SportsMakers:Football | The HistoryMakers

Donald Hudson

High school and college football coach and athletic director Donald Edward Hudson was born on November 20, 1929, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, where he participated in football and gymnastics. He went on to play football at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, where, in 1953, he received his B.S. degree in physical education and commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Engineers.

Hudson served his military obligation at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri as a platoon leader for the first eight weeks of basic training. He then spent the next year and a half on the DMZ in Korea, where he served as a first lieutenant platoon leader. After military service, he earned his M.Ed. degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Hudson first worked at Lincoln University in the 1950s and 1960s, where he taught in the Health and Physical Education Department and was an assistant football coach, assistant basketball coach, assistant track coach and head golf coach. In 1968, he became the State of Minnesota’s first African American high school head football coach when he was hired at Central High School in Minneapolis.

In December of 1971, Hudson was appointed head football coach of Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, becoming the first African American head football coach at a predominantly white university in the United States in the modern NCAA era. He also served as assistant chairman of the Department of Physical Education and as the men’s head track coach. While at Macalester, he testified before the U.S. Congress on behalf of the NCAA National Summer Youth Program, which he also directed for six years.

Hudson left Macalester College in 1975 and returned to Lincoln University in 1976, where he served as head football coach, head girls track coach, and athletic director for three years. He was later hired as athletic director of Smoky Hill High School in the Colorado Cherry Creek school district, where he worked until 2000.

Hudson was honored for his accomplishments during the half time of a Macalester football game on October 6, 2007. The mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota declared that day “Don Hudson Day” and Hudson was given the keys to the city. In addition, the football offices at Macalester College have been named after Hudson.

Hudson and his wife, Constance, reside in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have six children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Donald Hudson was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 12, 2014.

Hudson passed away on September 30, 2018.

Accession Number

A2014.185

Sex

Male

Archival Photo 1

Interview Date

8/12/2014

Last Name

Hudson

Maker Category

SportsMakers

Marital Status

Married

Middle Name

Edward

Occupation

College Football Coach

Organizations

NCAA National Summer Youth Program

Schools

Westinghouse Academy

Lincoln University

Springfield College

Belmar Elementary School

Baxter Elementary School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Donald

Birth City, State, Country

Pittsburgh

HM ID

HUD06

Favorite Season

Fall

State

Pennsylvania

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2014.185.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/656560

Favorite Vacation Destination

Beaches

Favorite Quote

Let's Do It Over Again.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

North Carolina

Interview Description

A2014_185_EAD.pdf

A2014_185_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

11/20/1929

Birth Place Term

Pittsburgh

Speakers Bureau Region City

Charlotte

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Bananas

Death Date

9/30/2018

Short Description

College football coach Donald Hudson (1929 - 2018 ) served as the head football coach of Macalester College from 1971. He was the first African American head coach at a predominantly white university in the modern NCAA era.

Employment

United States Army

Lincoln University

Central High School, Minneapolis

Macalester College

Smoky Hill High School, Colorado

Favorite Color

Blue

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/656564

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Donald Hudson's interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Donald Hudson lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Donald Hudson describes his mother's family background, pt. 1

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Donald Hudson describes his mother's family background, pt. 2

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Donald Hudson talks about his maternal family's church band

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Donald Hudson describes his father's family background, pt. 1

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Donald Hudson talks about his parents' early relationship

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Donald Hudson remembers his neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Donald Hudson describes his likeness to his mother

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Donald Hudson remembers the Great Depression

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Donald Hudson describes his earliest childhood memories

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Donald Hudson talks about the influence of Don Hutson

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Donald Hudson remembers his first football team

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Donald Hudson recalls his experiences at Belmar Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Donald Hudson remembers Ahmad Jamal

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Donald Hudson recalls his football practice routine, pt. 1

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Donald Hudson remembers playing football at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination at Westinghouse High School

Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Donald Hudson remembers his positions on the football team at Westinghouse High School

Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Donald Hudson describes his social activities at Westinghouse High School

Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Donald Hudson remembers his aspirations to attend college

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Donald Hudson recalls his football practice routine, pt. 2

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Donald Hudson remember his football coach at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Donald Hudson recalls his recruitment to Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Donald Hudson remembers his footballs heroes

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Donald Hudson describes his experiences of size discrimination on the football team at Lincoln University

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Donald Hudson talks about his knowledge of football strategy

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Donald Hudson remembers Coach Dwight T. Reed

Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination in the U.S. Army, pt. 1

Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Donald Hudson describes his experiences of discrimination in the U.S. Army, pt. 2

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Donald Hudson describes his U.S. Army service in the Korean War

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Donald Hudson remembers playing football in the U.S. Army

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Donald Hudson recalls the racial tensions during the Korean War

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Donald Hudson remembers becoming an assistant coach at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Donald Hudson recalls his master's degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Donald Hudson recalls the changes in the football team at Lincoln University

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Donald Hudson talks about Lincoln University's football league

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Donald Hudson recalls being hired as head football coach at Minneapolis Central High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Donald Hudson talks about his search for assistant coaches at Minneapolis Central High School

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Donald Hudson recalls his struggle to keep players on the football team at Minneapolis Central High School

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Donald Hudson remembers his early games at Minneapolis Central High School

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Donald Hudson describes his roles at Minneapolis Central High School

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Donald Hudson talks about his experiences at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Donald Hudson remembers coaching the Macalaster College football team

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Donald Hudson remembers recruiting black players for Macalaster College's football team in St. Paul, Minnesota

DASession

1$1

DATape

4$5

DAStory

4$1

DATitle

Donald Hudson remembers becoming an assistant coach at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri

Donald Hudson recalls being hired as head football coach at Minneapolis Central High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Transcript

You got out in '54 [1954], right?$$I guess that's right.$$Finished in '54 [1954]. And what were your prospects? What did things look for you when you, when you got out? Where were you going? I think you came to Chicago [Illinois], but how did that ha- well, how did that happen? How did that happen?$$Well, I had a couple of friends, and they had heard--the word had gotten around that I was getting out of the [U.S.] Army, and I didn't have a job. And one of the guys I had asked, I think he's been here. No, he couldn't have been here. I asked him, you know, and he said yeah, he knew of a job. Well, I went over and applied for the job, and this is another job. I went over and I applied for the job, even though that they had, the [U.S.] Army had brought me out to put me in the, you know, the spot, I get the job as director at the OFC--no. I get the job, and lo and behold--as platoon leader, another platoon leader--and what do they do but send me over the--get ready to send me over to Korea again. And in the meantime, we get up a little basketball team and so forth. And I don't know how this happened. They took me out of the baseball team. I can't even play baseball. They took me out of that baseball team and brought me back to the camp. And I guess it was really a few days later that I ended up getting my divor- discharge. I don't know why, don't know how.$$Okay. So that's when you came to the United States, back (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) Um-hm.$$--back to the states? And, so you worked with George Pruitt, you said, of Washington Park [Chicago, Illinois]?$$Um-hm.$$Okay. And George Pruitt was associated with the Chicago Bears in some way?$$Unh-uh.$$Nope?$$When I was a teacher at Lincoln [Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri] I came to Chicago, and I recruited George Pruitt to play basketball for Lincoln University.$$Okay, okay.$$He turned out to be a very, very great player. And he didn't play with the actual Glo- Globetrotters [Harlem Globetrotters], but he ended up, he did play with the team next to them [Kansas City Steers], whatever that was.$$The Generals, the Washington Generals (laughter)?$$(Unclear) I have no idea. And he, of course, had that (unclear) that little cup they gave him to take out. You know, I don't know what was in it. But anyhow, he played for the Army for three or four years. And I saw him maybe three or four times. He is probably the best guy I ever recruited. Yeah, as a, as an athlete.$$Okay.$$Then he died.$$And, but he played for Lincoln. You recruited him--$$Yeah, for Lincoln.$$--for Lincoln, okay. All right, so, what I was trying to figure out is when you got out of the Korean War--I mean the Army in '54 [1954], did you go back to Lincoln first, or did you go to Chicago? Well, let's just get--well, let's just take you up from Chi- from Lincoln then--$$Okay. I think--$$--when--$$--I went back to Lincoln.$$Yeah, okay. So when you went back to Lincoln you became the assistant football coach?$$Yes.$$All right, okay. All right, but you also taught track, gymnastics, swimming.$$Oh, yeah.$$It's a lot of things, right (simultaneous)?$$(Simultaneous) Yeah.$In the interest of our time, I'm going to just ask you about Macalester College [St. Paul, Minnesota]. We're going to get right to this historic time pe- period here. Now you were the head coach at Minneapolis Central High School [Minneapolis, Minnesota] from '68 [1968] to '72 [1972]. And tell us how you found out about the job at Macalester.$$I found out through Bill McMoore [Donald "Bill" McMoore], a friend of mine who lived in Minneapolis [Minnesota] (clears throat). He wrote me and told me that the job was open, and he knew I should--he said, "You should apply for the job." And he said, "They don't have any black coaches in the school except the assistant coaches." And he said, "They're trying to go on the move," so he said, "Why don't you apply?" So I did apply.$$Okay. So this is for the job at--$$At Minneapolis Central.$$Okay. Minneapolis Central, okay, all right. (Laughter) It's like--okay, all right.$$Yeah.$$So, well, tell us about what, what happened in Minneapolis Cen- Central. Were you successful?$$Do you really want to know (laughter)?$$Yeah.$$All right, when I first got to Minneapolis Central, of course, they had me fill out some papers and stuff. And they wanted to know what my experience was and so forth. And for the most part, I had had more experience than any of the coaches that were already there. I had coached something like ten, fifteen years. And they were much less than that. And then I had coached in college against high school, although I had coached some high school ball before I got there. So as the story goes on at Central, they moved a guy up to be the athletic director. He was a very nice guy. And he came to me, and he asked me if I had any coaches that I would be bringing, and I said no. I was just coming myself as the head football coach. So he said, "I'll take you around." And he showed me around and all that kind of stuff. And we finally got down to the nitty gritty there. And I said, "Well, you know, how many coaches--?" They had had something--I think they had ten coaches. I said, "How many coaches will I have?" He said, "None." I said, "What do you mean none?" "They all quit because you got the job." And I said, "Well, can I have maybe--maybe I need to see a superintendent or the athletic director of the city. And here you, you know, here we are with a football, high school football team who's had a very good record, who has been known to have a good record, and all the football coaches on the team quit because you hired me." And, you know, I'd been all over the country, not necess- you know, coaching at different schools and so forth. And, you know, it's not like I don't know what I would be doing. So anyhow, they went a couple of days and said that they would have to check on some things. Make a long story short, I was still the head coach. And they hadn't come back yet. They hadn't made up their mind.

Read more about Donald Hudson

Gale Sayers

NFL Hall of Famer Gale Eugene Sayers was born on May 30, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas. Sayers grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from Omaha Central High School. As a running back at the University of Kansas, he was a two-time All-American player known as "The Kansas Comet." In 1963, he set an NCAA Division I record with a 99-yard run against Nebraska.

Sayers was drafted in 1965 by the Chicago Bears and remained with the team for his entire NFL career. He was the unanimous choice for NFL Rookie of the Year in 1965. He was named the MVP of the 1967, 1968 and 1970 Pro Bowl Games, and he was named to the 75th Anniversary All Time NFL Team. Sayers was inducted into the Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, the NFL Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. In July 2000, he was named to the NFL All-Time Millennium Team.

After completing his professional football career in 1971, Sayers returned to the University of Kansas to receive his B.A. degree in physical education while also working as the assistant athletic director. Sayers accepted the assignment as assistant director of the Williams Education Fund for three years and received his M.A. degree in educational administration. Sayers served as athletic director at Southern Illinois University from 1976 to 1981.

Sayers moved back to Chicago and launched a sports marketing and public relations firm, Sayers and Sayers Enterprises. He then started a computer supplies business in 1984 and built that business into a provider of technology products and services. In 1999, Sayers was inducted into another Hall of Fame - the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Sayers spends a great deal of time supporting and fundraising for a variety of charitable organizations including the Better Boys Foundation, the Cradle Adoption Agency, the Gale Sayers Center, Grid Iron Greats, Junior Achievement, and Wesley House. The University of Kansas has established the Gale Sayers Microcomputer Center in recognition of Sayers’s commitment to both education and technology. Sayers has authored an instructional publication on the fundamentals of football's offensive strategies called Offensive Football. In addition, his 1971 autobiography, I Am Third, was produced into an award-winning television movie, Brian's Song, starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. In 2007, he released a new book, Gale Sayers, My Life and Times.

Sayers serves on the board of directors at American Century Mutual Funds, located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Accession Number

A2008.124

Sex

Male

Interview Date

11/5/2008

11/24/2008

Last Name

Sayers

Maker Category

Occupation

Organizations

American Century Mutual Funds

University of Kansas

Cradle Foundation

Gale Sayers Center

Schools

Omaha Central High School

University of Kansas

Howard Kennedy Elementary School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Gale

Birth City, State, Country

Wichita

HM ID

SAY01

Favorite Season

Christmas

State

Kansas

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2008.124.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/467966

Favorite Quote

As You Prepare To Play, You Must Prepare To Quit.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Illinois

Interview Description

A2008_124_EAD.pdf

A2008_124_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

5/30/1943

Birth Place Term

Wichita

Speakers Bureau Region City

Chicago

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Fried Chicken

Short Description

Entrepreneur and football player Gale Sayers (1943 - ) was drafted by the Chicago Bears and was named rookie of the year in 1965, then Pro Bowl MVP in 1967, 1968 and 1970. He was inducted into the NFL: Hall of Fame in 1977. He served as athletic director at Southern Illinois University, then founded Sayers and Sayers Enterprises in Chicago. His 1971 autobiography, 'I Am Third,' was produced into an award-winning television movie, 'Brian's Song.'

