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The Tragic Story of Jack Trice: Life & Legacy

To this day Jack Trice Stadium is the only I-A college football stadium named after an African-American. The problem is, not many people know who Jack Trice is outside the state of Iowa and the legacy he has left on the historically white institution in the heart of the Midwest.

Jack Trice - Growing Up in Ohio Green & Anna Trice were the children of slaves. So when they chose to settle in Hiram, Ohio in the late 1800s they were one of the few African American families in the town. Ohio, still riddled with racial prejudice, had a stronger "color-line" in the south and as you moved north to the metropolitan city of Cleveland the prejudices seemed fewer and fewer. Green Trice, a former buffalo soldier, worked as a farm hand until he eventually made enough to own and operate his own farm. By all accounts, Cleveland and the surrounding areas were on the forefront of pushing back against racial discrimination and had a less strict "color-line". The Trice family found a home in that small Northwestern Ohio town, that allowed their family to live a life they felt could benefit their son. John "Jack" Trice was born in May of 1902, and lived a relatively normal life in Hiram; Or in that sense, maybe abnormal for a child of color. Dr. Gaylord Bates, a childhood friend of Jack, recalled of their lives growing up. “He was as full of fun and practical jokes as anyone else. He could not be accused of any more devilry, and certainly no less, than the rest of us engaged in.” Bates added that Jack participated in Sunday School and Boy Scouts and that Jack “was always a part of our school parties in various homes, with never a thought of any difference of color of skin.”^1 After completing middle school in Hiram, his mother made a tough decision that would change Jack's trajectory in life. Anna, who was now a widow after the passing of Green, sent Jack to live with their relatives in Cleveland. Dr. Gaylord Bates paraphrased her reasoning, stating Jack's mother believed her son had been too secluded and needed to “be among people of his kind to meet the problems that a Negro boy would have to face.”^2 During his time in Cleveland he enrolled at East Technical High School where he excelled in academics and athletics. On the football field East Tech was regarded as a "powerhouse", and Jack was among the best of them. In an interview for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1979, Jack’s former teammate Johnny Behm recalled that “no better tackle ever played high school ball in Cleveland. He had speed, strength and smartness.”^3 During the summers, Jack “worked on the roads” outside of Hiram. After graduation, he went to work for a construction company in the area. While working that summer, he met Cora Mae Starland and they began dating shortly before he was contacted by his old high school football coach, Sam Willaman.

In the summer of 1922 Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) offered Sam Willaman the head football job, and that offseason he invited 6 of his former players to join him and play at Iowa State. Jack Trice being one of them, and the only African-American. Jack's Time at Iowa State When Iowa State's new head coach showed up to campus that fall, only a small number of African Americans played collegiate football anywhere in the nation. Iowa State College fielded it's first team in 1892, and just over 30 years later it finally had the first African American athlete. Although Iowa State was considered “more welcoming” of African Americans during that time, the racial composition of the school was very much white. Even though from it’s inception the university was open to all races, only about 20 black students were enrolled at ISU. George Washington Carver was the first African American to graduate from Iowa State in 1896 and served as a faculty member after graduation. Even still, in 1923 Iowa State had an “unofficial policy that barred students of color from living with white students,” President Raymond Pearson wrote in 1910, while also stating, “Negro students are entirely welcome at this institution; they have no discourtesy shown them by fellow students or others.” ^4 For Jack personally, his time at Iowa State was filled up his first year. By all accounts he got along well with the staff and his teammates, and other students on campus. He worked two jobs to help pay for his education, as there were no athletics scholarships. On the field, Freshman were not allowed to play on the Varsity football team, so he continued to grow his offensive and defensive line skills. Jack Trice thrived in track & field, winning the MVC meet in shot put and discus. After some initial struggles with his entrance exams, he continued his academic successes that were prevalent throughout high school; He studied animal husbandry, with a 90 average, and had goals of one day teaching modern farming to black farmers in the south. There are even stories of Jack’s freshman year football squad beating the ISU varsity in a practice scrimmage. After a successful freshman year both on the field and in the classroom, Jack Trice returned home to Ohio where he asked Starland to be his wife. They married in the summer of 1923, and lived together in room at a temple arranged for them by a local Masonic group, because they were unable to secure housing on campus. He began his sophomore year as a member of varsity football.^5 Being that it was still rare for African American athletes to play college football in the 1920s, Trice’s position on the football team was not always welcomed or approved. A few opposing teams to start the season refused to play the Cyclones because he was black. On road trips, officials at the team hotels refused him access to the dining rooms where his teammates were eating. Such was the case when the Iowa State Cyclones went north to Minneapolis to face the University of Minnesota, that first week of October in 1923. The Trip to Minnesota.. and back The Iowa State football team took a train north on October 5th. When they arrived in Minneapolis Jack was allowed to stay in the Curtis Hotel, the team hotel, however he was unable to eat with his teammates in the dining room. As Jack Trice sat in that segregated hotel room and the emotions of his first major* college football game loomed over him, he felt inclined to write down his thoughts on a hotel stationary. On what it meant for him. On what he would do. On how he would do it.

