Table Of Content

; V , ijiiteiwli'Iyabi'iiii ivj"A mmmmI II l liBM ,:„.;.,,, jam iV! » iH > HiflB' $wwmm JiJSwita j/,iiiKi'flPC'O KlS»f','",ll IfelPfte i'lrlilBiiWii i'M ifij; II IjiiL,, HHMRHIM Sill »-HJMi— ^liplSSllWWiP air.:li!tiliMim| ' I'll .MIL..J. , ,,,. , ' IjjjIj„pT y« - -V ... I \ * i,ii" i, | ' !i Co-Editors Rick Ewig Phil Roberts 1-5 '' * Wyoming State Historical Society Officers, 1995-1996 Maggi Layton, President Riuerton Glen Morris, First Vice President Kemmerer Patty Myers, Second Vice President Buffalo Sherry Taylor, Secretary Casper Rick Ewig, Treasurer Laramie Board of Editors Barbara Allen Bogart Evanston (1996) Don Hodgson Torrington (1996) Lawrence M. Woods Worland(1996) John D. McDermott Sheridan (1997) William H. Moore Laramie (1997) Ann Noble Cora (1997) Thomas F. Stroock Casper (1997) David Kathka Rock Springs (1998) T. A. Larson Laramie (1998) Sherry Smith Jackson (1998) WSHS Publications Committee Maggi Layton, Chair Riuerton Michael Cassity, Laramie Walter Edens, Laramie CoverArt Loren Jost, Riuerton "DeMarisHotSprings, near Cody" —Thispostcard scenefrom David Kathka, early in this century shows several visitors enjoying the warm Rock Springs Phil Roberts, watersofthespringalongthebanksoftheShoshoneRiver,westof Laramie Cody. PhotocourtesyoftheAmericanHeritageCenter, University ofWyoming yowling History Journal State 'HistoricalSociety er1996 'I'oi 68, 9{o. 1 The Blizzard of 1949 in Weston County By Lucille Dumbrill and Earl Christensen 2 Theblizzardislegendaryamonggreatstormsin Wyoming history: LucilleDi he impactthestorm hadon Weston County: Fired by Conscience: The Black 14 Incident at the University ofWyoming and Black Protest in the Western Athletic Conference, 1968-1970 By Clifford A. Bullock The UniversityofWxommgfootballteam hadgainedsubstantialrecognition in thedecadeof1960sforsuccesson the footballfield. The "Black 14" incidentbroughta changein teamfortunesaswellasnegativenationalattention. The Church ofthe Good Shepherd in Sundance: The Record ofIts First Decade 14 By Mary Jean Wilson During theterritorialperiodandearlystatehoodyears, churcheswereestablishedin many Wyomingcommunities. In each case, theyweremadepossiblebysubstantialeffortsexpendedbylocalcitizensaswellaschurch officialsfrom other communities. TheSundancechurch isoneexampleofthecooperativeefforts. Simon Durlacher, The Clothing Prince ofLaramie 18 By Amy M. Lawrence Littleevidence remainsofthe Civil Warveteran who becameoneofLaramie'spioneermerchants. Hisstory revealssome oftheconnectionsbetween businessenterprisesandcivicactivitiesin early-dayLaramie. "To Me, History Will Always Be People and Their Memories'": 30 A Biography ofAgnes Wright Spring By Fran Springer Agnes WrightSpring hada longcareerin history: both in WyomingandColorado. Shesenedasstatehistorian in both states. Fran Springerrecordsherlongcareerofservicetoboth states. Book Reviews 37 Reviewsofrecentandsignificantbooksabout Wyomingand Western history: Recent Articles about Wyoming 47 Ron Dienerhascompiledthis listingofsignificantarticlesfromjournals, magazinesandnewspapersfeaturing Wyoming historysubjects. WyomingHistonJournalispublishedbytheWyomingStateHistoricalSocietyincooperationwiththeAmericanHeritageCenter.UniversityofWyoming,andthe DepartmentofHistory,UniversityofWyoming ThejournalwasformerlyknownastheQuarterlyBulletin^1923-25),AnnalsofWyoming(1925-1993landWyoming Annals(1993-1995) ThejournalhasbeentheofficialpublicationoftheWyomingStateHistoricalSocietysince 1953.TheCo-EditorsofWyomingHistoryJournal welcomemanuscriptsoneveryaspectofWyomingandWesternhistory.AuthorsshouldsubmitmanuscriptsondiskettesutilizingWordPerfect.MicrosoftWordor WY ASCIItext,andtwocopiesdouble-spacedhardcopyto: WyomingHistory Journal.P.0. Box4256.UniversityStation.Uaramie, 82071.Manuscriptsshould conformtoAManualofStyle(UniversityofChicagoPress) Authorsareresponsiblefortheinterpretationintheirarticles.Manuscriptsarerefereedbymembersof