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The Augusta High School Classes of 1939-43 recently held a reunion and spotlighted their classmate, Madelyn Payne Dunham and her place in history.
She was President Barack Obama’s beloved grandmother and spent her childhood here and graduated with the Augusta High School Class of 1940.
Another interesting, albeit little known story has emerged from that same era and those same classmates.
During a time with activists pushing for civil rights and racial tensions exploding in America’s South and rapidly building in northern cities, something remarkable was taking place right here in Augusta.
It was the the fall of 1941, and high school senior Herman Reed, Jr. was elected by his teammates to be the captain of the Augusta High School football team.
What made it so remarkable was the fact that Reed was black.
It was very unusual in that era for a black player to receive such an honor -- particularly from a team comprised of all whites -- and in a town such as Augusta, where black residents were extremely rare.
Sidney DeVere Brown, a member of the AHS Class of 1941, and a distinguished Oklahoma University professor and author, shared some information about Reed at the recent reunion.
Herman Reed Sr., had come to Augusta from Atlanta, Texas, around 1930, and brought his wife and two young sons to town and became the only black family in town.
The father worked as a porter in a garage, a bootblack and janitor in a State Street barbershop, and as the coat check man at events in Augusta and El Dorado, where his brother lived.
Brown reported, “Herman, our schoolmate, surely suffered from slights and insults of which the rest of us know little, but there are some stories of good treatment by Augustans. When the daughter of Dr. Timken, the dentist, had a birthday party she invited Herman -- or his brother -- and the Reed family dressed him splendidly for the occasion, and gloried in that occasion.”
In later years Reed stated, “My football career began at an early age. I was 14 years old when I played my first football game in high school. My last year in high school was 1942 and the team had elected me captain of the 1941 football team. The sports writers in Wichita said that I gave an impressive speech at the award banquet.”
After Reed graduated high school in May of 1942, he and his family left Augusta for Los Angeles, his father possibly seeking employment in the California war factories.
According to Brown, the young Reed entered the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army during World War II, and was assigned to the CBI (China-Burma-India) Theatre for the rebuilding of the Burma Road, linking India and China. Reed was assigned to Special Forces to play football and basketball to entertain the troops.
In 1946 he enrolled at East Los Angeles Junior College, became a member of the football team and was spotted and recruited for Whittier College. He attended Whittier between 1948 and 1951 where he was an all-conference defensive back for three years, all-conference running back for two years and his team’s MVP his senior year. During his time on the team, the Whittier Poets were league champs.
According to a Whitter College Hall of Fame news release in 2000, Reed went on to a professional football career with the San Jose Packers in 1951, Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and with the Regina Roughriders in 1955.
It was reported that his father, Herman Reed, Sr., died in the stands while watching his son in a Rams game.
Following his football career, Reed had a successful career with the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department in charge of the Youth Employment Program for 18 years. He had 40 staff members and 1,500 young adults involved with the program. In 1994, after 24 years as the Recreation Director, he retired and volunteered as the director at MacArthur Senior Center until 2000. He still continued to volunteer at the senior center and for many years he made generous donations to the facility.
Herman Reed, Jr. died on Oct. 9, 2007, at the age of 82.
Just like a number of his classmates, Herman Reed Jr. traveled far from this little Kansas town, but their journeys echo back and their stories are worth remembering.
* Editor’s note: The photos and much of the information concerning Herman Reed, Jr. were generously provided by Mr. Sidney DeVere Brown. Mr. Brown, who spent his childhood in the Bloomington area and graduated from Augusta High School in 1941, has written a wonderful book, “Kansas Farmboy.” His memoir features fascinating glimpses of our area and residents. The book is available at the Butler County Museum, or directly from Mr. Brown; $29.95 by check made out to him and mailed to: Sidney DeVere Brown, 700 Nancy Lynn Terrace, Norman, OK 73069-4222; (405) 329-7074. Postage for mailing is included in the quoted price.
