Jack's Married Life

     When in high school, young Jack Shuler became infatuated with a neighbor girl in El Monte named Metta Nadine Prather. Being a handsome and passionate teen, Jack decided to take action. He saved up seven dollars, borrowed his father’s car, and picked up Metta. They eloped to Yuma, Arizona on May 16, 1936.[1] Shuler had not yet reached his 18^th birthday (on July 12). Newspapers had a field day when Metta filed for divorce in August. They reported her testimony in which she laid the blame on Jack’s famous father.

     The Associated Press lead sentence in a Los Angeles article dated August 25, 1936 read:

     “The Rev. Robert P. Shuler, militant radio preacher, forced his 18-year-old married son to return to the family home by 10 p.m. every night, the young Shuler’s wife, Mrs. Metta Nadine [Prather] Shuler charged in a divorce suit today.”[2]

     Since Bob and Nelle had never approved of the marriage, they hoped it would end, but when Metta filed for divorce and asked for alimony, Jack (with his family behind him) challenged the divorce and sought an annulment. After a long court battle, the Superior Judge granted the annulment on January 7, 1937.[3]

     The annulment, to “Fighting Bob,” was the lesser of two evils. Several years earlier he preached against the Roman Catholic practice of using annulment to justify a Catholic ending a marriage without calling it a divorce. He even published a pamphlet in 1923 called, “The Roman Church and Marriage,” which noted Catholics’ “use of annulment to counter divorce.”[4]

     After high school, Jack went to Whittier College near his home in El Monte, California. He took pre-law courses. His older brother, Bob, and younger sister, Nelle, also attended Whittier. Jack and Bob, both outstanding athletes in high school, played on Whittier’s football team. Jack played end. They followed in their older brother Bill’s footsteps.

     Bill, a six-foot-four picture of muscular health, set the standard for the Shuler boys in sports. After high school, he went to Cal Tech, where he starred in football (he was voted the outstanding football player in the Southern California Conference for 1930) and was rated “the best shot putter, discus thrower and javelin tosser in the same circuit…”[5]

     Bill became most famous as a nationally known West Point football player. Games between Army and Notre Dame usually received national attention. In 1934, one of the games Bill played in was no exception. Sixteen-year-old Jack likely listened to the game on a radio. In the game Bill played a leading role for Army.

     Associated Press Sports Editor Alan Gould opened his story on the November 1934 event as follows:

      New York, Nov. 24 – (AP)

      Notre Dame’s aerial barrage broke down the Army’s otherwise stout-hearted defense today and the burly, green-shirted Ramblers romped off with their third successive triumph over West Point, 12 to 6, in the most glittering setting of the Eastern football campaign.

      A colorful crowd of 81,000 spectators, including the cadet corps and a host of metropolitan notables, saw the Fighting Irish break the deadlock with two long, sensational passes for a touchdown with the last five minutes of play. The biggest turnout of fans in the East this season jammed the huge triple-decked Yankee Stadium, overflowed into the aisles and furnished a brilliant, vociferous background for one of the nation’s foremost intersectional rivalries. Gate receipts of approximately $325,000 for the spectacle marked a new high this year on any gridiron…

     In the first five minutes of the game, Notre Dame scored a lucky touchdown when an Army defensive player slipped, leaving a Notre Dame player wide open to run for the score. Gould went on to describe Bill Shuler’s role in what followed.

       Army’s star left end, Bill Shuler, blocked Millner’s attempt to place-kick the extra point.

       The Army’s counter-attack, featuring Jack Buckler’s effective passes to Shuler, produced the tying touchdown as an eventual consequence of the Irish being put in a big hole by Buckler’s 75-yard punt to Notre Dame’s one-foot line. Shuler crossed the goal-line on a 17-yard pass and run, in the first few moments of the second period to complete a 28-yard advance, but Captain Joe Stancook’s placement attempt for the seventh point was smothered by big Rocco Schiralli, sensational Rambler guard…

     The game remained tied till the last few minutes when Notre Dame scored the winning touchdown. Bill Shuler had played a key role for Army by both blocking an extra point and running for Army’s only touchdown.[6]

     Not long after that game, teammates selected him as next year’s team captain. A United Press story reported the event as follows:

       West Point, N.Y., Dec. 3. – From third stringer in 1933 to Captain of the Army eleven in 1935 is the march made by William R. Shuler, son of Rev. Robert Shuler, Los Angeles evangelist.

       The Army end was elected captain of next year’s team last night by his teammates en route to West Point from Philadelphia, scene of the loss last Saturday to Navy.

       Shuler is from El Monte, Calif., and attended California Institute of Technology before entering West Point. He ranks among the first ten in his class and is a first sergeant. Shuler moved up from third string tackle of last season into first string end this season.

