Grambling Rose

[Wayne23]

August 7

We add a large group of new people to our recruit list.

August 24

We offered to 3 PGs and a PF, all of whom are showing at least some interest.

We just put Wallace and Callie on a plane to California. Mom wanted to help Wallace to settle into the dorm. She will stay only two days then fly back to begin her school year. I told Wallace that I have no doubt that he will make us proud.

The girls are already back in school.

September 18

We feel we have a good chance with two of our recruits.

The schedule is a bit more challenging this year.

September 25

Jon Law, PG, #574 at present, has committed. We feel his stock will rise, and we are thrilled to have him.

October 2

Dee Daws, PG, #174, committed.

Practice began today. We definitely have some talent but we aren’t deep.

We are picked to win our conference.

November 6

After the two exhibition games we’re going with four starters back from last year: Marq Sinq at PG,Al Finn at SG, Jon Vurn at SF, Cody Zak at C. Cory King will start at PF. We dropped Vern Rigs from the starting lineup because he doesn’t play a lot of D, but he DOES score, so he’ll get his minutes. Our #3 guard will be Jay Haun. After that we don’t have much so we’re hoping for an injury free season.

We start with two at home, Cal ST Northridge followed by Louisiana Tech.

[Wayne23]

November 20

50-39 over Cal ST Northridge to start the season. Vern Rigs led us with 13, 4, 3, and 3 steals from the bench. He did play 31 minutes. 10 TOs to 21 for them. A good team effort.

55-48 over LA ST. 14 for Al Finn, 13 for Jon Vurn, 8 and 9 for Zak Cody. 8 TOs to 17. -9 RBs.

Next week we’re on the road, first at 0-2 North Texas, then at tough Western KY, 0-1.

Pete Newell is a great coach and he has a terrific team at Cal. I cautioned Wallace that he might not get much playing time. At 6’9” he can play both C and PF, but the Golden Bears have excellent starters at both spots, and their third big is also very good. In their first game Wallace played only 7 minutes but he had 4 points and 4 rebounds. He tells me Coach Newell praised him. In the second game he played 12 minutes, scoring only 2 but pulling down 7 RBs.

November 27

70-61 over North Texas, there. Al Finn led us with 19. Jon Vurn had 14, and Vern Rigs had 11 from the bench. We led most of the way and played well.

51-61 at Western KY. I was worried about this one, evidently with good reason! Lots of TOs and lots of foul trouble, and we really didn’t play very well.

Wallace played 10 and 13 minutes in his two games this week. In the first game he had 6 and 6 but in the second he had only 2 and 3.

“I was in over my head, Dad. The big guys on that team were way better than I am.”

I reminded him that he is just starting out, and that he has a great deal to learn but that he will learn it. He said that Coach Newell was very patient, and that after the game he took the time to chat with Wallace and to explain some of the things that went wrong.

“He was really nice about it, and he encouraged me.”

Coach Newell is one of the most respected coaches in the game, as he should be.

1-2 Furman comes to us, and then we travel to 1-3 Cal-Davis next week.

Ruth Ann has become a big Althea Gibson fan since Althea won the U. S. tennis Open. And she simply adores Martin Luther King. She pores through magazines in the library to find articles about him. Her school carries the Negro magazines like Ebony, and some others. Some, I believe, are a bit “mature” for her, but Callie and I need to pick our battles carefully with Ruth Ann.

Loretta has composed some piano concertos which are beginning to be noticed by her teachers, and by some others in the world of music. We are told she has a gift.

December 4

55-61 vs. Furman here. Offense has been a problem, and tonight rebounding was a huge problem, 24-38.

53-66 at Cal-Poly. More than anything else it was again a lack of offense that did us in. The coaches met after the game and we decided the Vern Rigs needs to start over Cory King. Rigs hurts us defensively but he is our second best scorer. We simply need to gamble that he will gain us more points than he will give up.

The only good part about this trip was that I got to see Wallace in person. Cal played the night after we did and we stayed over. He had his best night so far, playing 18 minutes and getting 8 points and 9 RBs. He also blocked 2 shots. After the game Coach Newell had some very nice things to say to me. He explained that Wallace would need to be patient this year but that the two starting bigs were both graduating in May and he expected Wallace to start next year.