Employment

Chicago Bears

Southern Illinois University

Sayers 40, Inc.

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/467957

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Gale Sayers' interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Gale Sayers lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Gale Sayers describes his mother's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Gale Sayers describes his father's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Gale Sayers describes his parents' personalities

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Gale Sayers describes his earliest childhood memory

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Gale Sayers recalls his early education

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Gale Sayers remembers moving to Omaha, Nebraska

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Gale Sayers describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Gale Sayers remembers his introduction to football

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Gale Sayers recalls his early football teammates

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Gale Sayers describes Omaha Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Gale Sayers remembers his early aspirations and mentors

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Gale Sayers recalls playing football at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Gale Sayers talks about college football players' training

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Gale Sayers remembers his community at the University of Kansas

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Gale Sayers recalls being drafted into professional football

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Gale Sayers remembers playing for the Chicago Bears

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Gale Sayers remembers Coach George Halas

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Gale Sayers talks about his teammates on the Chicago Bears

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Gale Sayers describes his accomplishments with the Chicago Bears

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Gale Sayers remembers playing in the Pro Bowl

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Gale Sayers describes his community in Chicago, Illinois

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Gale Sayers describes the impact of his knee injuries on his football career

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Gale Sayers recalls his retirement from the National Football League

Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Gale Sayers talks about his decision not to become a football coach

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Gale Sayers remembers Brian Piccolo

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Gale Sayers recalls the racial discrimination on the Chicago Bears team

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Gale Sayers talks about the football stadiums in Chicago, Illinois

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Gale Sayers talks about his friendship with Brian Piccolo

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Gale Sayers recalls winning the Comeback Player of the Year award

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Gale Sayers describes his retirement from professional football

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Gale Sayers recalls earning a master's degree at the University of Kansas

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Gale Sayers talks about 'Brian's Song'

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Gale Sayers describes his relationship with the Chicago Bears' fans

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Gale Sayers recalls his athletic directorship at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Gale Sayers describes his computer hardware supply company

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Gale Sayers describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Gale Sayers talks about today's professional athletes

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Gale Sayers reflects upon his life

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Gale Sayers talks about his family

Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Gale Sayers describes how he would like to be remembered

DASession

2$2

DATape

5$4

DAStory

4$2

DATitle

Gale Sayers describes his computer hardware supply company

Gale Sayers recalls the racial discrimination on the Chicago Bears team

Transcript

And so I decided to leave Southern Illinois [Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois], and I moved back to Chicago [Illinois] in 1983 and started my business [Sayers Group LLC]. And I was looking for a field of the future. And I took a look at a couple opportunities in insurance and automobile dealerships. And my partner and I, we decided on computers. So, we chose computers.$$Okay. Now the computer industry was just, especially the personal computer industry (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) Yeah.$$--was just jumping off.$$Just now starting up, that's right.$$The Macintosh, and the SEs [Macintosh SE], and then--$$Yeah.$$--the IBM [International Business Machines Corporation] desk machines with the little green screens and stuff.$$Yeah. IBM, Compaq [Compaq Computer Corporation], you know--$$Yeah.$$But you know, as you said, they were just coming up. And we started out in supplies--ribbons and diskettes and mag tape and computer paper, and things like that. And as we grew our business, our customers would ask us, you know, "If you can sell us ribbons, why can't you sell us printers? And if you can sell us diskettes, why can't you sell us computers?" So, that's when we got into the hardware side of the business. And when we would--we sold all the tier one manufacturers--IBM, Compaq, HP [Hewlett-Packard Company], Apple [Apple Inc.], Sun [Sun Microsystems, Inc.], and all those people. Whenever we got a manufacturer, an IBM, they would come in and train a lot of people. Compaq would come in and train a lot of people. So that's when we got--we got to know about the computer. And, you know, and so then after we got into the hardware side of it, somebody's got to fix them. We got into the service side of it, you know, and so that's what we do today. We do it all. We fix them. We--our niche is the Fortune 500 companies around the country. That's who we sell our products to--Allstate Insurance [Allstate Corporation], Blue Cross Blue Shield [Blue Cross Blue Shield Association], people like that. And we have offices in Chicago, Boston [Massachusetts], Florida, and a small office in Nashville, Tennessee. And so, you know, things are going well.$$Okay, okay. Well, you say you started providing servicers at one time and then the networks, too, you know?$$Yes. And all that has led, you know, to computers. And you know, if a company wants to put together a network and things like that, we have people to come in and help them decide what type of network they want to go with. We can do that.$$Okay. Do have a favorite computer between the Apple and the PC [personal computer]?$$Not, not really. You know, Apple, they make good stuff, you know. But I have a Hewlett-Packard laptop, you know, and I got a Hewlett-Packard machine at home at my desk, you know. So, but they all are great machines, whether it's IBM, whether it's Compaq, whether it's, you know, Lenovo [Lenovo Group Ltd.]--whatever the, you know, whoever it may be. You know, they're all about the same right today.$$Okay. So I can't get you in any trouble by (laughter)--$$No, no trouble.$$All right, okay.$$We sell them all (laughter).$$All right, okay.$$Yeah.$$So, now as you've been into sports retirement--$$Uh-huh.$$And as you're a success in the business world--I mean, are you still like pulled back into sports from time to time to make commentary and that sort of thing?$$Uh-huh.$$So that's been like another, almost like another business, right, in some--?$$Well, it's, it has been maybe. But, you know, computers is what I do most of the time, 95 percent of the time. Yes, I do some speaking some engagements and things like that, but that's my business, what I do. And on the sidelines, if somebody at the station wants me to talk about the Bears [Chicago Bears], or if they want me to go to a game and then commentate on the football, I will do things like that. But that's very, very small, to what I do with my computer company.$$Okay. Where do you see your company going in terms of growth in the next ten years?$$Oh, well, the next ten years, that's too far out to even talk about. When you got an economy like we got today, we don't even, I don't even think about ten years from now. I'm thinking about what's going to happen three months from now, or two years from now. Because President Obama [HistoryMaker President Barack Obama], he's going to have a tough, tough, road to travel, you know. I think he could really be, he's going to do a great job, but some of the things that he promised people, it's going to be two years from now or three years from now (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) It's gonna be hard to deliver to folks--$$To deliver them. Because, you know, this economy, we have to do something too with this economy. And if we don't get this right, you know, we're going to--we're in trouble, we're in real trouble.$Before then, what you're saying--just to be clear, is that before that the room assignments were basically racial. The black--$$For the--$$--players were together, and the white players--?$$For the most part, it was. Because back then, all, many, 99 percent of the black players lived on the South Side of Chicago [Illinois]. The white players, the North Side of Chicago. And we would ride in a car together to practice. And so when they said, "Who do you want to room with?" "Oh, I want to room with George Seals. I ride to practice with him every day." Or, "I want to room with Dick Gordon, or Jimmy Jones." And so many of the black players, most of them, at that time most of them roomed together. Because (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) So, yeah. So what we're also saying is that the demographics of the city, the segregation that already existed in the city, determined association in your neighborhood in a lot of ways.$$No question about it, yes, it did. Because again, we, you know, we got the housing people and that's the way they shifted us, right to the South Side of Chicago. And we didn't think anything of it. Because, hey, you know, if you're a good football player or baseball player or basketball player, you know, the people in the neighborhood knew you, and they enjoyed, you know, what you did. So, we didn't have a problem with that. But when George Halas decided to room by position, you know, people thought that was, you know, a big deal. But it wasn't a big deal to him, because he was trying to get the best out of his players [on the Chicago Bears] and making sure that, you know, "Do you know your assignments?" and things like that. And it worked out well for us. And when people saw that Brian [Brian Piccolo] and I were rooming together, "Why are y'all rooming together? You know, this is the first time ever for this." Is it? I didn't know. Brian didn't know. You know, so it wasn't no big deal to us. But a lot of people made a big deal of it.$$Okay, okay. So when you traveled on the road, you know, you all shared the same room?$$Yes.$$On the road and stuff?$$Uh-huh.$$You didn't share the same room in town, though, did you?$$Oh, no, no, no. Because, you know, me and Brian--he lived southwest, and I lived south. And a lot of the other players lived north. And no, we would drive our cars down to Wrigley Field [Chicago, Illinois], and so it wasn't a problem. Then when we'd go on a road trip, hey, we'd room together.

Read more about Gale Sayers

Bill Overton

Actor Bill Overton was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised by his mother and stepfather, Hessie and Eugene Waterhouse. As a child, Overton attended Boston’s Asa Gray Elementary, W.L.P. Boardman Elementary, Henry L. Higginson Elementary and Lewis Junior High Schools. As an adolescent, Overton was a premiere athlete and member of his school’s football and basketball teams. He attended the historical Boston English High School where he was voted vice president of his senior class.

Overton went on to attend one of Nebraska’s junior colleges and established himself as one his era’s phenomenal football players. His display of athletic talent at the junior college level earned him a full scholarship to attend Wake Forest University. Overton graduated in 1968 as a speech and drama major, and that same year, he was drafted by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. In 1969, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and the following year, he began playing for the Canadian Football League. Then, in 1970, Overton moved back to Boston and worked as a sports agent for Pro Sports, Inc. While there, he was instrumental in the company’s signing of four-time Pro Bowler Raymond Chester, and worked to ensure fair contracts for African American football players.

In 1971, Overton began a career in modeling and was hired for various advertising agencies including Black Beauty and Ford modeling agencies. He helped to launch ad campaigns for Hanes, Benson and Hedges, Canadian Mist, Sears, and Montgomery Ward. During the 1970s, Overton also began appearing in television commercials. He honed his acting skills by enrolling at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City and was mentored by actor Woody Strode. Overton starred in several films throughout the mid-1970s, often appearing in roles that required him to demonstrate his athleticism. He was featured in episodes of the New Perry Mason series, Firehouse and the films Cover Girl and Invisible Strangler. Then, in 1981, he starred alongside Harry Belafonte and LeVar Burton in the film Grambling’s White Tigers.

Overton married award winning actress Jayne Kennedy in 1985. He continued to make television appearances throughout the 1980s and 1990s, starring in classic sitcoms such as The Red Foxx Show, 227, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

In 2002, Overton published The Media: Shaping an Image of a People. He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three daughters.

Accession Number

A2008.073

Sex

Male

Interview Date

4/4/2008

Last Name

Overton

Maker Category

Occupation

Organizations

Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity

Schools

English High School

Asa Gray School

W.L.P. Boardman Elementary

Henry Lee Higginson Elementary School

George A. Lewis Middle School

Higginson-Lewis K-8 School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Bill

Birth City, State, Country

Boston

HM ID

OVE01

Favorite Season

All Seasons

State

Massachusetts

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2008.073.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/466650

Favorite Quote

If You Didn't Know How Old You Was, How Old Would You Be?

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

California

Interview Description

A2008_073_EAD.pdf

A2008_073_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

2/26/1947

Birth Place Term

Boston

Speakers Bureau Region City

Los Angeles

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Soul Food

Short Description

Television actor and football player Bill Overton (1947 - ) played in the NFL and Canadian Football League before turning to modeling and acting. His television credits include roles on 'The Redd Foxx Show,' '227' and 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.'

Employment

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Ford Modeling Agency

Various

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/466664

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Bill Overton's interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Bill Overton lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Bill Overton describes his mother's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Bill Overton describes his parents' personalities

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Bill Overton describes his earliest childhood memory

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Bill Overton describes his home life

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Bill Overton remembers his early education

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Bill Overton remembers his community in Boston, Massachusetts

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Bill Overton remembers Lewis Junior High School in Boston, Massachusetts

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Bill Overton recalls enrolling at the English High School in Boston, Massachusetts

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Bill Overton recalls his experiences the English High School

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Bill Overton describes his activities at the English High School

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Bill Overton remembers his football scholarship to McCook Community College in McCook, Nebraska

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Bill Overton describes his first impressions of McCook Junior College

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Bill Overton describes his experiences at McCook Junior College

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Bill Overton recalls transferring to Wake Forest College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Bill Overton remembers his experiences at Wake Forest College

Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Bill Overton talks about 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Bill Overton talks about black athletes at Wake Forest College

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Bill Overton remembers dating at Wake Forest College

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Bill Overton talks about interracial relationships among celebrities

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Bill Overton remembers joining the Dallas Cowboys

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Bill Overton describes racial discrimination in the National Football League

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Bill Overton talks about the role of race in college basketball

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Bill Overton recalls playing for the Dallas Cowboys

Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Bill Overton recalls playing for the Kansas City Chiefs

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Bill Overton recalls joining the Canadian Football League

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Bill Overton remembers his decision to quit professional football

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Bill Overton describes his career after leaving professional football

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Bill Overton remembers his modeling career

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Bill Overton remembers his decision to pursue acting as a career

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Bill Overton describes his acting career

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Bill Overton talks about his marriages

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Bill Overton recalls his colleagues in the entertainment industry

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Bill Overton talks about his success in the entertainment industry

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Bill Overton describes his marriage to Jayne Kennedy

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Bill Overton talks about his family

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Bill Overton describes his career as a real estate developer and author

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Bill Overton describes his book, 'The Media: Shaping the Image of a People'

