Hide Article Text (OCR)
By Gene Williams if you’ve ever wondered how Kent State varsity athletic teams ever acquired their Blue and Gold colors or how they got tagged with the nickname of the Golden Flashes...the answer is very simple. KSU was known as the Silver Foxes Everybody has heard the legend of the running colors of the burning fox farm -haven’t they? Well, for you few who can’t recall these ancient tales, let us refresh your memory. Way back when old KSU was known as Kent Normal College the ‘‘varsity’’ teams (such as they were) were the colors of Orange and Purple and were known as the “Silver Foxes. The nickname originated after first KSU president, John E. McGilvery, built a fox farm adjacent to the college. In 1926, the fox farm mysteriously burned to the ground, and a new name had to be found for the fledgling athletic squads. A contest was held and a $25 prize was offered for the best name. The records don’t show who won .. Which, when all things are considered, perhaps is best. Of course, just about everybody’s mother has heard about how the basketball team’s wool orange and purple uniforms were washed instead of dry cleaned. The colors ran, leaving a blue and gold uniform instead of the orange and purple. In 1913, when the college opened its doors, there were no facilities to speak of. By 1915, a baseball diamond, a couple of tennis courts and an ice-skating rink served as the only recreational facilities on campus. McGilvery could see little future in ‘‘varsity”’ athletics and did little to promote them. Kent’s basketball team followed much the same route as the baseball squad. In its first year of play, the Kent roundballers won three games against local teams, but fell short of the mark in intercollegiate play. On Jan. 22, 1915, Kent played its first in tercollegiate basketball game in the newly-built Administration Building. The result was somewhat disastrous. Kent’s opponent, Ot terbein, showed little mercy and defeated the Kent quintet by a score of 56-5. Kent's second encounter with a college team was little better as the Normal five fell Friday, May 21, 1971 to Muskingum College 54-18. Improper facilities crushed any hopes of a competent team. During the 1915-16 season Kent lost eight straight games before winning its first in tercollegiate contest. The victim was Ashland College and the score was 27-17, which was not overpowering, but a win none-the-less. With this encouraging note, the cagers swung into the 1916-17 season with much enthusiasm only to lose six of eight games. Included in those six losses was a 100-12 shellacking at the hands of Findlay College. All was not lost, however, for in the 1923-24 season Kent finally won a championship. With victories over the Perfection Dairy and the Davey Tree Institute teams, the Normal quintet captured the Kent “City Cham pionship.”* Early in 1915, the campus turned its interest to the fast growing game of football. Like so many other colleges throughout America, Kent Normal was caught up in the thrills of Saturday afternoon and the excitement of Mr. Touchdown. University officials, however, had more pressing things on their minds than football, and the game had to struggle for existence in the campus. In the fall of 1915 there was an attempt to organize a team, but there weren't enough male students to carry on the venture. It seems that in 1915 there weren't 11 male students enrolled in the college. Officials didn’t worry about sports Then in 1920, the fortunes of football at Normal began to change. It was a change that would have a profound effect on the future of organized athletics on the campus. Paul E. Chandler arrived at Kent in 1920 to take charge of Kent Normal football. Chandler, in four years at the helm, complied a rather dismal 1-14-1 record, but that could be expected from a man who also served as head of the education department. The most important factor in Chandler’s four-year reign was not the won-lost record -KSU lost an astronomical 118-0 game to Baldwin- Wallace in 1923 — but the fact that for the first time Kent had an organized team with an appointed coach. In 1924, Frank Harsh took over as football coach and guided the team to an uninspired 0-4 record. Merele E. Wagoner followed Harsh and compiled a 12-30-9 slate for eight seasons. In 1933 Kent’s Mr. Everything, Joe Begala, took over the reins and ran up a 4-5-6 record in two years. After 15 frustrating years in which Kent recorded only one winning season, Donald Starn took charge of Kent's football fortunes, as well as the total athletic program. Starn’s appointment came amid a wave of controversy. When it was announced that Begala would be replaced students, alumni and faculty waited in anticipation for a big ‘“‘Name” coach to be appointed. The name most frequently mentioned was the ‘‘grand old man of football,’? Amos Alonzo Stagg. Kent’s second president, Dr. James Ozro Engleman decided differently, however, and Starn was named to