C.L. Brewers' Letter Barring Football Player Jack Trice from Playing at the University of Missouri, October 8, 1923

    A letter written by C.L. Brewer, Director of the Department of Physical Education at the University of Missouri, to Iowa State College and Professor S. W. Beyer stating that Jack Trice would not be allowed to play in their upcoming game between the two schools.
    Courtesy of Iowa State University Library Special Collections and University Archives, Brewer, Chester L., "Chester L. Brewer letter to Samuel W. Beyer regarding football game at University of Missouri," 8 October 1923

    Description 

    This letter was sent from C.L. Brewer, director of the Department of Physical Education at the University of Missouri, to Iowa State College and Professor S. W. Beyer. Brewer's letter stated that Jack Trice, Iowa State's first African-American athlete, would not be allowed to play in their upcoming game between the two colleges.

    Transcript of C.L. Brewers' Letter Barring Jack Trice from Playing at the University of Missouri

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • What is the purpose of this letter?
    • Why do you think that Brewer would use phrases like, "you know the conditions here" and "I know that you understand the tradition that a colored man cannot come here?"
    • Do you think that Iowa State College would have brought and tried to play Jack Trice if been able to play? What makes you think this?
    • How does this quote from The Life and Legacy of Jack Trice essay help to underscore what would happen on the football field: "African Americans who played for predominantly white institutions faced extraordinary hazards and abuse."

    Citation Information

    Brewer, Chester L., "Chester L. Brewer letter to Samuel W. Beyer regarding football game at University of Missouri," 8 October 1923. Courtesy of Iowa State University Library Special Collections and University Archives

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