theBoardofEditorsandothers Theco-editorsmakedecisionsregardingpublication. ForinformationaboutreprintsandJournalbackissues,contacttheeditors WyomingHistoryJournalisreceivedbymembersoftheWyomingStateHistoricalSociety.Currentmembershipis2,350.Membershipduesare.singleS20.jointS30, student(under21)515,institutional$40,contributing$100-249,sustainingS250-499.patronS500-999,donor$1,000+.Tojoin,writetheeditors.CopiesofWyoming HistoryJournalmaybepurchasedfromtheeditors.JournalarticlesareabstractedinHistoricalAbstractsandAmerica:HistonandLife. Copyright Wyoming State Historical Society 1996 ISSN: 1086-7368 Q4)eston ^Sountu in By Lucille Dumbrill and Earl Christensen The blizzard of 1949 continued for three straight ary 11, when No. 42 from the west arrived at about 7 days. Itbegan on Sunday,January 2, andragedcontinu- p.m., and train No. 43 came in about one hour later.3 ously until Tuesday night, January 4. According to the Clearingthetrackswasanextremelydifficulttask,took report in the Newcastle News Letter Journal, "only a much time, and had to be done again and again as the reasonable amountofsnow fell but withthe high winds winddrifted the snow back ontothe tracks. overtheentireareavisibilitywasnull andthedriftingof Theaftermath ofthe stormwas in some ways more snow was extremely bad."1 challenging than the worst part of the blizzard. In the EarlChristensenandotherranchersintheareawere few days following the most severe snowfall, ranchers completely snowbound and could not get any farther triedtoassessthedamageandcopewiththeresults.They away fromthe housethantocareforthelivestockinthe tried to save as many livestock as possible, replenish barns. They worried a lot, and with good reason, about depleted supplies, and get members oftheirfamilies to the fate ofthe livestock out in the storm. The blizzard the various communities for medical or other needed coveredthe stateofWyoming, butduetoslightlydiffer- services. ent circumstances, different areas suffered in various The situation was not critical in the Four Corners ways. area. Ranchers there still had horses and sleds which As is often the situation, the city ofNewcastle suf- weremuchmoreusefulindeepsnowthanthetwo-wheel feredverylittlebecauseofthestorm. However,thecom- drivevehiclesoreventhefour-wheeldrivejeepsowned munitywascompletelyisolatedforseveraldaysandeven by ranchers in the west country and the Clareton area. though local businesses remained open, grocery stores AccordingtoEarlChristensen,driftsweretwelvetofif- sold out of such items as milk, butter, and some meat teen feet high on his ranch. Travel was mostly accom- items. The local bakery, owned and operated by Steve plished by following the ridges which were windswept and DorothyAccola, providedbreadfortheentirecom- and mostly free of snow. Most of the cattle on the munity as well as for Osage, Red Butte, Prairie Store, Christensenranch survived,however.Theywerefamil- andtheMountain Inn duringtheentireemergency.This iarwiththelandscapeandknew wheretogoforprotec- was particularly difficult since the yeast supply forthe tionfromthewindandsnow.AccordingtoJeanSherwin bakery customarily came in twice weekly from Rapid Sears, theirranch lostnocattle forthe same reason. City, South Dakota. Since the yeast did not arrive, the Otherrancherswerenotasfortunate.ChristySmith, bakery made bread byjuggling formulas and, thus, us- who hadjust moved his cattle to the south ranch from inglessyeastas well asusingsmallcakesandpackages the prairie area north ofNewcastle for winter grazing, ofyeastfromthe grocery stores.AccordingtotheNews lost about one hundred head. According to the News LetterJournal,thebakersunwrappedeightydozensmall LetterJournal, losses in other parts ofWyoming were cakes ofyeastduring one night in orderto maketheten greaterthantheyhadbeeninWestonCounty.InNiobrara oven loads ofbread needed to meet the demand.2 County, livestock losses were estimated at about four The blizzard drastically affected