This week we host 3-2 George Mason. They’re a good team from a stringer conference than ours so we’ll see if the lineup change helps.

We added 10 to our recruit list, all SFs and PFs.

[Wayne23]

December 11

74-49 over George Mason. 22 for Al Finn, 18 and 5 for Al Rigs, 14 and 6 for Jon Vurn. Only 7 TOs, and +5 RBs. This was the best we’ve played all season.

Giving more minutes to Rigs and Vurn certainly helped but everyone played well.

This week we play at 3-3 San Francisco; this game will serve as a better test of how we can do with our new lineup. I will again get a chance to see Wallace play.

December 18

61-55 at San Francisco. 17 and 8 for Al Finn, 15, 4 for Rigs, 6, 10, 2 for Jon Vurn, 10, 8, 2 for Zak Cody. +19 RBs.

Wallace had a great first half. The starting bigs both got in a bit of foul trouble so he played 12minutes in the 1st half, scoring 8 and getting 6 RBs. Then early in the 2nd he sprained his ankle. He didn’t return. X rays showed it is just a sprain and he’ll be back within a few days. Cal looks terrific. They are #4 in the country.

This week we travel to 4-3 UMass to end our pre-conference season. This is a very good team and we’ll be challenged. We are at 5-3 right now.

December 25

58-67 at UMass. They were the better team. We shot only 34.8% but they were quicker and we didn’t get a lot of open looks. I put in some changes at halftime to free up our shooters but again, they were quicker. Not much worked for us. 19 for Jon Vurn.

We finish the pre-conference season at 5-4. We played a stronger schedule this year, and it took us a while to find our best lineup. I feel we’re ready for conference play. RPI is #207.

Alabama A & M, 4-5, is here to start conference play, and then we travel to 3-6 Prairie View.

We had a nice holiday. Wallace was not able to be with us but we reached him by telephone and he had the chance to speak with all of us.

[Wayne23]

January 1, 1959

65-64 over Alabama A & M here. We were down 12 with 6:22 to play. I called a time out and raised the roof, which I rarely do. My boys had been listless, standing around, not really playing hard at all. I guess I woke them up. We went on a 14-2 run, then, after they scored, we went on a 9-2 run. It went back and forth the rest of the way, and the one point margin is deceptive in that they hit a half court shot at the buzzer. Still, I expect better from my players. 21 for Al Finn.

64-45 at Prairie View. 36-17 at the half. We spent our practices on motivation, rewarding hustle and effort, and sitting people when they gave less than their best effort. It certainly paid off tonight, especially on defense. We held them to 31% shooting. 18 for Finn, 14 for Riggs. We are 4-1 since we inserted Rigs into the starting lineup.

0-11 Alabama ST is here, then we travel to 6-5, 1-1 Alcorn ST.

Wallace did not play but he tells me the doctors have given him the all clear, so he will play this coming week.

Ruth Ann did a school report on Nat Turner. Her teacher told Callie that it was very well done. There was a great deal of depth, and the research was flawless, but the teacher was concerned about some of the views Ruth Ann expressed. We are, too. We try to emphasize Dr. King’s non-violent approach, and we encourage Ruth Ann to study him, as well as Mahatma Gandhi, in hopes that her views will become a bit … calmer.

Loretta does very well in all of her studies but music is her life. She has no interest in the rock and roll that seems to be everywhere. She plays classical music, Chopin and Bach, especially, but many others, and she also plays jazz piano. She absolutely loves Art Tatum and Thelonius Monk, but there are several others she listens to. We only get two channels on the television but there is a richness of radio stations in our area, both AM and FM, and several of them play jazz. Loretta listens whenever she can. She saves her money to buy phonograph records as well but there is not a great deal of money for that. We buy her the records for birthdays and holidays, and sometimes on other occasions.

January 8

56-44 over Alabama ST. I certainly cannot fault our defense. Their PG had 17 and the entire rest of the team only scored 27. Our offense was weak again though. I would really like us to score 65 or more in every game, but we average only 59.3. That will hurt us if we cannot find a way to improve it. Al Finn is our only consistent scorer. Vurn and Rigs often get points but we get little from our Center, Zak Cody, and less from our PG Marq Sinq. Our bench provides little scoring. The staff discusses it regularly, and we continue to try things.