the post. The on- Joe Begala starts career in 1933 nouncement brought on a demonstration by some 400 students who marched on Captain Brady’s Restaurant to protest the selection. Starn committed himself to retain Begala as a line coach and as head wrestling coach. His comments quelled the protest and most adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Starn didn’t let anyone down as he piled up a 34-28-3 record in his eight seasons, including an 8-1 year -- the best ever in Kent State history. In basketball Starn’s teams won 97 while losing 81, and in baseball, he racked up a 19-9 slate. The coming of World War II meant the end of athletics at the college. Most of the country’s young men left to fight in the war, and the nation’s colleges planned for the day they would return. College presidents everywhere were looking to the future, to the day when there would be an influx of students, more buildings, more money. In the fall of 1944, Kent President George A. Bowman revived varsity basketball. Varsity football followed in the fall of 1946. Other sports, such as wrestling baseball, tennis, track, golf and swimming were reinstituted with a new vigor and the entire athletic program was placed in the hands of Trevor Rees. Bowman and Rees were faced with the same trouble that had purgued most of the nation’s colleges and universities — lack of money. The war had drained the economy and Kent had little to offer its athletes. Bowman, stern and in fluential force within the athletic department, refused to allow scholarships to be issued. Rees recalled his first years as athletic director: “I came in after the war of course and at that time the college had been running a Trevor Rees begins new athletic program reduced program. We gave, no scholarships at all. Of course, some of the boys coming in were on the GI bill, and we didn’t have to worry too much. “The Kent Booster club raised enough money for meals for the football players during the season but that was the extent of any help. “As time went on we were able to get a few more jobs and the Booster club raised money to pay some kids’ tuition but the boys still had to pay fees. With the jobs and the Booster club money we were able to take care of some football and basketball players because these were the money sports. The rest of the sports like swimming, wrestling and such got nothing and just played the walkons. “I don’t think President Bowman ever wanted us to win too much. We were doing alright since we were above .500. He didn’t want us to win them all and he didn’t want us to go below .500. “Other schools were giving scholarships at this time. We were taking the field with two strikes against us for years. If we could have competed earlier on the same basis we would be better today.” Despite the money problems Rees managed to become only the second winning football coach in KSU history. During his 18 seasons at the helm Rees picked up 71 victories against 63 losses and four ties. In 1954 the Flashes were 8-2 and made an appearance in the now famous Refrigerator Bowl (a 19-7 loss to the University of Delaware). In 1964, Leo Strang took over and struggled to a 16-21- 2 record. Four years later Dave Paddington took over to record a 9-2] slate. In 47 seasons Kent football teams have only 17 winning years and have compiled a 171-198-25 total won-lost record. Basketball has not fared much better with only eight winning seasons since 1946 and only two in the last 19 years. But there is more to the picture than winning and losing. From its feeble beginnings Kent State has built its athletic department into a thriving business. The days of getting by on a shoestring and a prayer are gone. Kent spent a phenomenal $882,580 last year on varsity athletics, which, in comparison to other major universities, is relatively small. However, not all universities lost money on their programs as did KSU. Rees sees the problem with athletics in the country and thinks that colleges may change their way of thinking in the future. “T was always in the black with- our -program,”’ Rees said. ‘‘President Bowman made sure I was. Of course, when you don’t have to pay for tuition or fees for a boy you can finish in the black. “But nowadays, if you have a walk on that plays well, he wants some type of aid,’ Rees continued. ‘‘The Flashes earn fame in Refrigerator Bow cost of athletics throughout the country is continuing to grow. “I can’t speak for other coaches but I would say most of them would like to go back to the days when you played with only those boys who came to the campus and not worry about recruiting. Recruiting is something coaches get to hate.”
Newspaper Details
Kent Daily Kent Stater
Kent, Ohio, US
Fri, May 21, 1971
Page 20
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
OH, USA 03 Feb 2026
Other Publications Near Kent, Ohio
Kent Tribune
Kent Stater Summer Bulletin
Kent Stater
Kent State University Summer News
Kent Daily Kent Stater