train service. The percent with the area around Van Tassell hardest hit. last mail traincame intoNewcastle on Sundayevening, Lossestherewerefromfifteentotwentypercentofsome January 2. The last train out until after the storm was herds.4 No.42Sunday evening. Monday noon,the local freight The after-effects of the storm, with temperatures train came into Newcastle from Edgemont and was 1 NewcastleNewsLetterJournal,January6, 1949. stranded in the local yards for several days. The east- 2Journal, January 13, 1949. bound local freight was stalled at Upton on Sunday 3Ibid. evening.MailservicefinallywasrestoredTuesday,Janu- 4Journal, March3, 1949. 2 Winter 1996 plummeting to forty degrees below zero, tooka serious to their drilling operations."8 Earl Christensen remem- toll onlivestockinCampbellCounty. Thesefigureswere bers various oil companies had many pieces of equip- reported by Louis Sehilt, of the Wyoming agricultural ment that were utilizedto help keep roads open. extension service. The News LetterJournal listed esti- The ranchers also aided the oil field workers and matedcattle losses inWestonCounty at that time onthe rodehorsestocheckonthe "doghouses" andwell loca- basis offigures from individual ranchers. The estimates tions to be sure that no workers were stranded in the includedmorethanfivehundredcattle,includingcalves, country without supplies. Local pilots were called into and more than six hundred sheep.5 service and, according toEarl Christensen, this was the Thecattlediedafterthey movedalongthefencelines first time he could remember that aircraft were used in and then piled up in the comers. Covered with snow, an emergency in Weston County. He remembered that they suffocated under the drifts. Others died from the Clyde Ice was at the Newcastle airport and that he air- extreme cold. Icicles froze over their noses and eyes, dropped needed medicine to stranded families. Christy keepingthem fromseeing. Earl Christensenreportssee- Smithhadasmallplane with skis andusedittohelp. So ing dead cattle the entire way from Upton to the Chey- didPeterSmithandGusSherwin. ChristySmithdropped enne River. asetofchains foracartoonerancher. The chain landed Thelosseswouldhave beenevengreaterwereit not fine, but there "wasn't much left of the sack," Earl forthenumerousgroupsandindividualswhohelpedthe Christensen said. Christy also dropped mail. The drop stricken ranchers. It was a week before many ranchers was so accurate at the Ben Morris ranch that one ofthe A could get out and get feed for the livestock. trainload two mail sacks rolled up against the side ofthe house. ofhaywasbroughtintoNewcastleinboxcars.Theranch- Theremainsofthecattlewhichperishedinthestorm erswenttotownincaravans sothattheycouldhelpeach did not go entirely to waste as crews came out to the otherget throughthe drifts. The National Guard helped ranches and skinnedthem. The hides were sold to com- with "cats" and rotary plows. The oil companies also mercial firms. hadequipment whichwasutilizedtoopenroads andget John C. Christensen had just been elected to the to ranches. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers con- Weston County Commission in the November, 1948, ducted"Operation Snowbound" and manned asub-area election. He took charge of the emergency operations officeintheWestonCountyCourtHouse.Thefrontpage for the county soon after Joe Watt, commission chair- of the News Letter Journal reported, that "Continued man, rode a horse into Moorcroft and from there tele- snow, coldweatherandgroundblizzardshavehampered phoned,informingChristensenofhis appointmenttothe opening of roads in Weston County within the last job. The county relief board was composed of week...roads previously opened are now closed."6 Christensen, Wyoming Highway Department project The problems continued for ranchers many weeks engineerH. J. Mitchell, countyagentGarthPercival, and after the original snow. The same issue of the Journal Red Cross