54-64 at Alcorn ST. Once again we simply didn’t score enough points. Only 5 points from the bench. We’re giving Den Ross all of Jay Haun’s minutes as our third guard. He is a better scorer. We will continue to make changes in an effort to get more offense.

We remain in a three way tie for first place at 8-5, 3-1.

This week we host 7-6, 2-2 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, then travel to 9-4, 2-2 Texas Southern.

Wallace played only 3 minutes in Cal’s first game of the week, but he played 18 in the second, getting 7 points, 8 rebounds.

January 15

57-53 over Ark-Pine Bluff here. Cory King had 15 from the bench, and Marq Sinq, who rarely scores much had 13, with 5 assists.

We are not taking as many shots as we should be.

41-58 at Texas Southern. We shot 31.1%. We had 16 rebounds- for the entire game!

Despite all of this we remain tied for first place in conference. 4 teams are at 4-2, 3 teams at 3-3.

This week we play two at home, first 8-7, 4-2 MS Valley ST, then 10-5, 4-2 Jackson ST.

Wallace tweaked his ankle again. He is day to day.

January 22

73-55 over MS Valley ST. 20 and 8 for Zak Cody, 19 and 12 for Rigs, 19 for Finn. +12 RBs, +5 TOs. This was our best offensive effort in six weeks.

58-48 over Jackson ST. 19 for Vern Bigs. +10 TOs, +8 RBs. Not enough offense but everything else went well.

We are now in a two way tie with Alcorn ST, but four teams are a game back. But 6 of our last 10 games are on the road.

This week we’re at 2-15, 1-7 Southern, then at 7-10, 3-5 Alabama A & M.

January 29

56-59 at Southern. This is a game we should not have lost. We allowed them to shoot 52.6%. And again, we simply didn’t score enough points.

57-52 at Alabama A & M. 20, 6 for Finn, 13, 10, 3 for Cody. +11 RBs.

We are in sole possession of second place, one game back of Alcorn ST, at 12-7, 7-3.

This week 9-11, 5-4 Prairie View comes here, then we go to 3-16, 3-7 Alabama ST.

Wallace had two good games this week, 8 and 8 in the first game, 6 and 11 in the second.

[Wayne23]

February 5

67-39 over Prairie View. We gave up 14 in the first half while scoring 37. It was over at the half. 14, 11 for Cody, 16 for Vurn, 11, 8 for Rigs.

59-60 at Alabama ST. This was a very frustrating loss. There were 16 lead changes and 7 ties in a game that should not have been close. We destroyed them inside, 42-18 points in the paint. But it was the opposite outside, and their bench outplayed ours.

We are now in a two way tie for second, one back of first, with six to play.

This week we host first place Alcorn ST, 14-7, 9-3. They won by 10 there. Then we travel to 13-8, 8-4 Ark-Pine Bluff, tied with us for second. This is a very important week.

Wallace had 4 and 5, and then 6 and 4. Cal is now #2 in the country.

February 12

50-44 over Alcorn ST to go into a tie for first but Zak Cody strained a calf muscle and is out for about a week and a half. It was a defensive game all the way. No one on either team scored more than 10, and neither team shot 40%. We were a bit better inside, and that was the difference.

It will not be easy to defeat Ark-Pine Bluff on the road without Cody. King and Haun will get his minutes.

67-59 at Ark-Pine Bluff. Big win! Cory King was terrific with 16 and 11 but all five starters played well. 17 for Finn, 10 and 8 for Rigs, 13 for Vurn, 8, 2, 7 for Sinq. +9 RBs. Perhaps the biggest factor was that we were called for 11 fouls and they were called for 23.

We remain tied for first with Alcorn ST, one ahead of MS Valley ST, with four to play.

This week we host 15-8, 8-6 Texas Southern, and then travel to 13-10, 9-5 MS Valley ST. Cody will likely miss both games.

Wallace did not play in Cal’s first game, the first time that has happened except when he was injured. He had 14 minutes in the second game and scored 12 points, with 5 RBs.

February 19

61-49 over Texas Southern. 19 for Finn, 11, 12 for Rigs, 8, 11, 3 for King. +6 RBs, +4 TOs.

