Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
State Library of Iowa

Memorial to Jack Trice, 1924

Memorial to Jack Trice, 1924

Title

Memorial to Jack Trice, 1924

Description

Jack Trice memorial tablet in State Gymnasium at Iowa State University, the beginning of which reads: "In memory of Jack Trice who died October 8, 1923, of injuries received in the Ames-Minnesota football game."
IN MEMORY OF
JACK TRICE
WHO DIED OCTOBER 8, 1923,
OF INJURIES RECEIVED IN THE
AMES-MINNESOTA FOOTBALL GAME

"MY THOUGHTS JUST BEFORE THE FIRST
REAL COLLEGE GAME OF MY LIFE:
"THE HONOR OF MY RACE, FAMILY, AND
SELF IS AT STAKE. EVERY ONE IS EX-
PECTING ME TO DO BIG THINGS. I WILL.
MY WHOLE BODY AND SOUL ARE TO BE
THROWN RECKLESSLY ABOUT THE FIELD.
"EVERY TIME THE BALL IS SNAPPED, I
WILL BE TRYING TO DO MORE THAN MY
PART. FIGHT LOW, WITH YOUR EYES OPEN
AND TOWARD THE PLAY. WATCH OUT FOR
CROSSBUCKS AND REVERSE END RUNS. BE
ON YOUR TOES EVERY MINUTE IF YOU
EXPECT TO MAKE GOOD."
JACK

Creator

Iowa State University;

Source

RS 21/07/A

Publisher

Iowa State University Library Special Collections: http://www.add.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/index.html

Date

1924
2009-09-17

Rights

U.S. and international copyright laws protect this digital image. Commercial use or distribution of the image is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder. For permission to use the digital image, please contact Iowa State University Library Special Collections at archives@iastate.edu For reproductions see: http://www.add.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/services/photfees.html

Relation

University Photographs, http://www.add.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/collections/images.html
21-07-A_Trice_1578-01-03.tif

Format

1 photograph
photographs ; brasses (memorials)
image
tif

Type

Image; Text;

Identifier

21-07-A_Trice_1578-01-03
https://digitalcollections.lib.iastate.edu/

Coverage

Johnny (Jack) Trice was born in Hiram, Ohio in 1902. In 1922, Trice became the first African-American student athlete at Iowa State, participating in track and football. He majored in animal husbandry, with the desire to go to the southern U.S. and use his knowledge to help Black farmers. In the summer after his freshman year, Trice married Cora Mae Starland. They both found jobs in order to support themselves through school. On October 6, 1923, Jack Trice played in his first college football game against the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During the second play of the game, he broke his collarbone. He insisted he was all right and returned to the game. In the third quarter, University of Minnesota players forced Trice to the ground and crushed him. On October 8, he died from internal bleeding due to injuries received during the game. In 1973, Jack Trice's legacy was renewed and a promotion began to name Iowa State's new stadium after him. In 1974, the Iowa State University Government of Student Body unanimously voted to endorse this effort. In addition, the Jack Trice Stadium Committee compiled more than 3,000 signatures of supporters. An Iowa State University ad hoc committee voted to advise President Robert Parks to name the stadium "Cyclone Stadium." In 1984, the stadium was named "Cyclone Stadium" and the playing field was named "Jack Trice Field." The Government of Student Body, wanting to do more to honor Trice, raised money to erect a statue of Trice in 1987. Due to the persistence of the students, alumni, faculty and staff, and other supporters, the stadium was finally named Jack Trice Stadium in 1997. Find out more about the Jack Trice papers at http://www.add.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/arch/rgrp/21-7-23.html
42.0246748, -93.6538021