You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. Syracuse football was coached at the time by Ben Schwartzwalder, a beloved figure on campus, who led the Orange to. Over 25 season, he compiled a 153-91-3 record and led the team an undefeated season in 1959 that included the National Championship. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. You know, the funny thing about cinema is, usually when they do a story that has African Americans in it, there always has to be a white guy whos the savior. Ben gave Syracuse its finest hours in football. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. In 1946, Ben came east and guided Muhlenberg to a 25-5 slate in three years. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. The funny part is that so many people have known this for years, including myself.". In addition to Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, he coached Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Larry Csonka through their college careers. By the time he was in college, it was apparent that he wasn't going to weigh much more than 150 and grow taller than 5-9. It doesnt break down in gender. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. Reggie was born on January 18, 1912, in Pine Grove, West. Sc It may not display this or other websites correctly. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Christian Rudolph Kessler was the school's first teacher and administrator. 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 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. Jim Brown: The coaches. He had many reasons for doing what he did, but he stood up against his own people. His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. Its also a genuine comeback for Fleder, who hasnt made a feature in five years (hes been directing TV pilots), and he finally seems poised to recapture the promise of his early career work on such films as Things To Do in Denver When Youre Dead and Kiss the Girls. Before Fleder began work on the film, he knew he had to have one key figure on board -- Jim Brown, who was a star running back at Syracuse in the 1950s, helped recruit Davis (after Brown left to play in the NFL) and later become an action film star and civil rights activist. And enthusiasm!! Qualities missing from Davis' portrayal in "The Express," opening Friday. Floyd Little was raised in poverty in New Haven, Connecticut. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. 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. You can't be Black and be a . Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. Hell, the movie's more about him than Ernie. In 2006, thirty-six years after leaving the team, during a Syracuse University-University of Louisville halftime ceremony, the nine former players were recognized with their letterman jackets for the courageous stand they took against racism. He was captain of the football team in 1933. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178963 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated with an 110 record. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. Courtesy Syracuse Library Special Collections (Syracuse 8 Collection, John Lobon Box 1), African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Racial Conflict - Segregation/Integration, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/syracuse-football-1960s-race-civil-rights, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. When Ben recruited Larry, he did all that and also drove Larry out to the beautiful Central NY countryside and showed him where he could hunt and fish. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. Orange teams outrushed opponents by more than 22,000 yards under Ben. But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. Do you find this information helpful? He thought the first script was a little thin. Chancellor John Corbally Records, University Archives. 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. ". By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy . He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. During World War II, Schwartzwalder enlisted and served as a paratrooper in the United States Army. Both taught and Ben began coaching in his home state. Mostly, we remember Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder as Syracuse University's successful head football coach, 1949 to 1973. Before Kaepernick, The Syracuse 8 Were Blackballed By Pro Football, WBUR Radio, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick. He wore street clothes at the alumni game, serving as an honorary coach. Mary ScofieldMary Scofield (born Mary Schwartzwalder) passed away on December 7, 2017 after battling ovarian cancer for three years. According to an email sent to SU's office of athletics communication and passed along to me, Schwartzwalder served in the same World War II unit and fought together during the D-Day invasion of Normandy with Penn State's Harry Edward Wagner, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate. 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. Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. He graduated from Syracuse University in January 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Economics. For his actions during the invasion, Ben was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and was promoted to the rank of Major. He was the starting center at 152 pounds for the Mountaineers of coach Greasey Neale. Schwartzwalder played center at West Virginia University, despite weighing only 146 pounds, and was an all-campus wrestler in 1930 in the 155 pound weight class. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. The Black student-athletes first sent their grievances to Coach Schwartzwalder, though that document does not exist in the University Archives. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. All rights reserved (About Us). Cutting black players from the list of team members mak ing trips. Before the summer of 1970, Coach Schwartzwalder agreed but failed to hire a Black assistant coach more than once. t: 1.315.443.2093f: 1.315.443.4083 scrc@syr.edu 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. And they made Ben look like a racist, to me.". During the summer, the black players filed a complaint against Syracuse University and the coaching staff with the Syracuse and Onondaga Human Rights Commission. [1] He coached high school football for six years in West Virginia a year at Sistersville High School, followed by the Parkersburg High School Big Reds football from 1936 to 1940[1] and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School[1] and won two state championships. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". But because that promise already had been made and broken repeatedly, the student-athletes decided to not return to practice and instead hold their own practice for the time being. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. In fact, he didnt even look at the original script. There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. On April 17, 1970, Black members of the football team sent Chancellor John Corbally a letter asking that he address their grievances within two days. serving during World War II, Ben Schwartzwalder returned home and began coaching college football; and WHEREAS, In 1949, the couple moved to Syracuse, New York, and Ben Schwartzwalder began his long and distinguished coaching career with the football team at Syracuse University; and You must log in or register to reply here. Syracuse, New York 13244 He was also a military veteran. 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. He overcame those . 