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Bill Overton reflects upon the mass media

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Bill Overton reflects upon the impact of stereotyping

Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Bill Overton shares his advice to future generations

Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Bill Overton talks about African Americans in the entertainment industry

Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Bill Overton describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community, pt. 1

Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Bill Overton describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community, pt. 2

Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Bill Overton reflects upon his legacy

DASession

1$1

DATape

3$5

DAStory

7$6

DATitle

Bill Overton recalls playing for the Dallas Cowboys

Bill Overton describes his book, 'The Media: Shaping the Image of a People'

Transcript

So, now you get drafted by Dallas [Dallas Cowboys] in what position?$$Linebacker.$$Okay, so you go to Dallas, tell us about that experience?$$(Laughter) It was an interesting experience, not necessarily positive. Which is something I don't even want--let me just say this. I--Dallas was a great team, it was an honor for me to go. I was excited because they had a very tough reputation. Gil Brandt was the--this hall of fame, one of the great minds of--in terms of recruiting and drafting and all of putting teams together. And it was an honor for me to go. And my training camp, I mean, all my--all of it was positive for me but at the same time what sticks out with me, and it shows you a lot, 'cause I've got an interesting quote in my book about Tom Landry. And he's renowned for it's either his way or the highway. Not you got to understand, I'm coming from Boston, Massachusetts, having gone to Nebraska to North Carolina to Texas.$$So you're playing under Tom Landry?$$Oh, yeah. Then it wasn't that long. Now, I come in what--part of--some of my time in training camp I can remember one particular meeting, I'm sitting beside Pete Gent [Peter Gent]. Pete Gent, 'North Dallas Forty,' renowned author, et cetera, et cetera, turned into a movie, all that stuff. Pete's sitting right here, I got a dashiki on, big afro and--$$Is this in the club room or--$$Yeah, I forgot what it was, team meeting or something like that. Linebacker, 'cause the linebackers and the ends--I forgot exactly--I know he was there, I just don't remember what else was happening. He said to me, "You know, Tom ain't gonna like that, you need to--what is that?" And it was really condescending.$$Your outfit?$$What I had on. And I had--I can remember it was burgundy with a yellow, mustard colored belt, with a mustard colored border. It was a dashiki. And I had just, you know, I'd come from Wake Forest [Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina]. I mean, I'd purchased this shirt from some women, you know, the civil rights era, and people were becoming Afrocentric all of that (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) Had your fro on.$$Oh, man, and, I mean, they talk about Hollywood Henderson [Thomas Henderson], I was crazy, you know what I mean. I knew I came to play and I'm making the team and that, end of story. When he said that to me, it was an insult to me. I said, "I don't care about what he thinks, I don't care about what you think." Hey, I didn't like him, I tried to whip his ass every time I could as an end 'cause I'm a linebacker. But he took--we're about sports. It should all, it should just been about sports. He's now messing with my, with my--$$Your whole racial consciousness (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) Oh, yeah, with who I was as a man. So, I didn't fit in with the Cowboys so I ended--that's why I ended up leaving, got released, went to Oklahoma. You know, the farm, what they call their farm team there.$$Farm team for the Cowboys?$$Cowboys.$$Okay.$$Played there a season, did pretty well, and went back--I don't know if I went back home, or went back to New York. I just forgot exactly where I went. No, sorry, excuse me, no when the season was over I went back to Wake Forest (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) A lot--okay.$$Okay.$Through the '80s [1980s] you start doing real estate development and different things into the '90s [1990s] and up 'til now. Talk about the book that you've authored, what is the title of the book and what is the thrust behind the book?$$Well, thanks for the question. The answer to your question is the book is entitled 'The Media: Shaping the Image of a People' [Bill Overton]. And, the book came from--I over--all this time I'm--as an athlete, I started in New York [New York] going back and forth from Boston [Massachusetts] to New York I stumbled on--in an antique shop, I stumbled on some old pictures and some old newspapers from the 19th century. And it blew my mind because I saw pictures of blacks, Irish, Jews, Mormon, Chinese, Native Americans. Folk that I knew but didn't know much about their history. Some of these pictures represented my classmates in high school [English High School, Boston, Massachusetts], and we never studied--the stuff that I saw, I didn't know anything about and I questioned if they knew anything about it, 'cause they never said anything to me about Irish potato famine, you know, or the Holocaust or a lot of these things. Okay, so I--this sort of became a passion and an interest. I say, I'm gonna have a big house one day, I'll take these pictures, I'll put 'em in frames on the wall. So, as I'm moving around five years, ten years, fifteen years, I'm buying pictures, putting em in storage in Boston, Maine, you know, California. Fast forward, I see life changing in front of me. I decide, as a project at Santa Monica College [Santa Monica, California], to take--to do something for kids 'cause it's a very diverse school. I took the pictures out and had them--had some copies and put 'em in a gallery. And the school flipped out. And I went, wow, I'm really on to something. So, I got a bunch of notes, comments in a book. I put it away, put the collection away. Two years later, I'm doing something--it's 1997, doing something at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California]. Mentoring students, doing whatever. And I say, well, you know, I got this collection and maybe this could work. So I brought it--brought some of the pictures, and they said, "Well, the only way we could do this at the museum here is you got to have it researched." So they assigned five historians from UCLA to do the research on my collection. And it was fascinating what they did. And so they basically established the connectivity between the 19th century and present day. And that time was 1997. So then I took the exhibit to Martha's Vineyard [Massachusetts] 'cause after I had showed it here for a month, I wanted to get an international feel, an international sense from people, travelers, what they thought about something like this. So I was at Union Chapel [Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts] on Martha's Vineyard and I had the exhibit there for a month. People flipped out, from all over the place.$$Now, how large is the exhibit?$$It's--I had sixty pictures. The pictures are 11" by 14", and some are 16" by 20". So there's sixty individual pictures with display panels that are 3' by 5'.$$Okay.$$And so, the reaction to that was great. I come back and many people said, "You know, we wanna buy something. You're not selling anything, you got to do something." So, I ended up talking to a publisher who was gracious enough to join me, write the check to get the book done. And he got his money back relatively quickly. The--I didn't have to--I didn't travel that much. And some things happened within the company that I didn't like, and some things that I thought should have happened didn't happen. So, I mean, I sold half, you know, half the inventory and the bottom line was I said, let me just--here's what I'm gonna do, 'cause I been--and on a daily basis I'm becoming more and more obsessed with the media, with what they're doing and what they're not doing. 'Cause I'm a bookworm and newspaper worm, and magazine worm. So, make a long story short, I ended up buying the rights back, so this book then and--'cause what it is--and I missed a key ingredient. The book is my collection, and then out of respect for you and Neculai [Neculai Burghelea], and Julieanna [Julieanna Richardson], I reached out to image makers of present day. The sculptors, the painters, the--this is a tribute to Daniel Pearl, the photographers, the last quarter of the book is their work. So people like [HistoryMaker] Lamonte McLemore who was renowned for taking beautiful pictures of women.$$He's a HistoryMaker (simultaneous).$$(Simultaneous) And the Jet magazine where David Kibuuka from Uganda, but lives in Toronto [Canada], spectacular, you know, paint, Jameel Rasheed, guy I grew up with who was like flesh and blood to me. I had no idea he was an artist when we were growing up. He did the picture of Rosa Parks, which they're trying to get--use as a stamp. So I--not only do I have four--three of my homeboys and home girls, let's see, Jameel Rasheed, Hakim Rakib [ph.], Artis Graham [ph.] did a picture of President Clinton [President William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton] in the book. And then Gale, Gale Fulton Ross is a phenomenal artist, lives in Florida now. She did the picture of Du Bois [W.E.B. Du Bois] in my book as well. So this is a celebration of what the media does, what they can do, what they have done, and what they might do.

Read more about Bill Overton

Willie D. Davis

Broadcast executive and football player Willie D. Davis was born on July 24, 1934, in Lisbon, Louisiana to Nodie Bell and David Davis. Recruited to Grambling College (now Grambling State University) by football coach Eddie Robinson, Davis captained the football team and was a student on the dean’s list for two years. In 1956, he graduated from Grambling with his B.S. degree in math and industrial arts.

Davis was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventeenth round of the 1956 National Football League Draft. However, that same year, Davis was also drafted into the U.S. Army and was unable to begin his NFL career until 1958. After two years with the Browns, Davis was traded to the Green Bay Packers. For ten seasons, Davis played 138 consecutive regular season games and was a member of all five of Vince Lombardi’s NFL title-winning teams, playing in Super Bowls I and II. In his career with the Green Bay Packers, Davis recovered twenty-one fumbles, setting a team record, never missing any of the 162 games in his twelve-year tenure. Davis was awarded the Associated Press’ All-Pro honors in 1962 and from 1964 to 1967. During the last two years of his football career, Davis studied at the University of Chicago, earning his M.B.A degree in 1968. The following year, the Packers honored Davis’ retirement with Willie Davis Day. That same year, Davis purchased the West Coast Beverage Company and served as its president for eighteen years, while also working as a color commentator on the NFL telecasts for NBC in the early 1970s. Since 1976, Davis has been the president and chief executive officer of All Pro Broadcasting, Inc., a Los Angeles broadcasting company which owns radio stations in the Midwest and Southern California. In 1981, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Davis served as the director of the 1984 Olympics Committee in Los Angeles in 1984. That same year, President Reagan appointed him to the President’s Commission on the Executive Exchange.

Davis has served on the boards of the Sara Lee Corporation, the National Association of Broadcasters, Dow Chemical Company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Johnson Controls, MGM Mirage, Manpower, Fidelity National Financial, Wisconsin Energy, Strong Management Fund, Mattel Toys, Schlitz Brewing Company, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, Bassett Furniture, Alliance Bank, the Green Bay Packers, the Kauffman Foundation, Occidental College and K-Mart. Davis is also an Emeritus Trustee for the University of Chicago and a Trustee at Marquette University. In 2001, Davis co-chaired and founded the Vince Lombardi Titletown Legends, a charitable organization created to assist various charities throughout Wisconsin. Davis was named the Walter Camp Man of the Year, was ranked 69th on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players and was given the Career Achievement Award from the NFL Alumni. Davis and his wife Ann have a son, Duane, and a daughter, Lori.

Willie D. Davis was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 9, 2007.

Accession Number

A2007.200

Sex

Male

Interview Date

7/9/2007

Last Name

Davis

Maker Category

SportsMakers

BusinessMakers

MediaMakers

Middle Name

Occupation

Organizations

Vince Lombardi Titletown Legends

MGM Mirage

Johnson Controls, Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Dow Chemical Company

President’s Commission on Executive Exchange

Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee

National Association of Broadcasters

Sara Lee Corporation

Los Angeles Urban League

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

University of Chicago

K-Mart Corporation

Wisconsin Energy Corporation

Strong Management Fund

Mattel Toys

Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company

Bassett Furniture Industries

Alliance Bank

Green Bay Packers (Football team)

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Occidental College

Schools

Washington High School

Grambling State University

University of Chicago

Search Occupation Category

MediaMakers:Radio

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Willie

Birth City, State, Country

Lisbon

HM ID

DAV20

Favorite Season

Spring

State

Louisiana

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2007.200.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/443540

Favorite Vacation Destination

U.S. Virgin Islands

Favorite Quote

Early Start Beats Fast Running.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

California

Interview Description

A2007_200_EAD.pdf

A2007_200_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

7/24/1934

Birth Place Term

Lisbon

Speakers Bureau Region City

Los Angeles

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Steak, Collard Greens

Short Description

Broadcast executive, football player, and entrepreneur Willie D. Davis (1934 - ) played for the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers, winning Super Bowls I and II. In 1981, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also the president and chief executive officer of All Pro Broadcasting, Inc.