And we’re alone in first place. The coaches met after the game. We face a dilemma. Cory King is playing really well. What do we do when Zak Cody returns?

52-62 at MS Valley ST. 21, 4, 3 for Rigs. King had 8, 7, 2 but was badly out played, and we were -8 on the boards.

Two games to play and there’s a three way tie for first with Alcorn ST, and MS Valley ST.

We start the week at 15-10, 9-7 Jackson ST. We won by 10 here. Then we close regular season play here, against 6-19, 5-11 Southern.

We will go with Zak at C, but King will get more minutes.

Wallace played 12 in the first game, getting 8 and 6, and 14 minutes in the second, getting 14 and 8, his best performance to date.

February 26

53-46 at Jackson ST. It was a real team effort. The five starters, plus Den Ross and Jay Haun, all had between 5 and 14 points (Al Finn had the 14). We didn’t rebound well and we didn’t take care of the ball, but Jackson St did as poorly as we did in both areas. We were down 8 with 5:13 to play. As happened in an earlier game I called a time out and read the riot act, and once again, it worked. From that point on we took charge. The final margin of 7 was our biggest lead.

This was a huge win for us. We are tied with Alcorn ST and MS Valley ST for the lead with one to play. All three teams end at home.

57-41 over Southern, here. 18, 7 for Al, 14, 6 for Jon, 13 for Rigs, 7, 4 for King. +10 RBs.

We wind up with the #2 seed in the tournament and close the regular season at 18-9, 13-5.

We are +4.6 PPG (58.3-53.7), +2.1 RBs, +2.0 TOs; good numbers. We eventually realized we needed to win with defense, and that we were not going to score as many points as we would have liked. We were oriented toward D anyway.

Wallace had another good week, playing 10 and then 12 minutes, and putting up some good numbers. He says he is now very comfortable with Coach Newell’s system, and he feels he is helping the team.

Ruth Ann has discovered Elijah Muhammed. We are not thrilled about this.

As a family we go to church most Sundays because first, it’s a bad idea not to for lots of reasons, and second, because it keeps us as part of the social community. I said earlier we are not religious and we aren’t. Callie and I have worked hard to bring our children up to be decent, caring, moral people. We tell them to take what is helpful from religion and leave the rest. That has worked very well to now. But the now may be a problem.

“Islam makes perfect sense for Negroes, Daddy. You just don’t want to see it.”

“Ruth Ann, we have always encouraged you to explore these things. Your mother and I are fine with that, but please, don’t just jump in blindly. Look at this with as much depth as you can before you commit yourself too fully.”

“Daddy, this is about our people. The white people have been killing us and making us slaves and not giving us a chance to get ahead, and they do it through their Christian religion. Islam is OUR religion!”

It went on that way for quite some time. I did my best to remain calm, and to stay with the “take your time” theme. I don’t believe I got very far.

We have a bye in the tournament.

[Wayne23]

March 2

We play #3 seed MS Valley St in the semifinals of the tournament. We won by 18 at home and lost by 10 on the road.

March 3

64-55 over MS Valley ST. We were down 20-4. We came back to make it 25-20 at the half, and then we dominated in the second half. Rigs had 18, Finn 14, and Cory King gave us 28 solid minutes from the bench.

#4 seed Ark-Pine Bluff upset #1 Alcorn ST. We beat them by 4 here and then 8 there.

March 4

57-46 and we’re in the NCAA tournament! 18, 9 for Zak, 18 for Rigs, and we completely dominated inside, which won it for us. We led for the last 30 minutes or so.

We have a 20 win season which is great. Going in at 20-9, RPI #84. Last year we ended at 19-10.

March 12

Cal won their conference title. Wallace had a good tournament, playing about 10 minutes in each game.

We’re #15 in the East. We’ll play #2 seed, #7 ranked Arizona, 26-6. We haven’t played anyone anywhere near this good.

Cal is #1 in the West. I didn’t want to coach against Wallace so this is good.

March 15

Alcorn ST won, and MS Valley ST lost in the CHI.

March 16

65-69. We played our hearts out. 15, 9 for Joe Vurn, 14, 4, 6 for Al Finn, 4, 11, 3 for Zak Cody, 10 for Cory King from the bench. We were in it all the way.