representative Jennie Kirkwood. reported that "Much ofthe hay that comes into Weston Few country homes had telephones in those days County has been truckedin from South Dakota. Truck- andthe few that did had no servicebecause manyofthe ers have had a very difficult time in getting through on linesblewdown. Thecountyreliefboardtookonthe job the highways because of the drifting snow...a convoy ofkeepingpeopleinformedabouttheconditionsthrough- system has been used, in which trucks loaded with hay outthecounty. Operationsdirectedbythis andothergov- andotherneededranchsupplies followbulldozerswhen ernment agencies brought reliefto the people and live- opening upthe roads."7 stockkeepingthelossestoaminimuminWestonCounty. ThearmyoperationsendedinthecountyonWednes- dayevening, February 23, morethansix weeks afterthe 5Journal,January 13, 1949. onset ofthe storm. The News LetterJournal listed the 6Journal,February 17, 1949 ' Ibid. equipment used to keep the roads open in the county 8Journal.February23, 1949. during the emergency. "Equipment used in opening the snow inWestoncounty has includedeleven bulldozers, Co-author Lucille Dumbrill is a former president fourpatrols, one Laternal dozer andthree rotary plows. ofthe Wyoming State Historical Society. She is Two ofthe rotary plows were sent in fromYellowstone presently completing a biography ofWyoming's Park and Estes Park...A rotary plow belonging to the first woman lawyer. Weston County rancher Earl Wyoming National Guard has been used in the Upton Christensen served in the Wyoming State Senate vicinity ...companies [help by keeping] the roads open for 24 years. By Conscience Fired WarMemorialStadium, student (east) stands, Oct. 18, 1969 American HeritageCenter,UniversityofWyoming The "Black 14' Incident at the University of Wyoming and Black Protest in the Western Athletic Conference, 968-1 970 1 By Clifford A. Bullock Winter 1Q96 Thedecadeofthe 960swasatimeofgreatchange vivid image of the raised, black-gloved hands and 1 in the United States. The apathy, conformity, and of- bowed headsofTommie Smith andJohnCarlosonthe ten unquestioned platitudes ofthe 1950s disappeared winners' platforms in MexicoCity lifted Blackaware- in angry waves ofactivism, confrontation, and pro- ness and inflamed White passions.3 tests. The issues involved the role ofthe student in Manyofthe publicized 130actionstaken by Black large universities, free speech, racial equality, and op- college athletes in 1968 centered on issues of alien- position to the expanding military involvement in ationanddiscriminationon predominantly Whitecam- SoutheastAsia. Questionsconcerningthese issueswere puses.4 They protestedagainst unsympathetic coaches, raisedthroughout the country and. in 1969, rocked the rules against "Afro" haircuts, lack of housing for campus at the University ofWyoming. Blacks, lackofjobsforathletes' wives.policiesagainst With increasing incidents ofsit-ins, campus take- interracial dating. lackofBlackcoachesandcheerlead- overs, marches, and demonstrations, much ofthe pub- ers, and indignities suffered on and offthe field at the licyearned forthetranquillityandstability ofthe 1950s. hands ofbigoted fans, opposing players, and game of- Opportunistic political figures on a local, state, and ficials. White fans and administrators perceived main national level expounded a solution to the problems oftheBlacks' complaintsto bepetty and inconsequen- ofprotest utilizingkeywordssuchas"discipline,""'or- tial. der," and "law." Part ofthe solution to societal unrest Beginning in the spring of 1968. a new dimension was a concerted effort by local, state, and university was added to the protests ofthe Black athlete. Blacks leadership to form plans to prevent or mitigate pro- began a seriesofprotestsagainstthe racial attitudesof tests. the Church ofJesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints (LDS) Another facet of the "White backlash" was the as represented by Brigham Young University (BYU) plethoraofconspiracytheories usedtoexplainthepro- in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).5 tests ofBlacks and students. Many leaders, such as J. The LDS.