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. It is very likely that Lt. Wagner assisted him with this extracurricular athletic program in view of the fact that Ed had been an assistant manager for the Penn State football team in 1939, and as the 3rd Battalion's personnel officer, or S-1, he would have been able to identify unit personnel with football experience and "facilitate" their assignment to "extra duties". No. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. The student-athletes four demands were access to the same academic tutoring as their white teammates; better medical care for all team members; starting assignments based on merit; and racially integrating the coaching staff, which had been all white since 1898. Chuck Leavitt did a great page-one rewrite of the script. Their demand was based on their awareness of how their academic potential exceeded the universitys expectations. Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. Reading your post, I flashed on "Band of Brothers", which detailed a company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. 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. "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. You should know his story. The Commission subsequently chaired several meetings between the parties, but without success. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. 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. Ruth Simpson Reggie Schwartzwalder, 100, of Syracuse, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on August 25, 2012, at Crouse Hospital. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. 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 inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Capt. January 25, 2010 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. By 1941, he had earned a name for himself and was offered the head coaching job at Canton McKinley High School in Ohio, one of the top jobs in the Midwest. Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. I'm guessing it's after beating WVU to claim the Schwartzwalder Trophy. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. Schwartzwalder is portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, a biography about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Heres a clip from a recent Bob Costas interview talking with Brown about Ernie Davis: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles. "When Ed initially reported for duty with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Sep42 at Ft. Benning, Georgia, his company commander was none other than Captain Floyd B. Schwartzwalder, the future head football coach of Syracuse University and eventual gridiron nemesis of Ed Wagner's Nittany Lions. He thought there was only one way to play football and that was the rough way. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. But for the guards to be enough men to make a difference in a pitched battle, there must have been a lot of German prisoners for Badass Ben to mow down - if that actually happened. !8 holes of golf and Ben never said a word about football. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. The basics. 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. He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. He wanted p West Virginia and Syracuse might have a sordid past as Big East rivals, but you'd never know it by what's not at stake in this month's upcoming Camping World Bowl. "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. Ben Schwartzwalder began his football career as a 95-pound high school freshman quarterback. Thats the reason I recruited Ernie, because he was a great, great player and it was starting to change. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Ben Schwartzwalder. Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. 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. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. He rose to the rank of major and in the process picked up the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, four battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. The game ended and Ben Schwartzwalder walked to the middle of the field, shook hands, exchanged a few words with his opposing coach, then turned and headed toward the dressing room. He coached high schools in West Virginia and Ohio 1933-41. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder. Here are some excerpts from a 2005 conversation between Fleder and Brown that paved the way for the making of The Express.. 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. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. The student-athletes also repeatedly requested that head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder hire a Black assistant coach, with whom they felt they could talk more easily about problems relating to race. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. "I have a strange feeling that in the years to come, officials, alumni and fans might finally realize what a tremendous asset Ben was. You had an amazing four years, breaking records and you make it easier for Ernie to come to school. A nice memory. Syracuse University Photo & Imaging Collection, University Archives. The private Ben was a very devoted family man who loved to putter around in his garden or who always had time to stop and give a stray dog a reassuring pat on the head or say hello to a youngster. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield. Doesn't the story go that when Larry was recruited by all the Big Ten schools and Notre Dame, they only showed him around the football facilities, stadiums and campuses? He would then later imply he was joking or being sarcastic at the time these promises were made. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244, Notable Veteran Alumni: Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. Search and browse yearbooks online! All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 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. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. I just want to know -- what did you feel on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis? During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. They show Ben in his Service today for Ben A Memorial Day service will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 4069 Howlett Hill Rd. It was superficial and cloying and didnt give enough dimension to the story. 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. But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. The two men shook hands outside the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria. Floyd Benjamin Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Years after Davis' death, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder called him "the best kid I ever had anything to do with." "Ernie was just like a puppy dog, friendly and warm and kind," he told. Ben Schwartzwalder, Head Coach 1949-73. The coach is also remembered through the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy which, goes to the winner of each game between West Virginia University (where he had played as a college student) and Syracuse University. 222 Waverly Avenue Former Syracuse head coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (center with his arm around SU's Ger Schwedes, 16) was no stranger to a good fight including this one involving the Orange and Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. You should know his story, because it's a Syracuse University story - one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. One other thought on that. Several units were simultaneously converging on the same objective in a piecemeal, uncoordinated manner. They then approached the Office of the Chancellor. Later that afternoon, a beaming Davis, seeing Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, went floating toward him through a.
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