       He clinched a regular berth with his fiery play against Illinois.

       He succeeds fullback Joe Stancook as captain. Dwight Oliver Monteith of Centerville, Iowa, will be manager of the 1935 team.[7]

     Bill Shuler went on to become a career soldier, rising to the rank of Brigadier General. His example would set a high bar for his brothers, though not as a minister.

     Jack was not only interested in sports and theater. He still had girls on his mind when he became a student at Whittier College.

     Jack’s younger sister, Nelle, also attending Whittier, had a number of girlfriends. Among them was Dorothy Dill. It wasn’t long before Jack and Dorothy were attracted to each other. The following year, when Jack and Dorothy were sophomores, history repeated itself, or at least rhymed. At the end of the school year, on May 30, 1938, Jack and Dorothy eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada.

     This time Jack’s parents approved of the marriage. It didn’t hurt that Dorothy Dill went to Trinity Methodist Church in Los Angeles (though she was later described as a Presbyterian).[8]

     Again the elopment hit the newspapers because of “Fighting Bob” Shuler’s fame. Jack was 43 days shy of 20. The Los Angeles Times ran an eye-catching headline, "Young Shuler Elopes Again - Whittier College Student and Co-Ed Motor to Los Vegas"[9]

     The local paper, The Whittier [California] News, June 2, 1938 ran a matter-of-fact article. The Whittier story read as follows:

Miss Dorothy Dill, Jack C. Shuler Married

       A marriage of much interest to their associates at Whittier College, as well as their many friends in this community and in Los Angeles, is that of Miss Dorothy Dill and Mr. Jack C. Shuler.

       The two young people eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were married last Monday [May 30, 1938].

       Miss Dill – or Mrs. Shuler, as she is now – is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Dill of 429 North Washington Avenue, this city. She is a student at Whittier College and secretary of the Metaphonian Society.

       Young Shuler is a member of the football team of the college, together with an older brother, Robert. A sister, Nelle Shuler, is also a student at Whittier College. All are sophomores. Jack Shuler is taking a pre-legal course and Mrs. Shuler is majoring in education.

       The Rev. Robert P. Shuler, Los Angeles pastor, and Mrs. Shuler, while surprised at the elopement declared that they approved their son’s choice of a bride.

       Miss [Nelle] Shuler has been a friend of her brother’s bride, while in school. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shuler have not as yet announced their future plans.[10]

     The same issue of the paper reported the final meeting of the year for the Metaphonian Society. Dorothy served chocolates.[11] Whittier College and the town welcomed the couple. A few days later the town paper reported a shower held for Dorothy. Among those attending were Jack’s sister, Nelle, and Dorothy’s mother, Mrs. R.H. Dill.[12]

      Jack and Dorothy began their life at 401 McGirk Avenue in El Monte, property owned by Jack’s parents. Jack worked as a gas station attendant while attending Whittier College.[13]

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[1] Robert Shuler, “Fighting Bob” Shuler of Los Angeles (Indianapolis, Indiana: Dog Ear Publishing, 2011), 341.

[2] Some of the newspapers covering this story included Modesto [California] Bee and News-Herald, August 26, 1936; Edwardsville [Illinois] Intelligencer, August 26, 1936; Jefferson City [MO] Post Tribune, August 26, 1936; Daily News Standard [Uniontown, Pennsylvania], August 26, 1936; Nevada State Journal [Reno], August 26, 1936; The Times [San Mateo, California], August 25, 1936; Ogden [Utah] Standard-Examiner, September 3, 1936.

[3] Los Angeles Times, January 8, 1937. See also Los Angeles Times, August 24, 1936 and January 7, 1937.

[4] Robert Shuler, “Fighting Bob” Shuler of Los Angeles (Indianapolis, Indiana: Dog Ear Publishing, 2011), 99.

[5] Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1931.

[6] Spartanburg Herald-Journal [South Carolina], Nov 25, 1934.

[7] “Name Bob Shuler’s Son Army Captain” Berkeley Daily Gazette, December 3, 1934.

[8] Spokane Daily Chronicle, September 28, 1956. Jack described Dorothy as “the sweetest Presbyterian this side of Heaven.”

[9] Los Angeles Times, June 2, 1938.

[10] “Miss Dorothy Dill, Jack C. Shuler Married” Whittier [California] News, June 2, 1938. 3.

[11] “Mrs. Shuler Given Post-Nuptial Courtesy” Whittier [California] News, June 2, 1938. 3.

[12] “Metaphonians Hold Final Meeting of Year” Whittier [California] News, June 6, 1938. 2.

[13] 1939 El Monte, California, City Directory. Jack’s older sister, Dorothy, was married to Willis Pitkin, who was an owner of the Pitkin Service Stations in El Monte. Jack may have gotten his job with the help of his brother-in-law.