March 2005 E-Newsletter

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

March 2005
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CONTENT SUMMARY
Calendar of Events
ISU’s History Making African American Athletes
- Warren Anderson
- Clarence Walker
- Junius “Rainey” Bibbs
- William “Babe” Holland
Volunteer Opportunities
Join the Alumni Association
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March
4 Men’s Basketball
- MVC Tournament in St. Louis
5 Men’s Basketball
- MVC Tournament in St. Louis
Women’s Basketball
- ISU Lady Sycamores vs. Illinois State
8 Graduation Extravaganza – ISU Bookstore
9 Graduation Extravaganza – ISU Bookstore
10 Women’s Basketball
- MVC Tournament in Normal, Illinois
11 Women’s Basketball
- MVC Tournament in Normal, Illinois
12 Women’s Basketball
- MVC Tournament in Normal, Illinois
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ISU’s Alumni Affairs Office would like to devote this month’s newsletter to some of our early, outstanding African American athletes who contributed to our rich history.

ISU’S HISTORY MAKING AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATHLETES

WARREN ANDERSON – AWARD WINNER
In 1926, Warren Anderson, an African-American, received ISU’s highest athletic award, the Hines Award. The Hines Award was a medal given annually by President L. N. Hines to a student who earned a sports letter during the year and who during his previous three terms had the highest average in scholarship among varsity men. Warren Anderson was a graduate of Wiley High School. He was a junior at the time of the award and was a mainstay of the track team, excelling in the hurdles and the broad jump. Anderson went on to become a principal of Gary Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana and was the first black member of the Indiana Board of Education. It is not known if any other African-Americans received the Hines’ Award before Anderson. Today the award is given to the graduating senior, athlete or non-athlete, with the highest grade point average. What is significant here is that at a time when African-Americans were being systematically deprived of basic rights, especially educational rights, Indiana State not only opened its doors to this group, but also seemed not to discriminate in the awarding of collegiate athletic awards and in participation on sports teams. The Warren Anderson Scholarship at Indiana State is awarded annually to deserving minority students.

---From ISU alumna, Crystal Reynolds’ dissertation.
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CLARENCE WALKER – FIRST BLACK ISU BASKETBALL PLAYER
Following is an excerpt from John Wooden’s new book, My Personal Best : Life Lessons from an All-American Journey.

Clarence Walker, a student-athlete from East Chicago, was a ninth or tenth man on the Sycamore team and worked hard, attended class, and was a good fellow. He also was black. The NAIB wanted me to tell Clarence to stay home while his fellow team members – who were a team in part because of him – enjoyed the benefits of what the team had achieved. Clarence’s reward was to be left behind while the Sycamores traveled to the big tournament in Kansas City. How do you do something like this to a young man? I quietly turned down the invitation.

The following year it happened again. We finished 27-7 and had attracted nationwide attention with our so-called racehorse style of basketball. When the invitation from the NAIB arrived, it was difficult to say no quietly – we would be one of the main attractions in Kansas City. Nevertheless, I informed the committee that the Sycamores would not attend and gave my reason. They offered a compromise: “Walker can play in the games, but he must not be seen publicly with the team. He must stay in a private home away from the other players. He must not attend publicity functions with the Sycamores.” I felt this humiliation was worse than leaving Clarence behind in Terre Haute. The answer was easy: “No.”

Then I received a call from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) suggesting I reconsider, “If Clarence agrees to the impositions, he will become the first black player ever permitted to play in a national college basketball tournament.” I talked it over with Clarence, who then talked it over with his parents in Chicago. They all agreed that it was worth it, so I accepted the NAIB’s invitation to play in Kansas City starting March 8, 1948.
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JUNIUS “RAINEY” BIBBS – HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Junius “Rainey” Bibbs was a 1927 graduate of Terre Haute Wiley High School and a two-sport (baseball and football) star at Indiana State University during the 1930’s. Playing fullback on the football team, Bibbs was selected all-Indiana Collegiate Honorable Mention in 1934.

It was baseball where Bibbs would excel at the national level. For eight seasons (1936-1944) Bibbs played infield in the Negro Leagues, winning three Negro American League championships along the way.

Early in his professional baseball career, sportswriters had trouble spelling and pronouncing Junius, so on a rainy day he told a sportswriter to just call him “Rainey”. The name stuck for the rest of his career.

He later taught 25 years at Indianapolis Crispus Attucks High School, where he also coached baseball and wrestling.

Junius “Rainey” Bibbs was inducted into the ISU Hall of Fame in 1998.

---From ISU’s Archives.
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WILLIAM “BABE” HOLLAND – FIRST TO COMPETE
William “Babe” Holland was the first African-American ISU athlete to compete in inter-collegiate sports from 1923 to 1925. He played football and baseball at Indiana State, earned his B.S. degree and went on to Tennessee State for his M.S. degree. He went on to serve as coach and principal at Jack Yates High School in Houston, Texas from 1927 to 1958. His 1930 football team won the Texas Negro High School state championship.

From ISU alumna, Crystal Reynolds’ dissertation.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES                                        
Alumni Mentoring Program – www.indstate.edu/alum/saa_home.htm
Sycamore Talent Alumni Referral Services (STARS) - www.indstate.edu/alum/stars.htm ****************************************************

JOIN THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
If you would like to become a member of the Alumni Association of Indiana State University, please fill out and mail the membership registration form located at Become a Member
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Indiana State University
Office of Alumni Affairs
102 Gillum Hall
Terre Haute, Indiana 47809
Phone: 812-237-3707, 800-258-6478
Fax: 812-237-8157
Email: alumni@isugw.indstate.edu