Youth in California
Wieman was born in Tulare County, California, and raised in Los Angeles. His father, William H. Wieman, was a native of Missouri and a Presbyterian minister. Wieman was the seventh of eight children born to William and his wife Alma. At the time of the 1900 United States Census, the family lived in Orosi, California. By 1910, the family had moved to Los Angeles, California.
At Los Angeles High School, Wieman followed in the footsteps of four older brothers, Henry, "Ink," Drury and "Tabby" Wieman. All had been excellent athletes in football, track, baseball and basketball. "Tad" played at "breakaway" in rugby football for Los Angeles High and was heralded as the best athlete in a family regarded as "the greatest athletic one in the history of Southern California athletics." Wieman had been expected to follow his older brothers who had all enrolled at Occidental College, but he broke the family tradition when he decided to attend the University of Michigan. When Wieman announced his decision to attend Michigan, the Los Angeles Times called it "a calamity of almost national importance." The Times reported at length on Wieman's decision, noting:
"The fifth of the Wieman tribe has upset the most ancient tradition of Occidental College. The mighty Tad, terror of all Rugbyites last year, while playing for Los Angeles High, last Sunday quietly folded his tent like the Arab and stole away. ... Tad promised to be the greatest of them all. ... What Occidental will do without the great Tad nobody knows."
The expectations for Wieman were so high that Coach Featherstone of Los Angeles High, who reportedly urged Wieman to go to Michigan, said, "Tad Wieman will be one of the greatest athletes this country has ever seen before his college course is over."
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