“To whom it may concern: My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life. The honor of my race, family and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I WILL! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped I will be trying to do more than my part. On all defensive plays I must break thru the opponents line and stop the play in their territory. Beware of mass interference, fight low with your eyes open and toward the play. Roll block the interference. Watch out for cross bucks and reverse end runs. Be on your toes every minute if you expect to make good. -Jack” ^6

Jack Trice was a large man for that time, said to be 6 feet tall, about 200 pounds and one of the biggest players on the Iowa State team. Minnesota was known as a good football team, far more respected than Iowa State. Jack was the only black player on the field that game, and reading his words written the night before it is hard to miss his grasp on the seriousness of this event. The next day, Iowa state surprised Minnesota by staying competitive in a physical game. Early in the first half Jack suffered a shoulder injury, but insisted he keep on playing. It was later found out that he had broken his collarbone on one of the first few plays. The score was tied 7-7 at half time. Then, based on teammate accounts, about midway through the third quarter Jack ran a “rolling block” into oncoming Minnesota players running a “cross buck with heavy interference.” (This play was later banned for being too dangerous) Jack ended up being taken to the ground on his back, when he was wanting to be on his stomach, and got trampled by numerous Gopher players. Obviously injured, and unable to stand on his own, he was helped to the sidelines by his teammates.^7 Johnny Behm in that 1979 interview said “The fullback, going through the hole, stepped on Jack’s stomach and maybe groin. He was badly hurt, but tried to get up and wanted to stay in. We saw that he couldn’t stand and helped him off the field.” Iowa State ended up losing 17-20. After the game was done, Jack was taken to the hospital in Minneapolis, where it was concluded by doctors that he could make the trip back to Ames with his teammates that night. Once home the next day, Jack was checked into the student hospital on campus where it was believed that he was improving. Suddenly, later that night, he started to experience “shallow and irregular breathing”. According to the Ames Tribune “the best known specialist in stomach troubles in the country” was called up from Des Moines. Dr. Oliver Fay’s diagnosis upon arrival to Ames was that an operation was too risky given Jack’s condition. It was later confirmed that he had “sever contusions of the intestines, upper portions of abdomen, which caused stasis or paralysis of intestines.”^8 His wife was notified as his condition worsened. Cora Mae wrote in a letter to Iowa State in 1988, “When I saw him I said, ‘Hello Darling.’ He looked at me, but never spoke. I remember hearing the Campanile chime 3 o’clock. That was Oct. 8, 1923, and he was gone.” Jack Trice’s Legacy at Iowa State Classes were suspended two days later for a memorial service honoring Jack Trice. Thousands of people sat on central campus as his casket was laid in front of the campanile. His teammates collected money to help pay for funeral expenses and cover the cost of sending his body back to Ohio. Speeches were made by teammates and faculty, and the president read the letter that Jack wrote that night before his first and final game. Questions surfaced about whether the Minnesota players intentionally tried to hurt Trice because of his race. Though reports at the time varied about what truly happened, Iowa State did not renew its contract to play Minnesota again for 66 years. Many people believe that this was a targeted event, and there is certainly some backing to that. There are also accounts of Minnesota students and faculty reaching out via mail to share their condolences following Jack's passing. The year of Jack Trice’s death, his teammates placed a plaque inscribed with his letter written to “whom it may concern”, to show that it did concern them and that they would not let his life or story fade away so easily. Unfortunately, for some time, it did. 20 years went by and the plaque sat gathering dust in the old gym. Luckily, in 1957 a student came across the old, dusty plaque and it touched them enough to write a story about it. This would ignite a long, but determined effort by generations of students to make sure Jack Trice’s name was never forgotten. This was met with consistent pushback, however. It took 16 more years until 1974, when the student government voted unanimously to put Jack Trice’s name on the newly built football stadium, which was denied by the administration. More failed efforts and push backs from administrations continued into the 80s, until in 1988 students raised enough money to erect a statue of Jack Trice outside of the football stadium. Finally, due to the tenacity of the ISU students who “wore down” the administration(s), in 1997 they named the universities football stadium Jack Trice Stadium. To this day it is still the only I-A college football stadium named after an African-American. The persistence by Iowa State students continuing to call for Jack Trice’s story to be told, over decades, is a testament to the man he was. As more accounts or quotes on who Jack Trice was as a human are found, it becomes clear that he was an exemplary student athlete at Iowa State but even more so a polite and refined gentleman. Iowa State’s president at the time, Raymond Pearson wrote in a letter to the President of the University of Minnesota, “Thank you sincerely for sympathy on account of the death of Jack Trice. He was an exceptionally good student as well as a great athlete… The more I know about Jack Trice the more I feel that the colored race has lost a man who would have become a great leader.” ^9