We kept coming back, took the lead several times, as late as with 2:03 to go, but they were bigger, stronger, and faster, and at the end they had a bit more in the tank. We never ran out of effort though.

We end up 20-10.

Wallace played 19 minutes in his first NCAA game, and had 14 and 9. It was a blowout, which gave him the opportunity to play that much. I wish he had gotten one more rebound.

March 19

Wallace played 17 minutes in Cal’s second game, another blowout. He had 8 and 11.

March 26

Cal is in the final four. Wallace played only 6 minutes in the round of 16, getting 4 and 2. He played 12 in the round of 8, scoring 6, with 4 RBs.

I am going to the final four. Callie strongly encouraged me to do so. It is in Chicago this year. If it were in a southern city I would stay away, but in Chicago I should be fine. I will certainly meet some important people which is never a poor idea.

Alcorn lost in the round of 4 of the CHI.

[Wayne23]

April 4

Cal won their semifinal game 67-58. Wallace played 6 minutes, scored 2 and had 2 RBs.

Cal won the title, beating West Virginia by 1. It was a great game. Wallace played 14 minutes, scoring only 2 but getting 7 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.

Through my association with Coach Newell I met some big names in college basketball.

Awards: Al Finn was named POY and 1st team, along with Vern Rigs. Zak Cody made 2nd team.

April 9

After visiting their schools I have received two head coaching offers. Much as we would love to leave the Deep South we won’t go to Hartford. It’s really a small step down. UNC Asheville must be considered. They play in a stronger league, and they are a better basketball school. I have 24 hours before I need to give them an answer.

April 10

After much thought and conversation Callie and I decided we should stay here one more year and hope for a better offer at that time. It was not an easy decision but the critical factor is that we wish to leave the south. We would feel safer and more free in the West or in the North.

April 16

We have signed four recruits, PF Cory Barr, #464, PG John Law, #180, PG Shay Jenn, #277, and PG Dez Daws, #127. Considering that we signed four transfers, a PG and a PF that we are VERY high on, and two SFs for whom we have great hopes, next year could be very exciting.

April 23

I ask once again for a facilities upgrade. We get it, moving from C+ to B.

I am now 39-20 lifetime, .661. We’ve won one regular season conference title and one tournament title. My coaching ratings are: O- 18, D- 32, Recruit- 45, Scout- 71, Player Dev- 30, Reputation- 15.

Wallace has a summer job on campus. He will not be coming home at all this summer. The family will fly out and spend a week with him. Frankly, Wallace is now famous in a small way, and that can be dangerous for a Negro in this area. He says he may never come back here.

Loretta’s music continues to draw attention but there too, we are careful not to let her name be spoken too often or too loudly.

Ruth Ann is doing as I asked, studying Elijah Muhammed and his so called “Black Muslim” movement. I do not like it, and I think it is a dangerous area for a Negro to even look into, but I need to tread lightly around Ruth Ann. She now refuses to join us when we go to church on Sundays, which forces us to make awkward explanations to people.

Callie and I regularly discuss her job prospects if we do move. Since she does not have a Ph. D. she will not be able to teach college biology in most places. We think we would like to have her pursue her Ph. D. when we move. Money would be a bit tight but in the long run it would be a sound move. I have mentioned that Callie’s parents live with us in a home we own in a poor neighborhood. We do have two acres of land, most of it behind the farmhouse.

Callie’s parents plant a large garden and can the vegetables we cannot eat when they are fresh. They also keep chickens and pigs. One of our neighbors knows how to cure the meat from the pigs so most of the meat we eat comes from our own animals, we always have fresh eggs, and most of our vegetables are home grown. We need top buy some groceries, but not all that many. Oh, we also have a few apple trees. We sell some of our eggs and apples to our neighbors.

Callie’s father worked as a handyman at the local elementary school until his retirement two years ago when he turned 72. His health is not great, but he loves working in the garden. We try to remind him to pace himself in the terrible heat. My mother-in-law did cleaning for some of the stores and factories in the white community nearby. She also works in the garden and with the animals, and she cooks all of our meals. She is energetic and in excellent health. She is 71.

The coming season could be very important to our family. I look forward to it.

