In 1997, Cyclone Stadium was renamed after the first Black athlete at Iowa State University.
A letter Jack Trice wrote ahead of his second college varsity football game on October 6, 1923 stated, “The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will!” Trice died as a result of injuries sustained in that game, after being trampled on the field.
Almost a century later, ISU is home to the only major university stadium named after a Black man, but it was a long road to honor Trice with the name, including more than 20 years of student activism and resistance from ISU’s administration and Board of Regents.
Jonathan Gelber, author of The Idealist: Jack Trice and the Battle for a Forgotten Football Legacy, joins Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe to discuss the trailblazing athlete's life.
Later in the hour, IPR’s Barney Sherman shares the best classical music of 2022.
Guests:
- Dr. Jonathan Gelber, orthopedic surgeon and author
- Barney Sherman, IPR Classical host