Final Thoughts

The story of Jack Trice is the one of adversity, success, and tragedy. His mother gave him a great childhood, but understood the hurdles that were systemically placed in her sons path. He was an exceptional athlete that was given an opportunity that most like him weren’t, but was still seen in the eyes of his peers as a lesser person. His teammates seemed to get along with him and he was a great student, but he could not work, eat or study with them off of the field; And in my opinion it showed. It showed in Jack Trice’s words written, and it showed in his actions on the field. He understood what lie ahead of him on the football field that day, but he would not let himself give anything less than his all. Whether to prove to himself, to his teammates, to the opposing university or to the opposing race, he had to leave everything out there. Broken collar bone on the first series, continued to play 2 more full quarters. Trampled to the point of internal bleeding and unable to stand, he pleaded to stay on the field. As an Iowa State fan, I am thankful every day that they made the choice to honor Jack Trice and continue to do so (even if the administration dragged their feet for 25+ years), but I also understand that a story like Jack’s should not just be the lore of a single institution. His story should be lifted up and shown for all of its truths, both easy and hard.

Quote from Anna Trice in 1923: “If there is anything in the life of John Trice and his career that will be an inspiration to the colored students who come to Ames, he has not lived and died in vain. But Mr. President, while I am proud of his honors, he was all I had, and I am old and alone. The future is dreary and lonesome.”^10

 

* Jack Trice Played in one other varsity football game, it was a match against a smaller school, Simpson College



References: 1. Dr. Gaylord Bates to the Hiram Township (Ohio) Historical Society, 10/16/1956, Hiram Township (Ohio) Historical Society Records, in Jack Trice Papers, University Archives, Iowa State University Library (hereafter cited as Trice Papers) 2. Steven L. Jones, Football's Hero (Logan, IA, 2000) 12.

3. Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/3/1979, in Trice Papers

4. ; Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, “Foundations of the People’s College: The Early Years of Iowa State,” in Sesquicentennial History of ISU, 17–18. 5. AAREG – Jack Trice Iowa State University Football Legend 6. Trice’s letter is in Trice Papers. 7. Dr. Thompson interview; Iowa State Daily, 11/8/1976, in Trice Papers 8. Ames Tribune, 10/8/1923; Dr. James F. Edwards, Professor Hygiene, to Mr. F. Williman [sic], 10/16/1923, Trice Papers.

9. Raymond Pearson to President L. D. Coffman, 10/20/1923, Trice Papers. 10. Letter from Anna Trice to President Pearson, 1923, Trice Papers Photos Credits: 1. Photo courtesy ISU Special Collections 2. ISU Alumni Association, YouTube.

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