Employment

All Pro Broadcasting

West Coast Beverage Company

NBC

Green Bay Packers (Football team)

Cleveland Browns (Football team : 1946-1995)

United States Army

Favorite Color

Blue, Green

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/443904

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Willie D. Davis' interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis describes his mother

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis remembers his mother's religious involvement and career

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis recalls his decision to play football

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis describes his father

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Willie D. Davis recalls his relationship with his father as an adult

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis remembers his maternal grandparents

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis describes his paternal grandparents

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis recalls his early childhood in Lisbon, Louisiana

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis describes his earliest memories of Texarkana, Arkansas

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis recalls his family life

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Willie D. Davis remembers his community in Texarkana, Arkansas

Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Willie D. Davis describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Willie D. Davis describes his elementary school experiences

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis recalls his personality in elementary school

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis talks about his early aspirations

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis describes the role of religion in his childhood

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis remembers his junior high school experiences

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis recalls teachers and friends at Booker T. Washington High School

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Willie D. Davis describes his high school activities and aspirations

Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Willie D. Davis recalls the football team at Booker T. Washington High School

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Willie D. Davis describes his decision to attend Grambling College

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis recalls meeting Coach Eddie Robinson

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis talks about his hesitation to attend Grambling College

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis shares his first impressions of the Grambling football team

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis recalls his attempt to leave Grambling College

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis remembers his college girlfriend

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Willie D. Davis recalls becoming comfortable at Grambling College

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Willie D. Davis recalls a memorable football game at Grambling College

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis talks about being drafted by the Cleveland Browns

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis remembers his service in the U.S. Army

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis recalls playing for the Cleveland Browns

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis remembers being traded to the Green Bay Packers

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis describes his offseason job as a substitute teacher

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Willie D. Davis recalls playing for the Green Bay Packers

Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Willie D. Davis recalls winning NFL championships with the Green Bay Packers

Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Willie D. Davis remembers earning his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago

Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Willie D. Davis talks about why he pursued his M.B.A. degree

Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Willie D. Davis recalls working in the beverage industry

Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Willie D. Davis remembers his service on corporate boards

Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Willie D. Davis talks about his work in the television and radio industries

Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Willie D. Davis reflects upon his life

Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Willie D. Davis describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community

Tape: 6 Story: 9 - Willie D. Davis describes how he would like to be remembered

DASession

1$1

DATape

5$6

DAStory

1$1

DATitle

Willie D. Davis recalls a memorable football game at Grambling College

Willie D. Davis recalls winning NFL championships with the Green Bay Packers

Transcript

Okay, Mr. Davis [HistoryMaker Willie D. Davis], the year is about 1956 now. You're getting ready to graduate from Grambling [Grambling College; Grambling State University, Grambling, Louisiana], and there are offers coming around now.$$After one of the greatest games we probably ever played, we were crowned the mythical like champions of the country. We beat Florida A&M [Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida] in what they call the Hollywood Bowl [sic. Orange Blossom Classic] or something down in Florida. I never will forget this as long as I live. The paper in Florida had the next day Paul Brown, the everything coach of the Cleveland Browns, came to Florida to see--or was in Florida and he came to see the game. It said he came to see Willie Galimore and a guy by the name of Adolphus Frazier [Al Frazier], and he went away talking about Willie Davis and Ed Murray [Edward Murray], which was my teammate at Grambling. I guess I had credit for about twenty-seven tackles that night and, you know, just one of those crazy nights where everything worked for me. And probably was really my entree into the National Football League [NFL].$$So, did you flash back over your career at Grambling that night? Did everything flash over for you?$$(Laughter) I, yeah, I--well, what had been interesting is we stopped on the way down to Florida, and their running back, Adolphus Frazier, said, "Well, hey you guys." We ate dinner on campus and he said, "Well, you guys, you better touch me now because you won't see me in the game." You know, I'm always up for a challenge. And when he said--what I remember from that game probably will stick with me for as long as I--what I remember about that game. I hit Frazier and knocked him out of his shoes, up out of his shoes. And I looked at him and said, "Well, is this you?" (Laughter) It was a night. Murray ran for about three or four touchdowns and it was our great moment. It's so interesting because as I've said to many people today, I have been very fortunate to play on teams that won the championship at every level I ever played, and the other one that I was either captain or defensive captain of every team, including the Green Bay Packers.$$Since junior high school?$$Since junior high. I say it all the time, not to brag, but I say it as an example of leadership that I think I have been blessed with all my life. Through every year in football and through today in dealing with the corporate world.$Okay, so you're in Green Bay [Wisconsin] now under the great Vince Lombardi. You're there, now can you give us some highlights or, maybe first of all, anecdotes of Vince Lombardi. Anything that he did or said that really shaped you into your maturity as a player and a person?$$There are so many Lombardi quotes, starting with, "How you play this game is a reflection of how you'll live the rest of your life." Something that resonates with me almost every day now in business. And I think Coach Lombardi said this was the example that we had to somehow live through. And, I tell you, that one in particular because he indeed hit something when he said the way you play this game is the way you'll live the rest of your life in some ways. But the Green Bay Packer [Green Bay Packers] situation was just a great experience to me. Today there're eight players off of that team that's in the Hall of Fame [Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio], and with Lombardi, nine people.$$Can you name some of those, including yourself?$$Well, it's Jimmy Taylor [Jim Taylor], Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Jim Ringo, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke and Henry Jordan and--$$--and Willie Davis [HistoryMaker Willie D. Davis].$$Yes, and Willie Davis. One of the proudest moments of my life. Never will forget it. I'm in Canton, Ohio and I'm standing up there being introduced by Coach Eddie Robinson. The situation was emotional, and I look out at my mother [Nodie Allen Archie]. It was the last event, big event she saw in my life. And I'm thinking and I remember I looked out and I said, "Mom, this is a long way from Texarkana, and no one ever assured us that we were on the right road, but today (laughter) it was the right road." And at that, she blew up. And you're up there and they've already taken bets on whether you can get through it without breaking down. And I said, when I saw that, I said, "Aw, they got me."$$That's beautiful.$$But it was absolute one of the greatest moments in my life. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a personal achievement but what I resonate well with is the six championship games we played at Green Bay, and we were five times world champions, including the last team that win three consecutive championships. All of those things to me, I look at now and say, you know, and the thought that somehow in your mind the first thing Green Bay was gonna be was your downfall. So, you never know in life, and I said, the best thing I've ever done in my life is to try to make the best out of every situation where you have an opportunity. Because you never know.

Read more about Willie D. Davis

Eddie Jenkins, Jr.

Professional athlete and attorney Eddie Joseph Jenkins, Jr. was born on August 31, 1950, in Jacksonville, Florida. Jenkins’s parents, Essie Rae Jenkins and Eddie Jenkins, Sr., moved the family to “da Ville” in Flushing, New York in 1955. Jenkins attended Public School #154 and was mentored by Coach Vince O’Connor at St. Francis Preparatory School, where he excelled in sports and participated in Outward Bound on Hurricane Island in Maine. Graduating in 1968, Jenkins enrolled at College of the Holy Cross where his classmates included future attorney Ted Wells, author Ed Jones, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Graduating with his B.A. degree in 1972, Jenkins was drafted by the National Football League; there, Jenkins became part of the 1972 World Champion Miami Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to go undefeated. Winning the 1973 Super Bowl, Jenkins’s teammates included football legends, Paul Warfield, Larry Little, Marlon Briscoe, and Mercury Morris. Jenkins also played with the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers.

Jenkins entered Suffolk University Law School in 1975 and earned his J.D. degree in 1978, after which he went to work for the United States Labor Department where he was instrumental in the landmark labor decision David Pasula v. Consolidation Coal Company in 1980. In 1986, Jenkins established the law offices of Eddie Jenkins and Associates and began teaching as an adjunct professor of law at Suffolk University Law School. The murder of Charles Stuart’s wife caused Jenkins to run against Newman Flanagan for District Attorney of Suffolk County in 1990; he won 38 percent of the vote against the incumbent. In 1993, Jenkins ran for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council and finished fifth; he also co-founded 1000 Black Men with Northeastern University’s Joseph Warren. In 1993, Jenkins unsuccessfully ran for Boston City Council. In 2002, Jenkins ran again for District Attorney of Suffolk County.

In 2003, Jenkins was appointed chairman of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) by commonwealth of Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy Cahill. As chairman of ABCC, Jenkins was charged with the enforcement, oversight and regulation of over 22,000 liquor licenses. Jenkins’s community involvement included the Dorchester YMCA, the Multicultural Aids Coalition (MAC), the Vivienne S. Thomson Disability Center, and New Covenant Christian Church Sunday School. Jenkins’s son, Julian Jenkins, was drafted as a defensive end by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006.

Accession Number

A2007.068

Sex

Male

Interview Date

2/14/2007

9/11/2007

Last Name

Jenkins

Maker Category

Occupation

Organizations

Schools

St Francis Preparatory School

College of the Holy Cross

Suffolk University Law School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Eddie

Birth City, State, Country

Jacksonville

HM ID

JEN07

Favorite Season

Fall

State

Florida

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2007.068.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/99352

Favorite Vacation Destination

Dominican Republic

Favorite Quote

God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Handle.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Massachusetts

Interview Description

A2007_068_EAD.pdf

A2007_068_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

8/31/1950

Birth Place Term

Jacksonville

Speakers Bureau Region City

Boston

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Peanut Butter (Extra Chunky)

Short Description

Labor lawyer and football player Eddie Jenkins, Jr. (1950 - ) an attorney and former NFL wide receiver for the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins World Championship Team; he also served as chairman of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Favorite Color

Brown

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/99368

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Eddie Jenkins, Jr.'s interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his maternal family history, pt.1

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his maternal family history, pt.2

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his father's memories of Hank Aaron in the Negro League

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls his family's move from Jacksonville Florida to Flushing, New York

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his mother's upbringing and race relations in Jacksonville, Florida

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his father's reputation as a baseball coach

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his paternal family history

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the impact of Zora Neal Hurston's literary legacy

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Florida history

Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his father, Eddie Jenkins, Sr.

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his childhood neighborhood, "da Ville," in Flushing, New York

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about academic placement during his grade school years

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his Jewish classmates in Flushing, New York during his grade school years

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his earliest childhood memories

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls neighborhood sports as a youth

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls his recruitment to St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, New York

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Coach Vincent O'Connor and the football team at St. Francis Preparatory School

Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about playing basketball at St. Francis Preparatory School

Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his long commute to St. Francis Preparatory Academy as a high school student and learning Latin

Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his experience with Outward Bound in Hurricane Island, Maine

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls spending three days alone on an island

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. continues to describe his experience in the Outward Bound program on Hurricane Island in Maine

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his decision to attend College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about sports history at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls his football career at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about a campus walkout staged by black students at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls debates between Clarence Thomas and HistoryMaker Theodore Wells in the Black Student Union at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the black community's disappointment with Clarence Thomas, pt.1

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the black community's disappointment with Clarence Thomas, pt.2

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about neighbors from his childhood, Billie Holiday and Assata Shakur, formerly JoAnne Chesimard

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls being drafted by the Miami Dolphins

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls wearing African regalia to his graduation ceremony

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes impressing Coach Don Shula and making the Miami Dolphins team

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his experience on the 1972 Miami Dolphins during their historic undefeated season

Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. contrasts playing football at the collegiate and professional levels

Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls the early days of weight training in the NFL

Tape: 4 Story: 10 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about outstanding teammates on the Miami Dolphins including Mercury Morris, Paul Warfield, and Marlin Briscoe

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Marlin Briscoe's career trajectory

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Coach Don Shula and Miami Dolphins athletes including Paul Warfield, Bob Griese, and Larry Little

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Miami Dolphins player turned jailhouse lawyer, Mercury Morris, pt.1

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Miami Dolphins player turned jailhouse lawyer, Mercury Morris, pt.2

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls being cut from the New York Giants

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his experience with the Buffalo Bills

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the end of his NFL career and the start of law school

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes fulfilling his dream of becoming a lawyer at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts

Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about David Pasula v. Consolidation Coal Company

Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. remembers inspiring words from Johnnie Cochran

Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about prosecuting a rape case on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, pt.1

Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about prosecuting a rape case on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, pt.2

Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about how the Charles Stuart case led him to run for Suffolk County District Attorney against Newman Flanagan

Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Ralph Martin, who was appointed Suffolk County District Attorney

Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his volunteer work

Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his role as chairman of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission

Tape: 6 Story: 9 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his admiration of HistoryMaker and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick

Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about how he became chairman of Urban Edge, a non-profit housing corporation

Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about predatory lending in the Boston area

Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the Urban Edge's housing development at Jackson Square

Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his television show "The Public Advocate" and his radio program "Basic Training"

Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the guests and content featured on his radio show, "Basic Training"

Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about Michael Vick and the need for athletes to invest their money wisely

Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about dog fighting

Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the Businessweek article featuring his mentor from College of the Holy Cross, Father Brooks

Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about the legacy of Father John Brooks of College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

Tape: 8 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his plans for the future

Tape: 8 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about how Christianity shapes his world view

Tape: 8 Story: 4 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community

Tape: 8 Story: 5 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. considers what he would do differently

Tape: 8 Story: 6 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about his family

Tape: 8 Story: 7 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. reflects upon his legacy

Tape: 9 Story: 1 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. talks about writing a book and the advice of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Edward P. Jones

Tape: 9 Story: 2 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. describes how he would like to be remembered

Tape: 9 Story: 3 - Eddie Jenkins, Jr. narrates his photographs

DASession

1$1

DATape

4$6

DAStory

4$2

DATitle

Eddie Jenkins, Jr. recalls being drafted by the Miami Dolphins

Eddie Jenkins, Jr. remembers inspiring words from Johnnie Cochran

Transcript

Now, well let's talk about--now, how, when did the [Miami] Dolphins--when did the NFL start really? When, when were you aware that they were scouting--$$When they called me one day and said, hey, look, we'd like to come up and time you in the forty [40-yard dash]. And I remember I said, okay, fine, I'll go run the forty. And the guy standing with a stop watch like this, right. Here's the stop watch, and then he just turned around, and hid it on the other side (laughter), when he realized--I can't run straight, you know. But I still ran about a 5, a 4.05 forty. I mean, I was pretty fast for a big guy. I'm 6'2.5", you know, 212, 215 pounds. So, I--they looked at my size and my speed, and they said, wow, you know. He, he doesn't have much experience 'cause, you know, basically, playing in [College of the] Holy Cross [Worcester, Massachusetts] and the league I played in, and I haven't played that much. And we never won more than five games in four years (laughter), three years (laughter) so, you know, what could I contribute? But the Dolphins drafted me, thank God. One of my teammates had been drafted the day before. And everybody still walking around, saying, hey, when is your turn, Eddie? And, like, hey, man, I don't know, man, c'mon, you know. I, I don't know if I--I'm going to law school, you know, I'm just defeated, you know. And I remember, I get a call and, and you know, when you're in a, on a (unclear) with all men, and all brothers, and the jokes kinda get to be (laughter), you know, if you, you had, if you had thin skin, you couldn't make it. And so, I get this call--hey, Eddie, Eddie, Don Shula's on the phone, man (unclear). And I, so I go down there, man. I say, yeah, yeah. I said, now, look, MF, where do you go (laughter)? And he said, excuse me, this is Don Shula. I said, oh, Coach Shula, I said, oh, man. He said, he said, we just drafted you, you know, in the so and so round. I say, oh, yeah. He says, are you ready to come down? I say, yeah, I'm ready to come, Coach Shula. A couple of days, I got on that phone and I said, I'm going to kill you guys. They say, we told you he was on the phone (laughter), you know.$I still went to Appalachia, and I still tried cases, but see, that wasn't a good case. You have to make it what it is. In fact, when we had breakfast one time with Johnnie Cochran--we had some business with Johnnie, Johnnie came to Harvard [University, Cambridge, Massachusetts]. I was president of the Mass. Black Lawyers [Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association]. And Johnnie said something very, very important. He says, you know, a lot of people look at me and they say, look at Johnnie Cochran. He's one of the best black lawyers, or one of the best lawyers in America. Isn't, isn't that great that he has, has this, this, this great case that he won? He says, he says, let me tell you about this. He says, what most of you don't know is that I was a former prosecutor, and now a public defendant, and that, you know, I've had some losses, too. But the most important thing that you have to know is that I had an opportunity, and I took advantage of that opportunity, and so will you. And it's that opportunity, it's having that particular seed of discontent, or seed of a disadvantage that when you, in fact, overcome that, it makes you greater. It makes you stronger, and that's what I did. And, and it was very remarkable that he was--it's very humbly stated, 'cause we all, in our lives, have at some point an opportunity. Most times, we don't recognize it, but I, I just thought that, that was very great. I mean, at that time, I, I didn't think the Pasula case [David Pasula v. Consolidation Coal Company] was that big. Apparently, they didn't either. That's why they gave--why would they give it to me--not having ever tried a case in my life, give it to me? Did they think it was a loser? But they didn't think much of it at all, but we made it big. You make it big, you know so--$$So, what year was that case adjudicated?$$It was in probably 1979.$$Okay.$$Yeah, 'cause I only worked there [U.S. Department of Labor] two years.