(orMormons), denied Blacks full mem- Edgar Hoover ofthe Federal Bureau ofInvestigation bership. During Brigham Young's tenure as head of (FBI).andCaliforniagovernorRonald Reagan,openly the church during the nineteenth century, Blacks, or statedthe student movement and the Black movement anyone of"Negroid blood." were prohibited from the were directed by Communists.1 Many others echoed priesthood.- This dogma denied important aspects of their statements.: worship to Blacks who chose tojoin the church. Bythemid 1960sthe Black movementofthe free- Much national attention hadbeen focusedon Mor- dom riders and the theologically-based passive resis- montheology in 1963 becauseofthe presidential aspi- tance of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.. was at a stand- rations of George Romney, a Mormon.1 The exclu- still. Moremilitantfactionsbattledfora leadershiprole sion of Blacks from the priesthood also hindered the in the Black march to equality. Various civil rights LDS Church's missionary efforts in emerging African activists sought new tools in the struggle against in- nations.8 Intheearly 1960s Utah remainedasthesingle stitutionalized racism. state outside ofthe Deep South not to have any civil Blacksutilizedathletics asoneoftheirmosteffec- rights legislation.1' In spite of national attention, the tive forums. Dr. Harry Edwards ofSan Jose State Col- scanty scriptural basisofthe LDS stance, and pressure lege in California led national efforts, such as the pro- from within the Church.10 Blacks were still excluded posed boycotts of the 1967 New York City Athletic from the priesthood. Club'strackmeetandthe 968Olympic games. These The Mormon Church's attitude towards Blacks 1 incidents drew international attention to the struggle affected Brigham Young University and its mission ofthe Black athlete and inspired many collegiate ath- within the church." Because ofthe limited number of letes to utilizethe toolsofwalkoutsand boycotts. The Blacks attending BYU. the school was perceived as "The only genuine, long-range solution forwhat hcs happened lies in an attack - mounted at every level - upon the conditions that breed despair and violence. All of us know what those conditions are: ignorance, discrimination, slums, poverty, disease, not enough jobs. We should attack these conditions - not because we are frightened by conflict, but because we are fired by conscience. We should attack them because there is simply no other way to achieve a decent and orderly society in America. . ." - President Lyndon Baines Johnson, July 27, 1 967 5 Wyoming History Journal perpetuatingsegregation.12 BYUadministrators,aslate in Wyoming, andthus, itsathleticteamswerethecen- as 1969, discouraged BlacksfromattendingtheProvo, terofthestate'sattention. Wyomingwasalsoaneigh- Utah, school.11 Blacks around the WAC began to ex- boring state ofUtah, with a sizable Mormon popula- amine BYU and LDS Church policies. Becauseofthe tion ofits own. Similar to many other schools in the emphasis that BYU placed on its intercollegiate ath- WACandaroundthecountry,Blackshadbeenbrought letic programs. Black student groups and Black ath- intoWyomingtobolstertheathleticprograms.17 Wyo- letes strategicallytargeted intercollegiateathleticcon- mingBlackathletesfacedthesamealienationandhos- tests with BYU. tility as Blacks on predominantly White campuses The first such protest against BYU occurred in aroundthe country. April, 1969. by Black track team members from the Alsosimilartootherstateswasaconservative"law University ofTexas - El Paso (UTEP).14 The Black andorder"stateanduniversityadministration. Riding track team members refusedto participate in ameetat the coattails ofthe Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew Provo, Utah. The UTEP protest, resulting in the dis- rhetoric and White backlash, Governor Stanley missal ofeight Black athletes, gained national notori- Hathaway saw the Laramie campus as another state ety because the termination ofthe Black athletes and officeoverwhichhehadcontrol.18 FormerUniversity the racist atmosphere at UTEP were published as part of Wyoming president William Carlson, like many of a five-part series on race and athletics written by other college administrators during this time, seemed Jack Olsen forSports Illustrated}'' Subsequentoppo- to be out ofhis league when confronted with serious sition to BYU and LDS beliefs surfaced at San Jose social problems. Carlson also had Republican ties,19 State (SJS), the University ofNew Mexico (UNM), andwasanardentsupporteroftheathleticdepartment. and Arizona State University (ASU).16 The next pro- BothHathawayandCarlsonweredeterminedthatcam- test against BYU came in the fall of 1969 at the Uni- pus unrest not occur on the Laramie campus or else- versity ofWyoming. where in the state.20 ManyfactorsunitedattheUniversityofWyoming TheWyomingfootballteamwastalented,success- to make itsignificantand pivotal inthe Black struggle ful, and asource ofpridetothe "Equality State." The againstthepoliciesofthe LDS ChurchandBYU. The team had won an unprecedented three consecutive UniversityofWyomingwastheonlyfour-yearschool WAC football championships and fans anticipated a «£ fourth. During much of the decade, the Wyoming Cowboy football team was al- most always among thenation'sleadersin defensive categories. Priortothe 1969 season, the team had gonetothe Sun Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. The ardent Wyoming fansexpectedanother majorbowl bid. This seemed likely after theteamwonthefirst four games. Many Wyoming supporters envisioned an unde- feated season while the university made plans to expand War "The Black Ball Players Have Fought For You, Fight For Them Now!" reada Memorial Stadiumto placardheldbyan unidentifiedstudentoutsidetheBYU-Wyomingfootballgame, accommodate in- WarMemorialStadium, October 18, 1969. creasedfan support.21 Winter 1996 When strife and confrontation did come to the Laramie campus, it not only touched issues of discipline and protest against BYU, it brought up the same charges of alienation and prejudice at the University of Wyoming and the town of Laramie. Fourteen Black football players were key to the his Whitecounterpart. Frosty "Freight Train" Franklin, team'ssuccess.22 Thefourteen came from varied back- they ". could [have made] up the best set ofrunning . . grounds. Sophomore safety Jerry Berry came to Wyo- backs in the history of Wyoming football."24 These ming from Tulsa. Oklahoma. He was majoring in sta- Blacks, along with a talented group ofWhites created WAC tistics. FullbackTonyGibson, aphysical education ma- a potent football power. jor, hailed from the Berkshires ofwestern Massachu- Manyfansandboosters in Wyomingfelttheteam's setts. Split end John Griffin came to Wyoming from successwasattributableto Head Football Coach Lloyd San Fernando,California. Hewas in histhirdyear,also Eaton who had taken over head coaching duties when majoring in physical education. Lionel Grimes was a Bob Devaney left Wyoming to head the prestigious defensivehalfback from Alliance,Ohio. A sophomore, Cornhuskerfootball program in neighboringNebraska he was majoring in business administration. in 1962. Whatever might be said later about Lloyd Offensive tackle Mel Hamilton, a physical educa- Eaton as a coach and a person, there was no denying tion majorfrom Boys' Town,Nebraska,was in hisjun- his team's achievements and his personal accolades. ior year. Hamilton had turned down a full scholarship In 1966, his Cowboy team had gone 9-1 and defeated to Cornell to follow a Boys' Town friend to the Uni- FloridaState in the Sun Bowl. The 1967Cowboyshad versity ofWyoming. On Wyoming's 1966 Sun Bowl been unbeaten. They lost