[Wayne23]

May 1

It’s a new season, my third here at Grambling. We purchase the Gold scouting report for our region and the Basic national report.

We received a call from Ruth Ann’s teacher, asking that both Callie and I meet with her. We were able to arrange to be there the following day, after school.

“She’s… recruiting. I frequently overhear her discussing the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammed with the other students. And it isn’t in a soft, calm manner. She is really trying to pressure students into joining her with this group, this … religion.”

“Mrs. Rose and I are both very concerned about Ruth Ann’s interest in all of this. We have spoken with her about it regularly. It is difficult to know what else to do.”

“I understand, but we certainly must do something about this. She has a right to believe whatever she wishes to believe, but she mustn’t attempt to force her views upon her fellow students. I needn’t tell you what will happen if word of this gets out to… certain people.”

“We will speak to Ruth Ann, and we will support any consequences you hand out to her.”

We did speak with Ruth Ann. It was not a pleasant discussion. Her grandparents were part of the discussion. Her grandfather said something which seemed to give her pause.

“Child, when I was young I had two friends, Caleb and Abraham. They believed passionately that we Negroes needed to fight for our freedom. They were not particularly loud, and they did not speak in favor of any sort of violence. But they spoke to many people in our community. Somehow the Klan found out. One night they were dragged out of their beds. Child, I hate to even tell you what happened to them… but perhaps you need to hear it… They were brought out to a place away from town… They were tortured, horribly tortured… for a long time… then their bodies were doused with gasoline… they were hung from trees and set on fire…”

Ruth Ann was silent for quite some time. When she answered it was softly.

“Grandpa, if we do nothing, if we let ourselves be stopped by fear, things will never change.”

“I know that. I think things may be beginning to change. But we need to go very carefully. If you continue to do the things you are doing you will place yourself in terrible danger-”

“I’m not afraid! I refuse to-”

“AND YOU WILL PLACE THIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN TERRIBLE DANGER!”

It was clear that Ruth Ann had not really considered that.

“Think about it, girl. And while you are reading all of those books and magazines, please read about the Klan, and about what they STILL do to Negroes.

Our home has already been visited once. Do you remember that?”

May 12

Thankfully, school is out for the summer. We will see that Ruth Ann stays close to home. I must say she has been quieter, and her teacher phoned to say she has not been promoting her agenda at school. She is not a happy child though. She has a very strong sense of justice, and a passion to fight for what is right. We worry a great deal. Perhaps I should have taken that job in Hartford. They do not lynch people up there.

June 12

We are looking at transfers.

June 19

Scot Hast, an SG transfer from Clemson, has signed with us. He is a scorer, and an excellent defender.

June 26

We are back from our visit to Northern California. It was a wonderful time and we all fell in love with the area. If the opportunity were to present itself we would move there with great enthusiasm.

Recruiting begins today. We are looking at 18 recruits to fill two scholarships. We need at least one PG.

[Wayne23]

July 31

We’re looking at 9 recruits at present, 7 guards, 2PFs. Two of the guards and one big are showing interest. It’s early.

We held our two weeks of kid camps, and we attracted quite a number of youngsters, from students entering Gr. 7, through those entering their senior year in high school.

A. D. Whitney Brown is kind enough to allow us to hold these camps even though they lose money. I don’t get paid, and my staff doesn’t either, but we do pay the Grambling students who work the camp- that is to say the members of our team. At least 2/3 of the kids who come to the week long camps come on “scholarship.” We pay the cost of room and board, either in full or in part, and we give them all two tee shirts, and if need be, gym shorts and even shoes and socks. In some cases the kids arrive here without any of those items. It is a wonderful opportunity for kids who have very little in their lives. It is also a huge help to me in that I get to see my players in action for two weeks in a way that is completely within the NCAA rules.

What I learned from the camps is that I have seven, perhaps eight players this year. The only returning starters are Jon Vurn and Vern Rigs, but I like what I saw of 5 or 6 others. It is too early to say for certain, but I think we will be even stronger than we were last year.

I always dread this, as does Callie, but I needed to take a trip to the hardware store this week. It is in the white town nearby. We do not have the things I need in our General Store here in our community.