Read more about Eddie Jenkins, Jr.

Burl Toler, Sr.

Burl Toler, Sr. was born on May 9, 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of four children born to Pullman Porter A.W. Toler and educator Annie King Toler. Throughout his childhood, Toler’s parents stressed education. Upon graduating from high school, Toler decided to enroll in Lemoyne College in Memphis, Tennessee. In the early 1950s, Toler moved to San Francisco, California enrolling in the City College of San Francisco. Toler played on the college football team and was named All-American player in the Junior College division. This honor afforded him the opportunity to receive a full four year scholarship to play football at the University of San Francisco.

Toler majored in education while playing as a linebacker with the University of San Francisco Dons. In 1951, Toler and his team were undefeated with a perfect 9-0 season. Toler was drafted into the National Football League (NFL) in 1952 by the Cleveland Browns. He injured his knee during an all-star game that ended his opportunity to play professional football. Shortly thereafter, he became a teacher at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in San Francisco. He also began officiating college games in the San Francisco area. Toler became the first African American football official for the NFL in 1965, later officiating three NFL Super Bowl games. He retired as a NFL official in 1991. The book Undefeated, Untied and Uninvited, the story of the 1951 University of San Francisco Dons has been turned into a screenplay by former San Francisco 49er player Jamie Williams.

During the course of his seventeen year career at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Toler served as the first African American secondary school principal in the district. The city council honored Toler by renaming the school Burl A. Toler Middle School. Toler was inducted in the City College and University of San Francisco Hall of Fame. He received several awards including the Isaac Hayes Achievement in Sports Award and the University of San Francisco Alumnus of the Year. The Burl A. Toler, Sr. Scholarship has been named in Toler’s honor at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco.

Toler retired and lived in San Francisco, but he continued to work as an evaluator and recruiter for NFL referees.

Toler was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 7, 2006.

Toler passed away on August 16, 2009.

Accession Number

A2006.069

Sex

Male

Archival Photo 1

Interview Date

4/7/2006

Last Name

Toler

Maker Category

SportsMakers

Occupation

Football Referee

Organizations

St. Ignatius College Preparatory

University of San Francisco Hall of Fame

Grand Jury of the City and County of San Francisco

San Francisco Police Commission

Schools

Manassas High School

LeMoyne-Owen College

University of San Francisco

City College of San Francisco

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

Archival Photo 2

First Name

Burl

Birth City, State, Country

Memphis

HM ID

TOL03

Favorite Season

Summer

State

Tennessee

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2006.069.htm

Favorite Vacation Destination

Anywhere Warm

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

California

Interview Description

A2006_069_EAD.pdf

A2006_069_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

5/9/1928

Birth Place Term

Memphis

Speakers Bureau Region City

Bay Area/San Francisco

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Health Food

Death Date

8/16/2009

Short Description

Football referee Burl Toler, Sr. (1928 - 2009 ) was the first African American official in the National Football League.

Employment

National Football League

Benjamin Franklin Middle School

City College of San Francisco

Peabody Hotel

Favorite Color

Brown

DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Burl Toler, Sr.'s interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Burl Toler, Sr. lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his mother's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his father's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his maternal grandfather

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his earliest childhood memories

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his family life as a child in Memphis, Tennessee

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his experiences in elementary school

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his maternal relatives' professions

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his personality during elementary school

Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes the role of church in his childhood

Tape: 1 Story: 13 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his experiences at Memphis' Manassas High School

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his experiences at Memphis' Lemoyne College

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his experiences at the City College of San Francisco

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Burl Toler, Sr. remembers Oakland, California's DeFremery Recreation Center

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls playing football at the University of San Francisco, pt. 1

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls playing football at the University of San Francisco, pt. 2

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his career in education in San Francisco

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls the accolades he received from teachers and students

Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls earning a graduate degree at the University of San Francisco

Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls becoming a National Football League official

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his experience of racial discrimination on the University of San Francisco football team

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his interactions with Pete Rozelle

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his early career as a football referee

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his career as a National Football League official

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Burl Toler, Sr. reflects upon the growing number of black NFL referees

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls experiencing discrimination as a black NFL referee

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls his work as an evaluator of NFL referees

Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Burl Toler, Sr. talks about his wife and children

Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls working at the City College of San Francisco

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Burl Toler, Sr. recalls serving as City College of San Francisco's personnel director

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his involvement in the community

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes his life since his retirement in the 1990s

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Burl Toler, Sr. reflects upon his life

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Burl Toler, Sr. describes how he would like to be remembered

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Burl Toler, Sr. narrates his photographs

Read more about Burl Toler, Sr.

Bernie Casey

Bernie Casey was born Bernard Terry Casey on June 8, 1939, in the small coal mining community of Wyco, West Virginia, to Frank Leslie Casey and Flossie Coleman Casey. While Casey was still a youth, he and his family moved to Columbus where he attended Garfield Elementary School, Champion Junior High, and Columbus East High School. Casey had already shown an aptitude for painting and drawing, and soon developed his athletic abilities as well, particularly for basketball and football.

Casey attended Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio in 1957, thanks in part to an athletic scholarship, where he remained intent on becoming an artist. Casey excelled in football while attending BGSU, and was considered a key player in the school’s 1959 championship season. Casey was named a member of the Little All American Team, and was also competitive in track and field. Casey received his B.S. degree in Art Education from BGSU in 1961, and later received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the same school.

In 1961, after receiving his B.S. degree, Casey was drafted into the NFL in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he would spend six seasons, followed by two years with the Los Angeles Rams. In the off-season, Casey returned to Bowling Green State University, in order to complete his M.F.A. degree, which he received in 1966. After his standout 1967 athletic season in which Casey caught 53 passes for a career-high 871 yards and eight touchdowns, Casey was named to the 1968 Pro Bowl team. Shortly thereafter, Casey became disillusioned with the NFL and professional sports in general, and decided to return to his creative pursuits.

In 1969, Casey appeared in his first film, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, a sequel to The Magnificent Seven; that same year, he wrote Look at the People: Poems and Paintings, a book of art and poetry. Casey would publish two similar books later on in his career: Where is the Revolution? And Other Poems in 1973, and Silent Screams in 1983. In 1971, Casey produced an independent film entitled Bernie Casey: Black Artist, which focused on his thoughts and observations as a painter. As an artist, Casey has produced more than 30 solo exhibitions; he received an honorary doctorate degree from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where he served for twenty years as chairman of the board and advocated for arts education.

Casey has made over fifty-seven appearances in film and television, including the movies Cleopatra Jones, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Revenge of the Nerds, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure; and TV programs such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and L.A. Law. In 1997, Casey produced, wrote, directed and acted in The Dinner, an allegorical drama.

Casey passed away on September 19, 2017.

Accession Number

A2005.229

Sex

Male

Interview Date

10/4/2005

10/8/2005

Last Name

Casey

Maker Category

Occupation

Organizations

Savannah College of Art and Design

Second World Black and African Arts and Culture Festival

Schools

East High School

Garfield Elementary School

Champion Avenue School

Bowling Green State University

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Bernie

Birth City, State, Country

Wyco

HM ID

CAS02

Favorite Season

Spring

State

West Virginia

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2005.229.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/475320

Favorite Vacation Destination

Jamaica

Favorite Quote

I can do this.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

California

Interview Description

A2005_229_EAD.pdf

A2005_229_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

6/8/1939

Birth Place Term

Wyco

Speakers Bureau Region City

Los Angeles

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Soup

Death Date

9/19/2017

Short Description

Film actor and football player Bernie Casey (1939 - 2017 ) played for the San Francisco 49ers and the L.A. Rams before turning to acting in film and television. As an artist, Casey produced more than thirty solo exhibitions and served for twenty years as chairman of the board at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia.

Employment

San Francisco 49ers

Los Angeles Rams

Various

Harris and Company

Favorite Color

Blue

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/475327

Timing Pairs

360,0:960,7:1800,17:4348,37:4753,43:5806,59:8074,89:12772,182:36724,597:37681,610:42205,691:44467,742:44815,747:46642,773:61130,900:61566,905:70420,1060:71190,1074:73360,1111:74900,1136:75880,1154:82700,1216:84140,1237:87340,1290:91168,1304:93020,1310:93650,1317:97990,1372:105633,1494:111076,1564:125676,1899:126187,1915:126917,1939:136186,2063:136658,2072:140810,2135:141930,2157:142570,2166:171742,2554:172126,2561:183806,2680:185540,2708:186254,2716:189100,2724:189681,2732:190013,2737:190677,2746:191424,2758:198894,2896:211466,3037:211956,3043:217614,3072:218142,3080:224866,3174:225482,3185:236960,3250:240308,3261:240620,3266:243370,3290:244258,3304:244628,3310:246108,3343:251214,3443:253310,3450$0,0:10286,152:13289,206:23729,307:24474,313:30378,363:30710,368:31374,412:35524,508:36022,515:40753,603:46494,656:47970,678:54366,790:55678,809:56006,814:58570,829:76760,1077:79070,1094:79410,1099:80260,1112:80600,1117:81365,1134:82045,1143:83065,1162:88180,1240:89012,1257:99893,1446:100502,1454:102329,1484:121096,1697:127976,1810:143278,2049:143806,2056:146490,2066:154262,2171:158290,2216:159239,2237:168106,2386:179012,2643:188868,2781:189204,2786:195924,2885:196596,2894:206713,3017:208260,3034:213620,3056:214489,3065:233975,3431:238707,3497:239071,3502:239617,3510:240618,3525:252436,3694:255532,3770:278572,4044:290630,4167:292776,4209:293294,4240:304530,4478

DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Bernie Casey's interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey lists his favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey describes his mother's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey describes how his parents met

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey describes his childhood communities in Ohio and West Virginia

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey describes his earliest childhood memories

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey talks about his parents' marriage

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Bernie Casey describes his family life in Wyco, West Virginia

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Bernie Casey recalls butchering hogs in Wyco, West Virginia

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Bernie Casey recalls how his family stored provisions in West Virginia

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Bernie Casey remembers moving with his family to Columbus, Ohio

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey remembers Garfield Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey describes the demographics of his community in Columbus, Ohio

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey describes his community at Garfield Elementary School

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey remembers Champion Junior High School in Columbus, Ohio

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey recalls his early artistic and athletic talents

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey recalls the opportunities for black students during segregation

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey recalls his early awareness of racial discrimination

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey remembers East High School in Columbus, Ohio

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey describes the lack of career prospects for black students

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey recalls his aspirations during high school

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey recalls his scholarship to Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey describes his relationship with his parents in his adult life

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey remembers Bowling Green State University

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey recalls racial discrimination at Bowling Green State University, pt. 1

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey recalls racial discrimination at Bowling Green State University, pt. 2

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey reflects upon the increase in black professional athletes

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey talks about being drafted by the National Football League

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey recalls uproar over his friendship with a white female classmate

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey recalls graduating from Bowling Green State University

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey recalls his career with the San Francisco 49ers football team

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey describes his art career in California

Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Bernie Casey remembers his acting training with Jeff Corey

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey recalls establishing his art career in Los Angeles, California

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey reflects upon his successful careers in several fields

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey recalls joining the board of Savannah College of Art and Design

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey recalls recruiting sports coaches for Savannah College of Art and Design

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey describes the growth of Savannah College of Art and Design

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey recalls his transition from professional football to acting

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey describes the challenge of beginning a career later in life

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Bernie Casey recalls his early acting roles

Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey recalls acting in the movie 'Brian's Song'

Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey talks about acting in blaxploitation films

Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Bernie Casey talks about his roles based on historical African Americans

Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Bernie Casey recalls working on the NBC series 'Harris and Company,' pt. 1

Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Bernie Casey recalls working on the NBC series 'Harris and Company,' pt. 2

Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Bernie Casey talks about his acting roles on television

Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Bernie Casey reflects upon the legacy of the 'Roots' miniseries

Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Bernie Casey reflects upon his challenges as a former professional athlete

Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Bernie Casey talks about the history of race in America

Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Bernie Casey reflects upon his legacy

DASession

2$2

DATape

5$6

DAStory

3$2

DATitle

Bernie Casey recalls joining the board of Savannah College of Art and Design

Bernie Casey talks about acting in blaxploitation films

Transcript

When I became an educator, I was the board chairman of the largest art university in the world, the Savannah College of Art and Design [Savannah, Georgia] with 5500 students.$$Wow.$$Most art universities are like six hundred, eight hundred students, maybe 1200, RISD [Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island] and Cranbrook [Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan] and CalArts [California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California] and all those schools, Chaminade [ph.], they're not that big. But, the president who asked me to become aboard, this story is really interesting, when I was doing a television series and I was being interviewed by NBC, and the president, Dr. Richard Rowan [Richard G. Rowan] at that time who was the, who had started the Savannah College of Art and Design, he started it--$$Okay.$$--in 1978.$$Okay.$$So, he saw the interview and he's a very tenacious fellow, tracked me down. He called NBC in New York [New York], and they said, "We didn't tape it here, it was in Los Angeles [California]." He kept pursuing everything until finally they left a message with me that Dr. Richard Rowan had called you and would like to speak with you, and I called him back at the Savannah College of Art and Design. At that time, it was two buildings and about twenty students. They had only been in business for a year.$$Since 1977.$$Seventy-eight [1978].$$Seventy-eight [1978], okay.$$He hocked his--he and his wife [Paula Wallace] were both educators and they refi'd [refinanced] their house and got some money from her parents [May Poetter and Paul Poetter], who were also educators, and they scratched this money up and they purchased an empty armory in Savannah, Georgia, and rehabbed it themselves. They painted it (laughter).$$They did the painting themselves (simultaneous)?$$(Simultaneous) Yes and fixed the toilets and everything, yes. That housed the first beginning of that school. So, when he called, he said, "We have a gallery called Exhibit A [Exhibit A Gallery, Savannah, Georgia], would you consider showing here?" And I said, "I have two commitments, so I will show with you if it's possible when I'm done with those commitments." He said, "Fine, sir, we will look forward to that. Will you speak with me again?" I said, "I will." So, I called him and we arranged to have a show here in Savannah, Georgia. And so I flew in and had the show.$$That show, do you remember it?$$Oh sure, Exhibit A Gallery, which was in the armory. It was a well-received show--$$Okay.$$--and we became just the fastest of friends. And so he asked me if I would consider being a board member, and I was so charmed by his ideology and his courage to start a college because most colleges that we are mindful of started in 1892--$$Right.$$--nineteen twelve [1912] or something, you know what I mean?$$Exactly.$$So, no one starts a college today, he did, and so I accepted to come aboard as a board member--$$Okay.$$--and to fast forward I served that and then was asked to be the board chairman, and our ideologies were in sync because he had been a college basketball star--$$Oh.$$--so he understood athleticism and success--$$Right.$$--and all of that, so we were on the same page. So, our school, we with great diligence pursued educating the whole person because you're not just a painter--$$Right.$$--or sculptor or jewelry maker or designer or computer graphic artist, you are a person.$Following 'Brian's Song,' you started to get more attention, I'm imagining, in your career (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) Yeah. Yes, I started to do films, and I had a conversation, this is interesting, with a young man who--an African American man who's a writer who wants to do a documentary about, he said, blaxploitation. And I said to him, "There was no such thing." He said, yeah the whole, there's a whole time when there was a lot of films with blaxploitation film. I said, "You know, that's a phrase that was coined by an African American man who put that phrase into the lexicon for the media, but there's no such thing as blaxploitation," because it was of the time, like I did 'Hit Man' and 'Cleopatra Jones' in 1972--$$Right.$$--and they were films that weren't terribly sophisticated, but they were certainly watchable. But, we all had those big afros and those bellbottom pants, and we strutted around and everything was a clenched fist, and you know, and power to the people.$$Right.$$So, that--I said, "Let me tell you something and be mindful of this, when white films were done for not much money for a very specific audience," because most films are done with an audience in mind, "and when they are complete and marketed to that audience no one calls them white exploitation films. You've been hoodwinked. You've been bamboozled as Malcolm [Malcolm X] would say."$$Right.$$So get that out of your mind. It's just a certain time and a certain genre film that that's what it was, and I can remember during that time, there was a phrase called the nigger budget of $400,000 or $500,000, and then you rush it out and if you got $3 million returned you were happy as you could be, so that was the turnover. Like today I don't think they'll do what they call, you flip it. You buy a condo for $175,000, and you hold it for a minute, you flip and sell it for $220,000--$$Right.$$--and you take, you make the profit.$$Right.$$That's, you know, same premise. So, until the bubble bursts and the bottom drops out, you can do pretty well with that. So, a lot of the studios would put up a small amount of money, rush the film out, shoot it in six weeks, I shot 'Hit Man' in six weeks, had it back in the theaters within six months, which is fast. The film made $4 million, they shot it for $300,000; they were happy as they could be. So by the time the smoked cleared with P and A, printing and advertising and all of that, and if you put, if the studio, if MGM [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Los Angeles, California] did it with their money, so if they put up $300,000 and put in their pocket $700,000, are they happy, absolutely.$$Right, right made a quick turnaround.$$Sure. But, there's no such thing as blaxploitation.$$Well let, let me ask you this question. Because I know you are a very no-nonsense person, you think when black folks need to be thinking about advancing the cause if they're out there singing and dancing, they're wasting time and hurting us all.$$Sure.$$There were a few films that were meant to be jokes, a play--$$Sure.$$--and you were in one called--with the platform shoes.$$'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.'$$'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka,' that's what--$$But, that was written to be a joke.$$It was written to be a--$$It was not a joke accidentally--$$Right.$$--it was written to be a joke.$$Okay.$$I mean it was a parody of certain genre of film.$$Right, right.$$And, and that's what made it so funny.$$Okay. So, but you would have no problems with that as long as it was meant to be a joke?$$Yeah, then you just simply must decide if the film is a good film or not for what it was made for.$$Okay.$$And if it is made to be a joke, it's not funny, well the film failed--$$Okay.$$--but the worse thing is it becomes a joke accidentally because it's so bad and stupid, that's demeaning.$$Okay. Now you did a film called 'Gordon's War.'$$No, that was, that was the fellow who passed away two years ago, Paul Winfield.$$Paul Winfield, okay, okay. Got, got that--$$I've done I think fifty-four films, and most I can't even remember.$$I remember one where you were stuck on a foreign planet, and Charlton Heston.$$No, that was Rock Hudson.$$Rock Hudson.$$'The Martian Chronicles.'$$'Martian Chronicles.'$$That's a classic.$$Right, right.$$Ray Bradbury.$$Right and--$$Classic.$$--it was a very serious film and I remember your performance (simultaneous)--$$(Simultaneous) Yeah, going, when they went to Mars.$$Right, right.$$Yeah.

Read more about Bernie Casey

Darryl Hill

Football great Darryl Andre Hill was born on October 21, 1943 in Washington, D.C. He is the eldest child of Palestine and Kermit Hill. Hill attended Nevell Thomas and Mott Elementary Schools in Washington, D.C. before attending Holy Name, a private Catholic school in Washington. Hill broke the color barrier on the football field when he enrolled at Gonzaga College High School and graduated in 1960.

From 1960 to 1961, Hill attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio on a football scholarship. After a year, he transferred to the plebe team of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he broke the color barrier once again as the first African American football player on that team. A starting half back with Navy, Hill caught passes from the now famous quarterback, Roger Staubach. In 1962, Hill left the Naval Academy for the University of Maryland in College Park when he became the first African American to play football in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 1965, Hill received his B.S. degree in economics from the University of Maryland.

After graduation from Maryland, Hill opened a restaurant in Washington, D.C., called W.H. Bone, which was one of the city’s first upscale soul food restaurants. Hill left the restaurant business in 1992 and moved to the West Coast where he ran several successful energy related companies. In 2001, Hill entered into several forestry and packaging ventures in the former Soviet Union. In 2003, Hill returned to his alma mater as the director of major gifts at the University of Maryland.

Hill is the father of three, Tami, Patrick and Maia. He currently resides in Columbia, Maryland and is active in 100 Black Men and The Terrapin Club.

Accession Number

A2004.013

Sex

Male

Interview Date

3/3/2004

Last Name

Hill

Maker Category

SportsMakers

Marital Status

Divorced

Occupation

Football Player

Organizations

100 Black Men

Terrapin Club

Schools

Holy Name Catholic School

Gonzaga High School

Xavier University

United States Naval Academy

University of Maryland

Gonzaga College High School

Nevell Thomas Elementary School

Mott Elementary School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

Speakers Bureau

Yes

Speakers Bureau Availability

Any

First Name

Darryl

Birth City, State, Country

Washington

HM ID

HIL06

Speakers Bureau Preferred Audience

No preference

Speakers Bureau Honorarium

Depends on audience - Negotiable

Favorite Season

October

Speaker Bureau Notes

Preferred Audience: No preference
Honorarium Specifics: Depends on audience

State

District of Columbia

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2004.013.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/8406

Favorite Vacation Destination

Southern France

Favorite Quote

Call It What You Like.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

District of Columbia

Interview Description

A2004_013_EAD.pdf

A2004_013_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

10/21/1943

Birth Place Term

Washington

Speakers Bureau Region City

Washington

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Pork

Short Description

Football player Darryl Hill (1943 - ) was the first African American football player at the U.S. Naval Academy and in Atlantic Coast Conference while attending University of Maryland.

Employment

W.H. Bone, Savoy, and Wildwood

Northstar International

University of Maryland, College Park

Global Pack

Favorite Color

Red

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/8410

Timing Pairs

0,0:2418,69:3198,89:3588,95:6756,143:8450,173:11450,187:20395,282:20679,287:21176,296:23805,325:29000,428:38654,563:39193,571:43544,642:43936,647:44328,652:44818,658:50896,751:72110,946:72950,1021:73310,1028:73550,1037:74210,1142:74570,1149:92490,1311:92762,1316:97228,1369:97516,1379:103110,1528:108339,1572:109879,1597:114087,1637:116784,1714:117156,1719:124224,1918:136530,2031:137664,2077:140013,2108:142281,2149:142767,2156:143253,2163:143901,2173:144468,2183:145116,2194:151910,2237:152182,2242:153746,2278:154018,2284:154494,2295:172326,2486:177960,2571:178360,2614:179060,2650:180460,2796:195240,2901:196428,2915:196860,2920:199351,2937:201083,2967$0,0:352,3:636,8:920,14:4186,111:4683,120:5535,133:14136,247:14744,257:15960,294:23409,427:25796,471:31352,535:33417,553:33693,558:38393,621:41183,669:41648,697:42020,702:67009,1154:70740,1184:71048,1189:71356,1194:71895,1227:75919,1310:76307,1315:78480,1332:84230,1368:85430,1379:95438,1541:95806,1546:98382,1600:102610,1642:106166,1688:107056,1701:108213,1720:110171,1772:112663,1836:113019,1841:118186,1894:119842,1928:120210,1933:121406,1950:122418,1968:122786,1973:128535,2045:133831,2107:137800,2146:141450,2184:143004,2197

DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Darryl Hill interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Darryl Hill's favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Darryl Hill discusses his mother's background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Darryl Hill discusses his father's background

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Darryl Hill discusses his grandparents' backgrounds

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Darryl Hill recounts early childhood memories

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Darryl Hill describes growing up with his younger brother

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Darryl Hill describes his childhood environs

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Darryl Hill recounts stories from his childhood

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Darryl Hill discusses his elementary school years

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Darryl Hill recalls the role of the church in his childhood

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Darryl Hill recalls his early role model

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Darryl Hill describes his high school experiences

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Darryl Hill discusses his ambitions before going to college

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Darryl Hill describes his high school football career

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Darryl Hill describes his college football career

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Darryl Hill describes his time at the United States Naval Academy

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Darryl Hill discusses how he got to the University of Maryland

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Darryl Hill details racial encounters during his college football career, part I

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Darryl Hill details racial encounters during his college football career, part II

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Daryll Hill discusses his transition into a business career

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Darryl Hill describes his first business endeavors

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Darryl Hill discusses his business ventures in Russia and Buryatia

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Darryl Hill discusses his return to the University of Maryland

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Darryl Hill reflects on his life as a trailblazer

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Darryl Hill evaluates his legacy and the importance of history

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Photo - Darryl Hill plays football for the U.S. Naval Academy, 1961

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Photo - Darryl Hill's great-grandmother, 1877

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Photo - Darryl Hill plays football for Gonzaga College High School in the league championship game, Washington, D.C., 1959

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Photo - Darryl Hill plays football for Gonzaga College High School in the city championship game, Washington, D.C., 1959

Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Photo - Darryl Hill's great-grandfather, ca. 1900

Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Photo - Darryl Hill's mother on her wedding day, 1940

Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Photo - Darryl Hill's father, ca. 1990

Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Photo - Darryl Hill, age two, 1945

Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Photo - Darryl Hill's mother at age sixteen during her senior year of high school, ca. 1937

Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Photo - Darryl Hill, age five, at Christmas, 1948

Tape: 5 Story: 11 - Photo - Darryl Hill as an infant, 1943

Tape: 5 Story: 12 - Photo - Darryl Hill, #25, in team photo of the University of Maryland football squad, College Park, Maryland, 1963

Tape: 5 Story: 13 - Photo - Darryl Hill catches a touchdown pass against the U.S. Air Force Academy, College Park, Maryland, 1963

Tape: 5 Story: 14 - Photo - Darryl Hill in a publicity photo for University of Maryland's football team, College Park, Maryland, 1963

Tape: 5 Story: 15 - Photo - Darryl Hill with an army veteran and his wife, Moscow, Russia, 1992

Tape: 5 Story: 16 - Photo - Darryl Hill scuba-dives at Playa Blanca, Mexico, 1989

Tape: 5 Story: 17 - Photo - Darryl Hill's mother upon receiving a Master's degree, ca. 1950

Tape: 5 Story: 18 - Photo - Darryl Hill receives an award for a theatrical performance, ca. 1951

Tape: 5 Story: 19 - Photo - Darryl Hill named honorary captain at a University of Maryland football game, College Park, Maryland, 1992

Tape: 5 Story: 20 - Photo - Darryl Hill hosts Maynard Jackson at his restaurant, Wildwood, Atlanta, Georgia, 2002

DASession

1$1

DATape

3$4

DAStory

4$2

DATitle

Darryl Hill describes his time at the United States Naval Academy

Daryll Hill discusses his transition into a business career

Transcript

How did you end up leaving Xavier [University, Cincinnati, Ohio] and going to the [U.S.] Naval Academy [Annapolis, Maryland]?$$Well one day my mother [Palestine Smith Hill] called me and said "If I get you an appointment to Annapolis would you go?" Now this was like April, and at that time the military academies were very prestigious and very much in demand and very difficult to get in. You know you had to be appointed by your congressman or by the President of the United States, or your father had to be a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. There were several ways to get in but primarily through congressional appointment. And I knew that these appointments had closed, not to mention the fact that being from Washington, D.C., we didn't have a congressman. But there was a provision where D.C. cadets could, I mean, midshipmen from D.C. could get in. I can't remember what it was. But anyway, so I said, "Sure." You know I knew that the appointments had closed in January. Next thing I know I get this letter from the president of the United States that said, "Congratulations Midshipman Hill. You've been accepted to the United States Naval Academy. Report for duty June 28th, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah." I said get out of here. Couldn't believe it. Next thing I know I'm going down there, put all my civilian clothes in a suitcase and gave them back to my parents [Kermit E. Hill and Palestine Smith Hill], you know, shaved my hair off and I was a Midshipman. It, it happened so fast I didn't have time to think about it.$$What was that like for you, especially being someone who was mischievous and a practical joker? This was, was it a very different environment for you?$$Oh very different. You know, here now you got to shine your shoes, make up your bed, get up at six o'clock [A.M.], you know had to be neat, had to have everything in place. And surprisingly I, I didn't do that badly at it you know. I didn't have, I think I was kind of in the middle of the pack, you know in terms of military you know discipline. So it was, you know I, I would have thought I would have done worse than I did, and it didn't really bother me that much once I got into the routine of doing it so, no, that, that wasn't, that wasn't a, a big deal. What, what I did find out though was I didn't want to be in the [U.S.] Navy. You know, I basically didn't like the attitudes. I think at that time the Navy was still elitist and racist, and I didn't really want much parts of that. So, but you know, if you went to Naval Academy, you didn't have to go in the Navy. I mean you had an option. You could go in the [U.S.] Marines or you could go into any branch of the service, really, technically. Even though most people, very few people did. A lot of people went into the Marines which is part of the Navy. And so--.$$What years were you at the Naval Academy?$$I was there for one year from '62 [1962], from '61 [1961] to '62 [1962].$At this time, what were you thinking you were going to do with your life? Were you thinking you were going to become a professional athlete? What were you thinking you were going to do?$$No, I thought that I would probably graduate and go on to develop a career. You know, I thought I had a shot but I was a little guy at a time when didn't too many little guys play in the NFL [National Football League]. They changed the rules now, you know. I, I--if they had the rules they had then I probably would still be playing. I was a receiver, and now they have rules where you can't even touch a receiver after he runs five yards down field. Well, if you let me run five miles I'm going to run away from you. But at that time you know they didn't have those rules and the receivers were bigger, tougher you know, 'cause of defensive backs, guys like Jack Tatum for example you know were beating on me all the time you know. So, so I didn't you know I didn't, I wasn't hanging my hat on you know pros you know. I gave it a shot, went up to the [New York] Jets [pro football team], hung around a couple of years you know I kind of on and off, mostly practice squad and you know I just came back and went to grad [graduate] school [University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland].$$And so after you went to grad school, what was next for you?$$Well then I wound up running an agency called the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation, which was a community development agency out in Anacostia section of Washington [D.C.]. And I went from there to being the director of the Greater Washington Business Center, which had basically same mission but for the entire region. And I did that for ten years, which a big part of that was minority business development, and this was in the '70s [1970s] when minority business was kind of just emerging. So I worked diligently at that and, and I enjoyed that you know. I, it's a nice feeling to go to work everyday and have some meaning in what you're doing, you know. And all of these jobs had great meanings, and they were great learning platforms. So I learned a lot, and you know ultimately transferred that learning into my own business use.

Read more about Darryl Hill

David R. Duerson

Former NFL player-turned-business owner David Duerson was born in Muncie, Indiana, on November 28, 1960. After graduating from Northside High School in Muncie, Duerson began his promising football career at the University of Notre Dame. Duerson spent the summers from 1979 to 1981 working as a law clerk in Miami, Florida, and during the summer of 1982, he served as legislative aide to U.S. Senator Richard Lugar. Duerson graduated from Notre Dame with a B.S. degree in economics in 1983.

Following graduation, Duerson joined the Chicago Bears, where he played from 1983 to 1989, earning his first Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XX. In 1990, he joined the New York Giants, and that year the Giants won Super Bowl XXV. He then went on to play for the Phoenix Cardinals from 1991 to 1993. After leaving the NFL, Duerson decided to go into business through franchise ownership. He attended McDonald's Corporation's Hamburger University and in 1994 bought three McDonald's restaurants in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. Selling his franchises in 1995, Duerson became president and CEO of Fair Oaks Farms, one of the primary suppliers of sausage to McDonald's and a number of other companies with an international distribution arm to Japan, Singapore, Turkey and Kuwait. Under his leadership, sales grew from $38 million in 1998 to $63.4 million in 2001. That same year, he earned an executive M.B.A. from Harvard University's Owners and Presidents Management Program.

In 2002, Duerson started Duerson Foods, providing pork and turkey sausage products to corporations such as Burger King, White Castle and SYSCO.

Duerson has earned a number of honors over the years, including being named two-time All-American at Notre Dame and the 1987 NFL Man of the Year. He serves on the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees and as chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Chicago Chapter. He is also active with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, serving as a national trustee. Duerson and his wife, Alicia, have four children.

Duerson passed away on February 17, 2011.

Duerson was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 28, 2003.

Accession Number

A2003.210

Sex

Male

Interview Date

8/28/2003

Last Name

Duerson

Maker Category

SportsMakers

BusinessMakers

Marital Status

Married

Middle Name

Russell

Occupation

Football Player

Corporate Chief Executive

Organizations

University of Notre Dame

National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Maryville Academy

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated

Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Boule)

Masonic Lodge Hiram #14

Schools

Longfellow Elementary School

Oliver W. Storer Junior High School

Northside High School

University of Notre Dame

Harvard University

Northside Middle School

Storer Elementary School

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

David

Birth City, State, Country

Muncie

HM ID

DUE01

Favorite Season

Fall

State

Indiana

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2003.210.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/6668

Favorite Vacation Destination

South Florida, Hawaii

Favorite Quote

Never Be Satisfied.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Illinois

Interview Description

A2003_210_EAD.pdf

A2003_210_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

11/28/1960

Birth Place Term

Muncie

Speakers Bureau Region City

Chicago

Country

USA

Favorite Food

Catfish, Raw Oysters

Death Date

2/17/2011

Short Description

Football player and corporate chief executive David R. Duerson (1960 - 2011 ) is a former NFL player who is now CEO and owner of Duerson foods, sausage maker to Burger King and others.

Employment

Chicago Bears

New York Giants

Phoenix Cardinals

McDonald's Corporation

Fair Oaks Farms, LLC

Duerson Foods, LLC

Favorite Color

Black, Red

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/6673

Timing Pairs

0,0:0,101:10434,359:10878,364:11174,369:15836,378:16478,385:21850,432:22150,437:22600,443:25995,532:26335,537:27100,550:28885,577:29820,602:30160,607:32580,619:33560,635:34120,641:34540,649:34890,655:36990,702:37340,708:39580,716:43780,782:46880,818:47480,832:50086,844:50350,849:51010,861:51274,866:56200,942:56480,947:57110,956:57740,966:58020,972:58440,979:58860,986:59350,996:61100,1029:62220,1049:74937,1251:78107,1278:81422,1313:83222,1361:83942,1374:88886,1426:89700,1454:90144,1461:90588,1466:91254,1489:92290,1506:94066,1580:95620,1616:105436,1703:105744,1708:108978,1779:109363,1785:110903,1818:111211,1823:114230,1831:114926,1856:115274,1861:117623,1942:118058,1948:121048,1960$0,0:230,44:990,57:5474,125:6082,135:6994,150:8058,160:17322,282:18224,295:19536,311:20110,321:22078,350:24538,392:25358,404:26096,416:27244,433:27736,440:30830,452:31934,478:35706,527:36258,534:37638,557:39110,577:43950,639:44405,650:47980,735:48500,744:50060,773:50515,786:50775,791:51425,806:52205,822:55770,832:57722,880:58027,885:58393,892:62300,944:62860,956:63140,961:65030,1008:69664,1054:70246,1062:71022,1076:71507,1081:72574,1093:72962,1098:81726,1216:81998,1221:88090,1393:91333,1460:91954,1473:93817,1510:94438,1520:95749,1544:96025,1549:96508,1557:100764,1571:106455,1629:106755,1634:107505,1641:108030,1649:108630,1660:109305,1671:109755,1677:112980,1763:116055,1856:116355,1861:123786,1903:125861,1937:126691,1952:127189,1968:128019,1977:129679,2007:132252,2047:132750,2054:136402,2124:141392,2153:141861,2161:142196,2167:149364,2307:151732,2366:152028,2371:155876,2481:157208,2503:158762,2531:165198,2605:166150,2628:168122,2669:168598,2678:169414,2693:169754,2699:170298,2710:170842,2721:171182,2727:171590,2734:178902,2821:179218,2826:181430,2882:187048,2940

DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of David Duerson interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - David Duerson's favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - David Duerson describes his mother's background

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - David Duerson discusses his father's family background

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - David Duerson relates his family's history after the U.S. Civil War

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - David Duerson describes his father's career successes

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - David Duerson remembers his hometown of Muncie, Indiana

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - David Duerson discusses his mother's life

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - David Duerson recalls the Duerson family's interstate travels

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - David Duerson discusses recreation in Muncie, Indiana

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - David Duerson describes his childhood shenanigans

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - David Duerson recalls his early sports achievements

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - David Duerson details his early educational experience

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - David Duerson remembers influential teachers

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - David Duerson remembers his high school years

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - David Duerson describes his national and international travel during high school

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - David Duerson details his high school athletic accomplishments

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - David Duerson remembers his college years at the University of Notre Dame

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - David Duerson discusses his continued involvement with the University of Notre Dame

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - David Duerson recalls Notre Dame teammates and their athletic exploits

Tape: 3 Story: 7 - David Duerson explains why he chose football over baseball

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - David Duerson discusses some unexpected setbacks in his professional football career

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - David Duerson remembers 'Papa Bear' George Halas and Bears teammates

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - David Duerson recalls his clashes with Bears defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - David Duerson details how he learned to handle Buddy Ryan's racism

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - David Duerson reveals the inner workings of the Chicago Bears coaching staff

Tape: 4 Story: 6 - David Duerson describes his teammate, Bears quarterback Jim McMahon

Tape: 4 Story: 7 - David Duerson describes Buddy Ryan's coaching skills

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - David Duerson remembers the end of his career with the Chicago Bears

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - David Duerson discusses his career after the Chicago Bears