a close game in the Sugar team, he had played starting guard. In 1969, he had Bowl to Louisiana State. By 1969, Eaton was among returnedto Wyomingaftertwoyears intheArmy. Ron the national leaders inwinningpercentage. Alongwith WAC WAC Hill, a split endjunior college transfer from Sterling, three championships, Eaton wasnamedas Colorado, was a health education major in his sopho- Coach ofthe Year in 1966 and 1967. People in Wyo- moreyear. SophomorephilosophymajorWillieHysaw, ming feared Eaton, because of his national recogni- aflanker, hadcometo Laramie from Bakersfield,Cali- tion, might leave Laramieashis predecessorhaddone. fornia. He had been the leading receiveron the Fresh- In the early part of 969, Eaton was reportedly "being 1 man team the previous year. considered" as a leading contender for the University Jim Issacwasthesole Wyomingnativeofthefour- ofPittsburgh headcoachingjob.25 Someobservershave teen Blackfootball players. Hewasasophomorephysi- speculated Eaton was granted a carte blanche with the cal education major from the miningtown ofHanna.21 football team by President Carlson and the Board of Earl Lee was also a physical education major. The of- Trustees.26 fensive guard was a sophomore from Chattanooga. Eaton, who had been Devaney's defensive coach, Tennessee. Don Meadows, a business administration was regarded as a strict disciplinarian in the mold of major from Denver, Colorado, was a sophomore cen- Woody Hayes ofOhio State and Frank Kush ofAri- ter. zona State. Eaton believedteam disciplinetobeacriti- Tony McGee was the best known ofthe fourteen cal element in generating successful teamsand quality Blacks. His quickness and speed earned him recogni- athletes.27 Hebelieved inthetraditional, military-styled tion asa high school athlete in BattleCreek, Michigan. discipline of authoritarian athletics even as Blacks Hehadboxedcereal forKellogg's inthenation'sbreak- around the country rebelled against its constraints.28 fast foodcapital before comingto Wyoming. His final Part ofEaton's steps to establish discipline proved to choices forcollegewereMichigan State,Nebraska,and be a key in the ensuing controversy. He forbade his Wyoming. He chose Wyoming, his 4.5 second speed players to be seen together in groups or to participate in the 40 yard dash making him Wyoming's fastest inanydemonstration orprotest. He reminded hisplay- lineman. ers ofthis edict at every spring practice, and again in Defensive halfback Ivie Moore from Pine Bluff. the fall. Just beforethe national Moratorium Day pro- Arkansas,was in hisjunioryearstudyingphysical edu- tests opposing United States involvement in Vietnam cation. Joe Williams was another physical education on October 15, 1969, he reminded his players again.2" major. The only senior among the fourteen Blacks, he Despite the prevalent unrest in intercollegiate athlet- wasfrom Lufkin, Texas. Heplayedtailbackalongwith ics, Eatonandthe Wyomingprogramshad seen novis- Ted WilliamsofPortHueneme,California. Alongwith ible signs ofturmoil. 7 Wyoming History Journal The calm of the Laramie campus vanished as the dismissals prompted a battery of meetings involving the university president, the governor, the trustees, Willie Black, and the athletes themselves.. When strife and confrontation did come to the seated in the bleachers at the fieldhouse. In the pres- Laramie campus, it not only touched issues ofdisci- ence oftwo assistantcoaches, Eaton called the Blacks pline and protest against BYU, it brought up the same "rabble-rousers"whocould no longerbe supported by charges ofalienation and prejudice at the University taxpayer money. He told them they could go back on of Wyoming and the town ofLaramie. This echoed "Negrorelief." Repeatedlyhetoldtheathletesto"shut BlackprotestthroughouttheWAC. Thefacttherewere up" and suggested that ifthey had not come to Wyo- no protests to date did not signify campus life in pre- ming, "they would be out on the streets