The owner of the hardware store is a member of the Klan, and he is not a nice man. I walked in, waited until he had served all of his white customers, and placed my purchases on the counter. He ignored me for a few minutes, as I knew he would. Then he came over and looked over the things I was buying.

“Well, well, the big time ni—er coach is here.”

“Good morning, Mr. Lacey, sir.”

“Getting’ ta be a pretty big man, ain’t ya?”

“Just stayin’ in my part a town, sir. Not tryin’ ta do anythin’ ‘cept with my own people, sir.”

“And your boy’s out there in California playin’ fer that white coach.”

“Coach Newell done us the honor a wantin’ Wallace, sir. Wouldn’t a been polite ta say no to him, sir.”

“Got all the answers, ain’t ya boy.”

“Jus’ tryin’ ta get by, sir. Don’t wanna be no trouble, sir.”

At that point a white man came in so I stepped aside and waited until Mr. Lacey was finished with him. Then another white man came in.

Eventually the store emptied out, Mr. Lacey rang me up, I took my purchases and headed for the door.

“Watch where ya put yer feet, ni—er.”

“Yessuh, I always try ta do that, sir.”

If you aren’t familiar with the way things are here in the Deep South in 1959 I must tell you that to act in any way other than I did would have been to invite certain danger. Lacey and his MANY companions would have loved to find an excuse to burn my house down, or to give me a severe beating or even worse. It was very important that I not give them that excuse. Now perhaps you will see why I am so anxious to move my family away from here. I am no fool. I must play the fool in these situations and I do so.

I am also no Pollyanna. I know my people are not loved anywhere in this country. But in the Pacific West, from about San Francisco north, and in the Northeast, and in some parts of the Midwest-only some- we have a chance at least.

Ruth Ann has been quiet, and she admits she is confused.

“I really like Elijah Muhammed’s way of standing up and being strong, Daddy, but I can see what Dr. King is doing, too. I don’t know what to think.”

“Ruth Ann, please understand that all of this is very complicated. It’s difficult to be patient when progress seems so slow, but I believe we’re at the beginning of some real change.”

“Daddy, you’re always an optimist.”

“Doesn’t pay not to be, Ruth Ann. Please take your time and keep reading and thinking things through.”

August 21

We offer to a PG and a PF. Both are interested in coming here.

School is back in. Ruth Ann says she will stay quiet in eighth grade. We’ll see. She has taken an interest in track. She is competing in the quarter mile and the triple jump. We strongly support this.

I should have mentioned that Wallace has done very well academically. As I do, Coach Newell encourages his students to take summer courses so they only need to take four classes each semester. A year ago Wallace made an A and a B in his summer classes. Fall semester he managed three Bs and a C.

During the spring, being more fully adjusted to college life, he had two As, two Bs, to make Dean’s list. He received an A and a B this summer.

Loretta continues to make wonderful music. She is looking at colleges, especially those with excellent music programs. Her dream is Juilliard. She would need to get a scholarship. there's no way we could afford that school.

September 18

Our two recruits both seem close to committing.

Our schedule is a bit stronger this season with teams like Stanford, Kansas ST, and Rhode Island.

September 25

Both recruits committed. Jeff Duke, PF, currently #81, up from #281 last month so he could go down some, and Matt Neal, PG, #163, up from #299. If they hit our SAT score, and both are marginal, we’re through recruiting.

October 2

First day of practice. It’s always great to begin the real work.

We’re picked to win the conference again this year.

Wallace says he is on the first team in practice at Cal. They are not nearly as strong as last year, of course. It is doubtful that they will repeat as national champions.

It has been a quiet year at school for Ruth Ann so far.

November 12

We’ve played our exhibition games. Here’s our team: Soph transfer Bret Bent will start at PG. Frosh Dez Daws will start at SG and play a little PG. Junior
Den Ross will get about as many minutes as Daws. Senior Jon Vurn will play SF. Frosh Cory Barr will start at PF; he played his way in through great play in the exhibition games. Junior Vern Rigs will start at C. Soph transfer Pat Hall will fill in at 3 and 4, and junior transfer Don Toby will fill at 4 and 5.

We start at Vanderbilt. They’re a good team and this one could be a good test for us. Then we host George Mason, from the A10, which is a very good conference. The first week should tell us a great deal.