DASession

1$1

DATape

4$4

DAStory

2$7

DATitle

David Duerson remembers 'Papa Bear' George Halas and Bears teammates

David Duerson describes Buddy Ryan's coaching skills

Transcript

Let's talk about the [Chicago] Bears [National Football League team] and when you got to the Bears. This is, what, what did you know about [coach] Mike Ditka and the Chicago Bears. I think George Halas [owner of Chicago Bears] was still alive, wasn't he? 'Papa Bear' was still alive.$$(Simultaneously) George, 'Papa Bear', in fact, he was alive. He passed away that year, my rookie season. Chicago [Illinois] was a short sprint from South Bend. So the four years I was at [University of] Notre Dame [South Bend, Indiana], we'd come over on some Sundays and, and watch the Bears plays. And it was very easy to get tickets to Bear games back in those days because they were, were sorry. They were quite sorry. What I knew of Mike Ditka is that, is that he was a tough guy and that he had just drafted this, this small, middle linebacker, Mike Singletary, that nobody expected a whole lot from and that, you know, but it was a, it was a city that, on defensive side, always talked about its linebackers, but as far as I was concerned, it was a city of, of Gary Fencik and Doug Plank [Chicago Bears players]. And so--.$$Those are two hard-hittin' safeties.$$(Simultaneous) Two very, very hard-hitting' safeties, and, you know, with an incredible reputation. Growing up in Indiana, we got both the, the Bear games and the Cincinnati [Ohio] Bengals. Those were the two teams we saw. So my wife and I, as we were driving across the [Chicago] Skyway coming into Chicago, you know, I'm reporting to the city, and we're looking at the skyline, and I said, "Baby, you see that? Some day we're gonna own this like, like Gary Fencik and Doug Plank." And so I show up at training--at mini-camp. And my very first day, you know, Ditka embraced me and, you know, I was one of his draft picks. Well, I came to find out very quickly that I was [Bears coach] Mike Ditka and Jim Finks's pick. But I was not [Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator] Buddy Ryan's pick.$[Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Buddy] Ryan is, was quite a character as you've already said--,$$Um-hum.$$--but do you, would you consider him a defensive genius at some point?$$Yeah, I would. I, I absolutely considered Buddy a defensive genius. That's without question. He designed and created the '46 Defense', which it was the 46 in that, that was the number that Doug Plank wore, because the defense was designed for the strong safety and, which, of course, was the position I played in the 46. So done right, the strong safety is gonna be the centerpiece of that defense. And certainly, you know, it was genius for Buddy to design the defense, but in order for it to be effective, because he had designed it when he was actually coaching under Weeb Eubanks, with the New York Jets. But the defense was not effective because you had to have two things. You had to have bright players who could understand the X's and O's and be able to, to make multiple shifts before the snap of a ball, and they had to be talented athletically. And it just so happened that that combination came together in '83 [1983], '84 [1984], '85 [1985] with the Chicago Bears. As I said before, I played with ten other, or nine other All-Pros. So it was easy for Dave Duerson to go to the Pro Bowl [National Football League all-star game]. I just simply had to do my job, and if everybody else did their job, there were enough accolades to go around. But then, of course, when Buddy left, Vince Tobin took over as defensive coordinator. And I had even greater success in my career under Vince Tobin. So, so we can't give Buddy too much credit because again, the talent was there with our ball club. But when Buddy left, and after the end of the, of the '85 [1985] season and went to Philly [Philadelphia Eagles football team], we played the, the Eagles the next year in '86 [1986]. And from a defensive perspective, I beat Buddy Ryan by myself. I did things that day that, to this day I cannot explain. I freaked. I did, I had interceptions, I forced fumbles. I had two sacks. And I'll never forget, the game went into overtime. And I grabbed our special teams coach, Steve Kazor, and I told him, I'm, I'm going down on, on the kickoff team. I wasn't even on the kickoff team. And so Steve saw this crazy look in my eyes, he said, "Okay, great, go in at the five position." And so, you know, so I went in and I took some guy out. I don't remember who it was. And on the kickoff, Kevin Butler kicks off, I went down; the return man grabs the ball. I explode into him. He went one way, and the ball went another. We recover. Immediately, Kevin Butler goes onto the field, kicks a field goal, game over. And Buddy Ryan's crying, and that was my vindication. So never had to say a word, beating, simply with work ethic. And at the end of the day, I never had to say a word, and he was the one who broke down--not Dave Duerson.

Read more about David R. Duerson

Mel Farr, Sr.

Mel Farr enjoyed success on and off the football field. Farr was an All American and All Pro running back, and then later shot to the top of the African American business world when the Mel Farr Auto Group grossed a staggering $596.6 million dollars in 1998. Farr was born November 3, 1944 in Beaumont, Texas, to Miller Farr, Sr. and Doretha Farr.

A natural athlete, Farr excelled in baseball, basketball, track and football. It was football that captured Farr's imagination, as he was inspired by an outstanding collection of local heroes. Al LaBlanc, Bubba Smith, Buck Buchannan, Jerry LeVias, Warren Wells and other football greats all came from the "Golden Triangle" area around Beaumont. Farr was widely recruited from black Hebert High School in 1963, choosing the University of California, Los Angeles. At UCLA, Farr was a consensus All American from 1963 to 1967. He was also NFL Rookie of the Year in 1967 with the Detroit Lions and made the All Pro Team in 1967 and 1972. Plagued by injuries, Farr retired in 1973, ready to make the transition from football hero to businessman.

Determined to have a career beyond the gridiron, Farr completed his degree at the University of Detroit while still in the National Football League. He worked during the off-season for the Ford Motor Company in its management program. In 1975, Mel Farr Ford opened at 2470 Greenfield Road in Oak Park, Michigan. Targeting the inner-city population with its high credit risk, but its need for automobiles and ready financing, Farr employed a variety of creative marketing and management approaches. Purchasing additional dealerships beginning in 1986, Farr's empire grew to over thirteen dealerships and a Seven-Up Bottling Plant. By 1998, the Mel Farr Auto Group was the top African American business in the country and the thirty-third largest auto dealership in the United States.

Farr passed away on August 3, 2015.

Accession Number

A2002.151

Sex

Male

Interview Date

8/21/2002

Last Name

Farr

Maker Category

BusinessMakers

SportsMakers

Occupation

Auto Sales Entrepreneur

Football Player

Organizations

Schools

Odom Elementary School

Hebert High School

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Detroit Mercy

Odom Academy

Search Occupation Category

SportsMakers:Football

First Name

Melvin

Birth City, State, Country

Beaumont

HM ID

FAR01

Favorite Season

Spring

State

Texas

THM DA Link

http://marc.thehistorymakers.org/thmdigital/A2002.151.htm

Web Clip 1

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/6906

Favorite Vacation Destination

Bahamas

Favorite Quote

You only gonna earn today what your skills and efforts allow you to and no more.

Bio Photo

Speakers Bureau Region State

Michigan

Interview Description

A2002_151_EAD.pdf

A2002_151_EAC.pdf

Birth Date

11/3/1944

Birth Place Term

Beaumont

Speakers Bureau Region City

Detroit

Country

USA

Death Date

8/3/2015

Short Description

Auto sales entrepreneur and football player Mel Farr, Sr. (1944 - 2015 ) owns a number of car dealerships. The Mel Farr Auto Group was recognized as the the top African American business in the country in 1998. Before his business career, Farr was also NFL Rookie of the Year in 1967 with the Detroit Lions, and made the All Pro Team in 1967 and 1972 as a running back.

Employment

NFL- Detroit Lions

Ford Motor Company

Mel Farr Automotive

Triple M Financing Company

Seven-Up Bottling Plant

Favorite Color

Yellow

Web Clip 2

https://thmdaprodmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/story/video/6917

Timing Pairs

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DAStories

Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Mel Farr interview

Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Mel Farr's favorites

Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Mel Farr remembers his parents

Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Mel Farr discusses his father's background

Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Mel Farr discusses his mother's family and recalls visits to their farm

Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Mel Farr describes his parents' focus on the future, not the past

Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Mel Farr recalls segregation and a racist killing near his hometown, Beaumont, Texas

Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Mel Farr remembers early family trips to California and vowing to play in the Coliseum

Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Mel Farr recalls racial violence and tension in Beaumont, Texas

Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Mel Farr describes the location and climate of Beaumont, Texas

Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Mel Farr describes his ambitious, goal-directed childhood personality

Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Mel Farr talks about pursuing his goal of becoming a pro football player

Tape: 1 Story: 13 - Mel Farr describes memorable figures from his school years

Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Mel Farr describes Beaumont, Texas's football tradition

Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Mel Farr recounts playing grade school and high school football

Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Mel Farr recalls his experience at UCLA

Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Mel Farr discusses football injuries received early in his football career

Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Mel Farr recounts playing football at UCLA

Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Mel Farr recalls being drafted by the Detroit Lions

Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Mel Farr discusses playing football for the Detroit Lions

Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Mel Farr recounts his last year playing professional football

Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Mel Farr identifies notable Detroit Lions and his family's history in pro football

Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Mel Farr remembers beginning his career as a Ford automobile dealer

Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Mel Farr discusses achieving success as an automobile dealer

Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Mel Farr recalls media criticism of his business success

Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Mel Farr discusses the benefit of transportation for the urban poor

Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Mel Farr discusses the significance of access to transportation

Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Mel Farr explains how the "On Time" device assures automobile payments

Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Mel Farr explains using a white stand-in for some commercials

Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Mel Farr discusses his decision to focus on selling inexpensive cars to the urban market

Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Mel Farr shares his personal philosophy

Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Mel Farr discusses the success of Korean auto makers in America

Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Mel Farr identifies his additional business endeavors

Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Mel Farr shares his concerns for the black community

Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Mel Farr discusses his future and his legacy

DASession

1$1

DATape

1$3

DAStory

12$3

DATitle

Mel Farr talks about pursuing his goal of becoming a pro football player

Mel Farr remembers beginning his career as a Ford automobile dealer

Transcript

Where did you go to grade school?$$I went to Odom Elementary School.$$It was a black school, right?$$All black, and my high school, I went to Hebert High School.$$All right. When you were in grade school can--can you remember like what you were most interested in in grade school and what--what subjects and or--or activities you know caught your interest in school?$$Well during grade school I was interested in--sports. I was interested in sports. Absolutely interested in sports. I was interested in being a cowboy, you know cause--I mean all you saw on television was cowboys and Indians. So I wanted to be a cowboy . I wanted to--and--I wanted to be a football player. I watched--the games and I'd see--see my heroes, the Jim Browns and Lenny (unclear) Moores and Ollie Matson and those guys being very successful on the football field and I was a kind of a big guy and I was fast and so I said you know what, I'm going to be a professional football player. So I set a goal when I was twelve years old to be a profess-, professional football player and I just kind of stayed focused on being that professional football player and I know the closer and closer I came to--to being that--accomplishing that goal the happier I was. You know when I made All-State in football and the college coaches started calling me, I'd get letters from the college, I mean I was happy you know, when the college scouts started coming down and recruiting me I was very, very happy. When I went to UCLA and I made All-American, that went-- that gave me one step closer to--to accomplishing my goals and objectives and then being drafted by the Detroit Lions, that was it. It was something that, hey I've set, and then when I got--became twenty-two years old and became a football player--a professional football player I said, hmm, now--I need to set another goal. So in 1968 Ford Motor Company put in its first African American dealer--a guy by the name of Ernie Banks and Bob Nelson in Chicago, Illinois and I was playing ball for the Detroit Lions and the guy who owned the Lions, name was William Clay Ford, the grandson of Henry Ford, so I said, hey, I'm going to go out to Ford Motor Company and get a job. So I got--went out to Ford Motor Company my second year in the league and got a job at Ford Motor Company.$Let's talk about your career with Ford and the--the car dealership. You--you started your car dealership in 1975, right--1975? Okay.$$Yeah, I started working with Ford Motor Company in the off-season, in 1968, right after Ford Motor Company put in its first African American dealer. And the reason why Ford Motor Company put in its first African American dealer was right after the riots, and Henry Ford [Jr.] said, you know, what we are going to do is we are going to open our retail dealerships to African Americans. So, they went out and they put Ernie Banks--the Hall of Fame baseball player, and Bob Nelson into a Ford Dealership in Chicago. Wow, and I just started working with Ford! I said, God. You know my dad was a used car dealer--I'm working here at Ford Motor Company now. I'm going to be a dealer! You know, so I'd set a goal that year that I'm going to work at Ford Motor Company. I'm gonna learn this business and I'm going to be--become an automobile dealer. I retired in '73 [1973]. In '75 [1975] I purchased Mel Farr Ford in Oak Park, Michigan. Now, Mel Farr Ford in Oak Park, Michigan had been bankrupt twice, you know. There were two white guys in there before Mel Farr--they couldn't do it. I bought the store in 1975 with a partner by the name of John Cook. We said--we were partners for about three--three--three years and he and I disagreed on the philosophy on how the business should be--how we should go forward in the business and et cetera and--so I ended up buying him out in 1970--1978 and in 1979, those cars lined up at the service stations in California when they started to having this gas war and in '79 [1979], so my timing was absolutely the worse to buy him out, but I did it--interest rates went up to nineteen percent, twenty percent in 1980. I'm struggling, struggling, struggling as an automobile dealer, and that's when Nate [Nathan] Conyers, Bill [William] Shack and myself--we started the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers [NAMAD]. We started that association so that we can get some money from the government so we can withstand this downturn in the market, because there were about--President [Jimmy] Carter came here and announced that he had allocated--I think it was two hundred million dollars for automobile dealers for loans through the SBA [Small Business Association] and he allocated twenty two million dollars for minority automobile dealers, and it was through out lobbying in Washington [D.C.] that we were able to get that done through the minority--through the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers and it allowed me to get two hundred and ten thousand dollars from the SBA and it kept me in business in--in those very, very difficult times, and it was a learning--a learning period for me. I felt very confident in my ability to be a dealer, but there were some things that I had no control over and that was the economy. So, those funds were--were--were really a necessity. It was very necessary for me--for us to survive back in 1980 and '81 [1981], and after that Ford Motor Company came out with some fuel-efficient automobiles like the "Escort", before then we had all of the gas guzzlers, you know,,$$(Simultaneously) The LTDs (laughter)$$Yeah, and we had the "Pinto" and if--if you hit--if you ran into the back of a Pinto, it caught fire, you know, so, we did not have very much to sell, but I was able to with--withstand that downturn, and we--you know grew our business to be--you know the largest [black-owned] business in this country.

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