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Jack TriceIteammateremembersTo the Kditor of The Tribune:I just read in your Ames Tribune June 19, 1976 the Jack Trice story aswritten by Charles D. Schoffner (of4rUnited Press International) in which there are some statements which should be corrected before this story goes any further I was in school at Iowa State College—class of 1924—when Sam Willaman was hired as the football coach He came from a high school in Toledo, Ohio. He coached at Iowa State for four years. He brought with him Johnny and Mope Behn, Jack Trice, Spike Nare and a center—name of whom 1 have forgotten I personally know most of the coaches and the athletes at ISU The players and me were all treated alike as studentsJack was employed, at least part of the time he attended 1SU. as a custodian in one of the larger office buildings in downtown Ames This provided Jack and his mother living quarters.Jack played on the freshman team of 1922 along with his four mates from Toledo and other prep players He wasa very good lineman. To my knowledge, he was the first black athlete at Iowa State. Jack, like almost all football players during his freshman year, was giving the game his best He, like all freshmen, wanted to bo a starter on the varsity in 1923 During the fall of 1923, Ira “Pep Young, one of my civil engineering classmates, was the captain of the team Coach Willaman moved Pep from halfback to left end plus doing the punting. This allowed the Behn brothers to be the halfbacks, Roberts the quarterback. Anderson the fullback The first varsity game in thefall of 1923 was against SimpsonCollege. Jack Trice played right tackle and did a commendable job, for Iowa State won the game 14 to 6 The second varsity game during thefall of 1923 was against the University of Minnesota in their stadium. Jack Trice started this, his second varsitywgame, at right tackle for Iowa State Like most all football games, it was rough and tough About at the start of the second quarter Jack Trice was injured, shoulder and internally Hewas removed from the game. Hestarted the second half, but near the end of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter he again was injured, shoulder and internally. He was then removed from the game, not to reenter again rules those daysIt was a thrilling and an excitinggame, Minnesota winning 20-17.Jack Trice returned to Ames with the team. The following Monday he died from those injuries.The letter he wrote to himself that Friday night in his room on Hotel Curtiss stationary exemplified Jack's true character and great desire to make good for his race, his family and for himself. Almost all of the Iowa State students, professors, instructors, etc. attended Jack’s services in the shadows of the Campanile, for we all respected and admired Jack a good student, a good athlete.The Schoffner article states “Jack didn’t play in Iowa State’s first two games at Nebraska and Missouri because of concern over his race.” This statement is untrue The Missouri game was the third Iowa State game and Nebraska was the seventh gameAntes Dally Tributl©Thurs., June 24, 1976Mlllllll III lllll I Mil III IIIIIIIIIMI tlllllllMllllllllltlltllllltof an eight game schedule There never was a word said about race to my knowledge, by anyone.In the third paragraph Schoffner states “Minnesota on Oct. 6, 1923 Games in those years started usually the last Saturday in September—so Missouri and Nebraska could not have been played hefore Iowa State played Simpson and Minnesota -only after the Minnesota game as the schedule indicates.Jack appreciated his status. Generally he spoke only when spoken to. As far as I know he was always a gentleman, like almost all of the athletes and students were.But let’s tell the Trice story correctly, that is the way Jack would want it.Let those in authority select the name for the new stadium at IowaState University.Harley C Boekec3000 Regency, Apt 12 AmesWashington window
Newspaper Details
Ames Daily Tribune
Ames, Iowa, US
Thu, Jun 24, 1976
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 23 Jun 2020
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