Ruth Ann came home thrilled the other day. We didn’t know it but she had written a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Evidently she really poured her heart out to him, explaining her conflict regarding whether to support him or Elijah Muhammed. She showed us the five page letter he wrote in reply. It was detailed, showed respect for her intelligence and her beliefs, and pointed out several reasons why he felt she should support his approach. He won her over. Callie and I are more than pleased.

[Wayne23]

November 20

69-73 at Vanderbilt. We came up just a little short. Poor ball handling (17 TOs) along with bench play (15 points vs. 27) beat us. Our 3 and 4 didn’t give us much either. 22, 5, 6 for our new PG Bret Bent, 15 for Vern Rigs, but he fouled out in 22 minutes.

81-66 over George Mason in our home debut. 25 for Rigs, 16 for Bent, 12 for guard Dez Daws. We really took care of the ball tonight (7 TOs).

Quick trigger. Cory Barr wasn’t getting it done at PF. Don Toby and Pat Hall will get most of his minutes. We’ll see if one of them emerges.

PG Matt Neal signed. PF Josh Duke didn’t , which means he will not hit our SAT score. We’re looking at more recruits, but we won’t do much until the SAT scores come out on 1/29.

This week we’re at 1-1 Central Florida, then at #17 Stanford, 2-0. They will test us.

Wallace started and played well, but Cal went 1-1 in their first two games.

November 27

79-72 at Central FL. 28 and 9 for Rigs at C, 12, 3, 5 for Bent, 9, 7 for Jon Vurn. Pat Hall and Den Ross played well from the bench.

I really like the fact that we’re averaging 76.3 points but less happy that we’re giving up 70.3

68-80 at #17 Stanford. They jumped out to an early lead and we weren’t able to come back. We got it to 5 a few times but no closer. They are a very good team, the best we’ll play during the regular season. 14, 9 for Rigs, 12 for Dez Daws, 17 for Pat Hall from the bench. Hall will start at 3 and we’ll shift Vurn to 4.

We knew we would make adjustments to the lineup as the season progressed. We may not be finished doing that.

This week we travel to 2-2 USC Upstate, then we host a tough Kansas ST team, 3-1.

We had Thanksgiving on the road, in San Francisco. We went to a restaurant (Whit had made the reservation well in advance) and were treated well while enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Wallace was able to join us since Cal was at home. I called home and both of us spoke to the family. I was able to see him play. He had a good night, 15 and 8.

December 4

81-77 in OT. A real battle! We lost a 15 point lead and tied it at the end of regulation when Rigs was fouled and made both shots. Then he fouled out in the first minute of overtime. Cory Barr filled in well. 24, 8 for Rigs, 13 for Pat Hall, 12 for Bent, 7 and 7 for Vurn, 9, 4, 4 for Daws, 6, 4 for Barr from the bench. Only 10 TOs all night. This was a good win!

70-62 over Kansas ST. It was 51-28 at the half and we coasted in from there. The final margin was as close as it got, and we were able to rest our starters quite a bit. A big game for Pat Hall, 20. 16, 4 for Rigs. Don Toby helped a great deal from the bench, as did Cory Barr. Only 6 TOs (+7) but 25 PFs. The officials were calling everything; 24 on Kansas ST.

We are at 4-2 with three non-conference games remaining.

This week Rhode Island, 2-3, comes here. They play stiffer competition than we do so we will need to be at our best.

Loretta received a wonderful surprise today. A large part of the admission process at Juilliard is an audition. If a student is not invited to audition there is no chance of being accepted. Today Loretta received her invitation letter. They have already informed her that her original compositions meet their high standards. When she told us of the letter she looked at me in a way that meant she was not certain that we could afford to fly her to New York for the audition.

“Loretta, there is simply no way we will allow you to miss out on this wonderful opportunity.”

Loretta is the least emotional of our children but she screamed and ran into my arms to give me a great big hug.

Wallace is doing a fine job at Cal. After 6 games he is averaging 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Coach Newell has consistently told me that he is a very good defensive player as well.

I wish I were able to see or even listen to Wallace’s games, but there is no way to do either. The only information I receive is when he calls, which he does after every game. We reimburse him for the expensive long distance calls, of course.