The Augusta High School Classes of 1939-43 recently held a reunion and spotlighted their classmate, Madelyn Payne Dunham and her place in history.
She was President Barack Obama’s beloved grandmother and spent her childhood here and graduated with the Augusta High School Class of 1940.
Another interesting, albeit little known story has emerged from that same era and those same classmates.
During a time with activists pushing for civil rights and racial tensions exploding in America’s South and rapidly building in northern cities, something remarkable was taking place right here in Augusta.
It was the the fall of 1941, and high school senior Herman Reed, Jr. was elected by his teammates to be the captain of the Augusta High School football team.
What made it so remarkable was the fact that Reed was black.
It was very unusual in that era for a black player to receive such an honor -- particularly from a team comprised of all whites -- and in a town such as Augusta, where black residents were extremely rare.
Sidney DeVere Brown, a member of the AHS Class of 1941, and a distinguished Oklahoma University professor and author, shared some information about Reed at the recent reunion.
Herman Reed Sr., had come to Augusta from Atlanta, Texas, around 1930, and brought his wife and two young sons to town and became the only black family in town.
The father worked as a porter in a garage, a bootblack and janitor in a State Street barbershop, and as the coat check man at events in Augusta and El Dorado, where his brother lived.
Brown reported, “Herman, our schoolmate, surely suffered from slights and insults of which the rest of us know little, but there are some stories of good treatment by Augustans. When the daughter of Dr. Timken, the dentist, had a birthday party she invited Herman -- or his brother -- and the Reed family dressed him splendidly for the occasion, and gloried in that occasion.”
In later years Reed stated, “My football career began at an early age. I was 14 years old when I played my first football game in high school. My last year in high school was 1942 and the team had elected me captain of the 1941 football team. The sports writers in Wichita said that I gave an impressive speech at the award banquet.”
After Reed graduated high school in May of 1942, he and his family left Augusta for Los Angeles, his father possibly seeking employment in the California war factories.
According to Brown, the young Reed entered the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army during World War II, and was assigned to the CBI (China-Burma-India) Theatre for the rebuilding of the Burma Road, linking India and China. Reed was assigned to Special Forces to play football and basketball to entertain the troops.
In 1946 he enrolled at East Los Angeles Junior College, became a member of the football team and was spotted and recruited for Whittier College. He attended Whittier between 1948 and 1951 where he was an all-conference defensive back for three years, all-conference running back for two years and his team’s MVP his senior year. During his time on the team, the Whittier Poets were league champs.
According to a Whitter College Hall of Fame news release in 2000, Reed went on to a professional football career with the San Jose Packers in 1951, Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and with the Regina Roughriders in 1955.
It was reported that his father, Herman Reed, Sr., died in the stands while watching his son in a Rams game.
Following his football career, Reed had a successful career with the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department in charge of the Youth Employment Program for 18 years. He had 40 staff members and 1,500 young adults involved with the program. In 1994, after 24 years as the Recreation Director, he retired and volunteered as the director at MacArthur Senior Center until 2000. He still continued to volunteer at the senior center and for many years he made generous donations to the facility.
Herman Reed, Jr. died on Oct. 9, 2007, at the age of 82.
Just like a number of his classmates, Herman Reed Jr. traveled far from this little Kansas town, but their journeys echo back and their stories are worth remembering.
* Editor’s note: The photos and much of the information concerning Herman Reed, Jr. were generously provided by Mr. Sidney DeVere Brown. Mr. Brown, who spent his childhood in the Bloomington area and graduated from Augusta High School in 1941, has written a wonderful book, “Kansas Farmboy.” His memoir features fascinating glimpses of our area and residents. The book is available at the Butler County Museum, or directly from Mr. Brown; $29.95 by check made out to him and mailed to: Sidney DeVere Brown, 700 Nancy Lynn Terrace, Norman, OK 73069-4222; (405) 329-7074. Postage for mailing is included in the quoted price.
