Gary Fleder: You faced the exact same thing. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. Even if you go to Syracuse now, there is a constant battle that goes on. By the end of the war Ben had been promoted to major and during the post-war period of occupation served as the military mayor of Essen, Germany. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. But in real life, there are people -- white people -- who have done wonderful things because they were just good human beings. "By doing the best we can do with the job we have, wherever it is, we can serve our nation in its greatest task.". Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. Schwartzwalder, a decorated paratrooper during World War II in the 82nd Airborne Division who was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped at D-Day in 1944, coached the Orange from 1949 through 1973. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. You either throw in the towel or you go ahead and try to make your performance speak for you. Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). Ben Schwartzwalder grew up in West Virginia, and developed into a superb athlete (a standout wrestler and football player, both in high school and college). He was captain of the football team in 1933. Fleder didnt simply want Browns take on Davis; he wanted to hear what the former football star thought of Ben Schwartzwalder, the legendary Syracuse coach who wasnt so enthralled by the civil rights fervor that was starting to sweep the nation. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, West Virginia Mountaineers football players, High school football coaches in the United States, United States Army personnel of World War II, People from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Players of American football from West Virginia, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. The priest, his friar and two elderly women who had been caring for the wounded in the local church, a structure dating back to the 12th Century, were summarily shot, and the village then set aflame. In fact, I never knew what being an alumnus was. "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. These SS troopers also executed the twenty plus wounded US paratroopers who had been too injured to evacuate with the others. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Syracuse University Football Collection, University Archives. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. Mary ScofieldMary Scofield (born Mary Schwartzwalder) passed away on December 7, 2017 after battling ovarian cancer for three years. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. During the summer, the black players filed a complaint against Syracuse University and the coaching staff with the Syracuse and Onondaga Human Rights Commission. With the aid of the local French people this small group, isolated behind the German lines, attempted to hold the village of Graignes until the US units moving inland from the invasion beaches could reach their position. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. Biography Lists News Also Viewed. I remember Ben as gruff, but kind. Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. He said, You have to realize, in the civil rights movement, there had to be radicals and peacemakers, radicals like Malcolm X and peacemakers like Martin Luther King. He gave me a way in to tell this story. Ron Womack had been removed from the roster due to an injury, a coaching decision he and his Black teammates viewed with suspicion, but he supported them through the whole boycott and is counted with them. Between 1848 and 1867, the college operated as the Allentown Seminary, the Allentown Collegiate and Military Institute, and the Allentown Collegiate Institute. The demand for a black coach was prompted by the black players accusations of discriminatory practices by their coach, Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, and his assistant coaches. ". The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. Prijevodi fraza TOP THEMSELVES s engleskog na hrvatski i primjeri upotrebe rijei "TOP THEMSELVES" u reenici s njihovim prijevodima: Top themselves . He developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen - Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. Ben always refused to pick a favorite team or make comparisons. After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. You must log in or register to reply here. Ben Schwartzwalder College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards | College Football at Sports-Reference.com Ben Schwartzwalder Career Record: 25 Years, 153-91-3, .626 Win% (at major schools) Bowl Record: 7 Games, 2-5, .286 Win% (at major schools) College Football Coaches Ben Schwartzwalder Overview More Other SR Sites Orange teams outrushed opponents by more than 22,000 yards under Ben. Scoop: Fans want The Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy to be awarded to the winner of the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which features old Big East rivals Syracuse and West Virginia. Lots of midgets. The 1987 Orangemen electrified a crowd of more than 50,000 up there on their campus while routing these Nittany Lions' ancestors behind Don McPherson & Co. Find high-quality images, photos, and animated GIFS with Bing Images. 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. After the intervention of Syracuse football alumnus Jim Brown, who acted as an intermediary between the coach and the players, a black assistant coach was hired. It was superficial and cloying and didnt give enough dimension to the story. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. A nice memory. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield. A call for help went out and in the end it was that man who was to win more games than Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson or Earl Blaik that answered. He coached the 507th PIR football team, leading them through a ten game season in which the 507th was never defeated and never even scored upon. He also developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". Mostly, we remember Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder as Syracuse University's successful head football coach, 1949 to 1973. Capt. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. As Dolan approached from the north, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder led more than 40 men of the 507th to the south side of the Manoir, where he was also stopped by machine-gun fire. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. Mere Eglise. He brought the school it's one and only national championship and undefeated season in 1959, but as his career progressed, it seemed to produce more and more cracks in a once so respected man. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben, a Captain in Company G of the 507th, organized his men, established command, and a week later delivered a large group of prisoners to the Allied lines. After the United States entered World War II, Schwartzwalder joined the U.S. Army and served with the 507th Parachute Infantry of the famed Eighty-second Airborne Division. You should know his story. Its a great history lesson, offering kids a look at the real-life exploits of Ernie Davis, the trail-blazing Syracuse University running back who in 1961 became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. The greatest part of Ernie Davis was that he could cross over lines. Mountaineer fans are just over . Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . I'm guessing it's after beating WVU to claim the Schwartzwalder Trophy. He was captain of the football team in 1933. His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder Birth 2 Jun 1909. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. Ben Schwartzwalder, who recruited a series of acclaimed running backs as he restored Syracuse to football glory during 25 sparkling seasons that included an undefeated campaign in 1959, died. This little-known episode of brutality has been documented by the History Channel in a video titled, "Secret Massacre at D-Day". Truth is sometimes rearranged in screen biographies, when facts aren't dramatic enough for the filmmaker's vision. The most pivotal character was Company Capt. Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Just watched Seize and Secure a one hour documentary on PBS about the battle to secure the bridge at La Fire on DDay Capt. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Reading your post, I flashed on "Band of Brothers", which detailed a company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. After being labeled black dissidents, the Syracuse 8 were suspended from the team. Reggie was the widow of legendary Syracuse University head football coach Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, who died in 1993. He wore street clothes at the alumni game, serving as an honorary coach. The three major forces in the dispute have been the eight black athletes, and their spokesman George Moody, director of King-on-campus School; Chancellor John E. Corbally and the administration; and Coach Schwartzwalder, supported by his coaching staff and football squad. They then approached the Office of the Chancellor. He had the same burning drive in 1973 as he did as a rookie coach back in West Virginia in 1933. You find it where you find it. No. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV), Class of 1932, Page 231 of 392 | E-Yearbook.com has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. Notably, he coached the first African-American to win a Heisman trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship. They cited instances of unfair treatment, ranging from differences in disciplinary action to the coaching staffs intolerance of their civil rights activism elsewhere on campus. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. What did Jim Brown say that made such a difference? Jim told me something really amazing that put things in perspective. However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. But when he started talking about his own experiences, especially his conflicts with Schwartzwalder and how he was told he couldnt date white girls, I started to see a lot more drama there. One other thought on that. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 255. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. He became a company commander and earned the rank of major. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor. He was the starting center at 152 pounds for the Mountaineers of coach Greasey Neale. In 1941, he was coach of Canton McKinley High School in Ohio when, even though he was in his 30s, he commissioned in the US Army and fought in World War II. See About archive blog posts. Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. Quite a story, but as an amateur historian, that kind of second or third hand quote, especially one delivered 50 years after it was shared, makes me very skeptical to its veracity. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. Starting in the fall of 1968, Black football players at Syracuse University expressed concerns about racial discrimination within the football program. Coach Schwartzwalder's Decision A Black assistant football coach, Carlmon Jones, was finally hired in the summer of 1970, but neither the administration nor the football coaching staff took any other steps to address the boycotting athletes' other grievances. Floyd Little was raised in poverty in New Haven, Connecticut. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. And less than a handful of men who have entered the coaching profession since Princeton and Rutgers started the madness back in 1869 have recorded as many victories as did this crew-cut, bespectacled quiet little giant out of the hills of West Virginia.