. 1954 was Virginia's first season in the ACC, a very sore subject with the Hokies.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Virginia
UVA, instead of Tech, had been the new conference's selection to bridge the gap between Maryland and the Carolinas. (At the time, Maryland's Terrapins were a national power, important for the prominence of the conference. So the league opted to become a four-state, instead of two-state league. However, it limited the size to eight schools). By the end of the season, the Gobblers made a satirical claim that it was in fact the ACC champion, since it had won as many games against conference teams as any other team in the conference. In reality, Tech did not beat Maryland, which finished as the actual conference champion with a 4–0 record. So its claim should have been it was co-champion.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, William & Mary
Virginia Tech scored a late touchdown to escape with a 7–7 tie against William & Mary, enough to preserve ts undefeated status, but not enough to keep its hopes of a perfect season alive. The game was played before the largest crowd (16,000) to ever watch a game in Blacksburg. Billy Anderson scored from three yards out with just under four minutes remaining, and Dickie Beard was successful on the extra point kick to avoid completely ruining homecoming for the Tech faithful. William & Mary scored early in the game on a 55-yard run by the Tribe's Doug Henley.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, William & Mary
While Tech's offense was dominating, rolling up 314 yards on the ground, the team was unable to move the ball when it counted until the final drive. The Tech defense was also dominating aside from the one long run in the first quarter. Aside from the long touchdown, the Techmen only gave up another 36 yards.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, George Washington
Tech jumped out to a 14–0 lead and held on against the George Washington in a game played on a Friday night at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. The Hokies hit on six of seven passes and three of those completions were touchdowns. Dickie Cranwell threw two TDS, one to Grover Jones and one to Tom Petty. Billy Anderson threw a halfback pass to a wide-open Bob Luttrell for the third score.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Waynesburg
Waynesburg gave Tech all it could handle in the first half before succumbing to the heavily favored Gobblers 20-6. Waynesburg, coming into Blacksburg with a five-game winning streak, struck first, scoring on the fifth play after Tech coughed up the ball on its own 26. The extra point failed, but the Yellow Jackets held on to the 6–0 lead until less than one minute to play in the first half. With 59 seconds left in the stanza, QB Billy Cranwell threw to Tom Petty for the score, and freshman Wayne Webster successfully kicked the extra point.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, Waynesburg
In the second half, Dickie Beard was part of both Tech touchdowns, throwing a halfback pass to Petty for one score, and returning an intercepted pass for a 79-yard touchdown to wrap things up. (Waynesburg was a lower-division program, eligible at the time to place its players on the "Little All-America" team, now composed of Division II, Division III and NAIA teams).


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, VMI
In what was referred to as the "Military Clash of the South," the Gobblers turned on the burners after a slow first quarter to VMI, 46–9 in Roanoke's Victory Stadium in the traditional Thanksgiving Day tilt. VMI held a 2–0 lead, and was threatening to score an offensive score when the Techmen held at their six. Halfback Dickie Beard then threw his second pass of the season, and the second one resulting in a touchdown, when the Gobblers caught VMI off-guard on a 69-yard trick play that wound up in Tom Petty's hands.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Game summaries, VMI
Tech led 14–9 when Dick Ebert scored on a 12-yard run. Don Divers then scored the next two touchdowns for the Gobblers, both on intercepted pass returns, the first for 42 yards and the other for 67. Cranwell hit Petty for his fifth receiving score of the year, Beard ran for a touchdown. Bobby Scruggs ran for the final tally.


1954 VPI Gobblers football team, Players
The following players were members of the 1954 football team.