hustling."37 dominantly White Wyomingwaswithoutproblemsfor Eaton then revoked their scholarships and dismissed Blackathletes. At leastonefootballplayerhad leftthe them from the team. Universitybecausethecoach had pressuredathletesto The calm ofthe Laramie campus vanished as the enroll in easier courses.10 Another player, one ofthe dismissals prompted a battery ofmeetings involving Cowboys' fourteen Black football players, left school the university president, the governor, the trustees, for two years of military service when Coach Eaton Willie Black, and the athletesthemselves.38 The gov- opposed his marriage to a White woman.31 Like other ernor,thetrustees,andthepresident,aftermeetinguntil schools, Wyoming's Blackathletesweretochargethat 2:30 a.m.,allowedthe Blackstoremain in school with White playersoflesserabilitywouldplaybefore more the possibility offinancial aid after the fall semester. talented Black players. In addition. Blacks perceived This action did not please the Black athletes or some they were pressured to play when injured." othercampus groups. Flynn Robinson,aWyomingbasketballplayerwho The Student Senate was the first group to decry later played in the National Basketball Association, the arbitrary dismissals. In a vote of 17-1, it issued a was rumored to have carried a gun to protect himself statement condemning Eaton's actions. Its resolution fromthe"cowboyelement."" One incident,described called for a forum to discuss the rights ofathletes as by writer James Michener in Sports in America, oc- students. The senate also threatened to withhold stu- curred when the brothers of a White female student, dent money from the athletic department. befriended by a Black, tried to organize a "posse" to During the BYU game, pickets marched outside run the offending party out ofLaramie.34 Black play- the stadium and the Black athletes were booed by the ersenduredracial slursaroundthecampus, inLaramie, crowd when they took seats in the student section. and on the football field.35 Whatever grievances the During the game, a large Confederate flag was dis- WyomingBlackshadwerenotpubliclyacknowledged played by a student at the top of the bleacher area. as the team remained unbeaten and bowl-bound. Whiletheunder-mannedCowboyteampounded BYU On Moratorium Day,October 15, 1969,thenewly- 40-7, the crowd chanted cheers for Eaton, confirming formed Black Student Alliance of the University of observers' feelings that Eaton was more popularthan Wyoming, led by Willie Black, a Ph.D. candidate in both President Carlson and GovernorHathaway.39 mathematics, delivered a letter to university officials. As anew week started on campus, there were few The letter referred to the racial policies of the LDS signsthatanythinghadchanged. Sunday'sopenmeet- ChurchandBYU Includedwasasuggestionthatplay- ing of the Faculty Senate had resulted in a watered- . ers and students protest against BYU during the game downcallforanadhoccommitteetoinvestigate.40 Still, scheduled in Laramie on October 18, 1969. Coach many students and faculty attended meetings and be- Eaton warned his Black players separately oftheteam gan petitions supporting the fourteen student-athletes rule regarding such protests. andcallingforareversal ofthedismissals. Thegroups Despite their coach's warning, the Black players disagreeing with the stance of the governor and the metanddecidedtheywantedtodiscusswiththeircoach trustees focused on the issues ofstudents' rights, aca- what they felt to be a matter ofconscience.36 On the demic freedom, the power ofthe athletic department, snowy morning ofOctober 17, 1969, they walked to and free expression. the athletic complex. They were in street clothes and As the student and faculty groups sought to chal- wore black armbands to show Coach Eaton how they lenge the dismissals, the demise ofthe Black athletes WAC might protest. The coach requested that the group be began to garner support around the and around 8