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3-27-2008 UA37/31 John Oldham Personal Papers Clipping New York Times

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Recommended Citation New York Times, "UA37/31 John Oldham Personal Papers Clipping" (2008). Faculty/Staff erP sonal Papers. Paper 19. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/fac_staff_papers/19

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!. • N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT I ROUND OF 16 THURSDAY 'SGAMES \. J"' '.r, '. 3 Xa~er (29-6) 1 U.C.LA. (33-3) 1 North Carolina (34-2) 2 Tenneuee (31-4) , " 7 West Virginia (26-10) 12 Western Kentucky (29-6) 4 Washington St. (24-8) 3 LouisviUe (26-8) West Region, West Region, East Region. East Region, 7:10 p.m. Eastern 30 minutes after first game 7:27 p.m. Eastern 30 minutes after first game

DOUG BEHClC£1TY IMAC£S, Cele brating W estern Kentucky's success against San Diego we re, from left, Ty Rogers, Jeremy Eva ns and A. J. Slaughter. , , Recalling Forward Thinking

Western Kentucky Broke Racial Barriers Amid Threats .''.. By PETE THAMEL BOWUNG GREEN, Ky. - With 20 N.C.A.A. tour­ nament appearances, a Final Four berth and a spot among the top 10 in victories by a Division I program, Western Kentm ky has an unusually strong resume for I a team regarded as a tournament darling. The No. 12 Hilltoppers play No.1 U.C.L.A. in a West ' 0 I- .."""tt, nol semifinal Thursday night, a matchup of two of' the most storied programs in college . " . While U.C.L.A.'s history with John Wooden, Lew '" A1cmdor and 11 national titles is often romanticized ' memories of Western Kentucky's run of dominance i~ ,·I, the 1960s seem to have faded with the set shot and can- ' vas sneakers. In part, the run came about because of , < Western Kentucky's willingness to integrate its team at ' .\ a time when such a policy was still taboo in the South. •• ' Those involved with Western Kentucky still take great 1 pride in the university's breaking of racial barriers. '. "There's so much that people don't know," said the ' , former Western star , who went on to ' coat:h at the university. "Western was out there, just like everyone in the country is captivated now with North Carolina and Duke." . • , But memories of the 1971 Final Four, deep runs in' the National Invitation Tournament and high national ..'" rankings come with raw memories of ove~coming the'<"" thick racial tension in the South. Haskins, who along with Dwight Smith in 1963 were the first African-Americans to play basketball for the university, recalled not being able to eat in segregated restaurants and watching movies from the balconies of theaters because seats in the lower sections were re­ served for whites. Jim McDaniels, went to Western Ken­ tucky in 1967 and recalled the former Kentucky Coach '. ~dolph Rupp's halfhearted recruitment of him, which I J Included not showing him the campus and spending just I " 15 awkward minutes with Rupp in the six days he spent I 'J in Lexington. The Southeastern Conference did not inte-, " grate until 1966, and Kentucky did not integrate until ; .... TIlE DAILY NEWS 1969. Cle m Haskins, second fro m right, was a m e mber of an integrated The Western Kentucky coach at that time, John 1964-65 Western Ke ntucky team tha t played Fordham in the Oldham, had a police officer check his car at times in NJ.T. a t the Gard e n. Haskins later coached at W~ stern Kentucky. Continued on Page CI6 ~~calling Western Kentucky's Forward Thinking to Cazzie Russell and Michigan. Still From First Sports Page frames show Russell not jumping on 197{) because of threats directed at the play and then leaning in to make him' after he began starting fi ve contact. black players. That 1966 N.C.AA tournament much of what we deal with ended with Texas-EI Paso beating ·sO Kentucky in a game known as the right now is stuff that's absolutely Brown v. Board of Education of col­ trivial /' said the current Western Kentucky coach, , who lege basketball, as U.T.E.P.'s fi ve Af­ rican-American starters beat Ken­ p1aye and works as a salesman at a game and beat them and there JohlVDeere dealership. Some of the wouldn't have been a 'Glory cars from his time at Western Ken­ tucky as coach and later as athletic Road: " Jim McDaniels, who was a three­ di~tor can be found in the tattered JOt IN ANDERSON FOM TIl E NEW Y.... RK n r.u:s ti me all-American fro m 1969 to 1971 , and'frayed letters he keeps in a two­ John Oldham, 84, a ' fo rmer Western Kentucky coach, received credited Haskins and Smith, who inch-thick manila folder labeled threats in 1970 after he began starting five black players. died in a car accident after his sen­ "Criticism" in his desk at the dealer­ ior season, for blazing a trail and ship. , making Western a safe place for Af­ The letters offer a window into that Western wi ll never advance to best guys." rican-Americans. the racial attitudes at the time. any high fi nish in the upcoming Western's storied history goe~ be­ N.C.A.A. tournament simply be­ yond Oldham's coaching tenure McDaniels said he did not en­ "y,rhy don't you join the Black counter many problems on campus Pahthers?" read one. cause you can't wi n the big games from 1964 to 1971. Hi s predecessor, with five Negro players. They don't E. A. Diddle, ranks among the top 20 or on the road, but added that when A;note that arrived with a $25 do­ he returned home to Scottsville, Ky. , nation said, "Given in thankfulness possess the intell igence nor stability wi nningest coaches in college bas­ to meet such a challenge." ketball history. He went 759-302 in a with some teammates he got a pis­ that.coach Oldham reti res." tol pulled on him while trying to AnOther read, "I prayed fo r the Despite the criticism, incl uding a 42-season tenure that ended in 1964. phone call and a letter th reatening Diddle's legacy includes his recruit­ shoot ~ I at a local pool hall that worst for you, your children and had not been integrated. your grandchildren." And yet an-' his life, Oldham and his team went ment of Haskins and Smith in 1963. to the Final Four, where they lost to Haskins credits the university's " It was pretty embarrassing," other: "I whole heartedly disagree Mc Daniels said. "I got caught in with your philosophy of using five Vill anova in double overtime. But it forward thinking and said that he was not easy. never encountered any resistance that in-between period breaking Negro starters." down the racism door. Thank God it Al !hin k you are sacrifici ng West­ Oldham said not long after, an in­ on campus. fluential member of the university's "I was never abused on campus," started to change." ern:and Bowling Green's image for McDaniels avenged Kentucky 's your'-own personal glory," another board of (egents approached him he said. "People treated me very and coarsely asked if he was going kindly." halfu earted recruitm ent by leading letter said in reference to his deci­ a 107-83 rout of Kentucky in tlie 1971 sio to start fi ve black players. to start five black players. Haskins earned all-American honors all three of his seasons at ' tournament. That was Kentucky 'S finally: "I can also tell you When Oldh am confirmed he was, ? the board member said he would Wes tern; players only had three fi rst season with an African-Ameri­ ~ stop goi ng to games. seasons of eligibility then. Hi s fin al can player. It took Kentucky 30 "We've come a long way, haven't two seasons ended in disappoint­ years, its great 1996 national cham­ ON~NE: THE VALUE OF A GAME .., we?" he said with a smile in an in­ ment. Haskins broke his wrist in his pionship team, to start five African­ .....•T Jle Knicks had a chance to show terview at his desk at the dealer­ senior season of 1966-67, when he Americans for an entire season. ~ whether they were more ship. considered Western the most tal­ "He was way behind E. A. Diddle int!'l'/Sted in draft lottery Ping Pong Old ham, who had a 146-41 record ented team in the country. The 1965- and Western Kentucky; Mc Daniels bolls or this season's record when at Western that included fo ur 66 season ended when a contro­ said of Rupp. "We were a leader in they played the Miami Heat on N.C.A.A. tournament appearances, versial fo ul calIon a jump ball - that time of integration." Wednesday night at the Garden. never wavered. "I never thought ~o nsid ered one of the worst calls in And that forward thinking is just pan of a strong legacy revived by nytimes .comj basketball much of it; he said. "Like any N.C.A.A. tournament history - coach, 1 was just trying to play the foiled Western's lead in an 80-79 loss this current Western run.