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Slam Dunked: The NCAA's Shameful Reaction to Athletic Integration in the Deep South | 
 enlarge | Author: Ron Gomez
Creator: Beryl Shipley
Publisher: Wordclay
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $16.15
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Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 219964
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9 x 5.8 x 0.8
ISBN: 1604811242
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781604811247
ASIN: 1604811242
Publication Date: May 19, 2008
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Product Description
In 1957, a fiery, red-haired basketball coach named Beryl Shipley arrived at what was then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute (later Southwestern Louisiana and now the University of Louisiana - Lafayette). The university had peacefully integrated in 1954 when 114 African-American students were quietly enrolled, but athletics were off limits to minority students for many more years. Shipley wasted little time in turning the basketball program into a powerhouse, winning a slew of Gulf States Conference and later Southland Conference championships. Shipley's Bulldogs -- later known as the Ragin' Cajuns -- proved to be one of the most exciting teams in the country, making the leap from NAIA to NCAA Division I without missing a beat. In 1972, Cajuns' guard Dwight "Bo" Lamar led the nation in scoring. Despite consistently putting out quality basketball teams and endearing himself to the community, Shipley had to contend with an unlikely opponent -- Louisiana segregationists who were hell-bent on curbing athletic integration in Shipley's program. "Slam Dunked" reveals for the first time the questionable procedures and allegations of the NCAA. Newly discovered documents, dating back three decades show the NCAA's actions abetting those of the racially motivated Louisiana State Board of Education and other segregationists who were determined to punish those responsible for integrating athletics in the state. In 1965, Shipley's crew qualified for the NAIA National Collegiate Championship tournament. Because the Louisiana State Board of Education did not permit all-white teams to play integrated teams, Shipley sought and received assurances by the university athletic director that the team would be allowed to compete in the tournament. However, under pressure from the state board, the president ordered the team to cancel its tournament trip. A last-minute student protest at the president's home forced him to buckle, allowing the team to participate in the prestigious, integrated tournamnet. In 1966 a new university president gave Shipley his blessing to recruit African-American players, USL became the first public college in the Deep South to field an integrated athletic team. The state board immediately ruled that scholarship money for black players was unavailable. Shipley organized a community effort to raise scholarship money specifically for the black players, which violated NCAA rules. Within days, the state athletic commissioner alerted the NCAA to recruiting violations, resulting in the program being placed on probation in 1968. In spite of the constant harassment, the Cajuns became the cinderella team of college basketball, breaking into the top ten rankings and recording wins over such powerhouses as Houston University, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Long Beach State, Texas-El Paso and Marshall. In 1972, the NCAA again introduced recruiting allegations against Shipley's program. With neither the university nor Southland Conference officials willing to defend against the charges, the Ragin' Cajuns were given the so-colled "death penalty" in 1973, not being allowed to field a basketball team for two years.
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| Customer Reviews:
A slamming read August 17, 2008
This is an eye opening account of what the NCAA and universities within Louisiana did to try and stop segregation of college athletics (specifically basketball) in the 1960's and 1970's. Explains what the coaches and players from the University od Southwestern LA (USL), now University of Louisiana-Lafaytte, were put through during the time of the investigations
A Legend on Hardwood August 7, 2008
Buy this book and own a timeless portrait of a legend.
There was Lombardi in icy Lambeua Field, Auerbach in the Garden in Boston, Stengel pacing the dugout in pinstripes, the man with the houndstooth hat on the sidelines in Tuscaloosa and other legendary coaches.
None were greater men, greater coaches or better leaders of men than Coach Beryl Shipley at The University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette.
Had Shipley coached in a media center like Boston or New York, or headed a marquee program like Alabama football, he would have come alive in major daily sports pages the way he dominates the pages of this book - - his legend would have been established long ago.
One has the sense the if Beryl Shipley had been in the military, he would have refused any commission that would have taken him from his men on the battlefield.
His greatness looms large in this text, larger than the legends referenced above for his actions in intergrating a college basketball program in the deep south evidenced uncommon courage.
The exhaustively documented text details the pervasive racism that surrounded Shipley both in his own university and in the state athletic commission. Worse yet, were the incompetent, overzealous actions of the NCAA that brought about the death of Shipley's program, his dream, and the dreams of deserving young men, members of his team.
But there were those times . . . all those times when Shipley led his integrated charges onto the hardwood . . . at home in a cow palace packed to the rafters . . . on the road before angry jeering crowds . . . and into the highest echelons of the sport in NCAA playoff games played in far away venues.
Ron Gomez, the author, not only has known Shipley well since the coach's first day on the job, but he was also a close witness to the things he reports in this book. Though he was close, he manages to present an objective view of the debacle and a restrained view of this great man who is his friend.
It is all interesting reading, but the portrait of Coach Beryl Shipley is riveting for he is a man who was right and was punished for being right, yet maintained his personal dignity throughout.
You get the feeling that the Coach might have cussed some in private, but in public he remained composed, kept his head when those all around him were losing theirs.
Every great man deserves to have the record set straight, deserves a monument to himself, and in these pages both of those things are accomplished for Coach Shipley.
At times in reading this, you wish you had been a few inches taller, possessed more athletic skills, and had been fortunate enough to have your life touched by this great man.
Ray Mouton
He made history July 1, 2008
I was a student at USL during the time the events in this book took place. Beryl Shipley was bigger than life then, and he's even bigger now. He made significant and positive history with respect to integrating sports in Louisiana. This book exposes the sham of back-room Louisiana politics and the pathetic actions of the NCAA and the University at that time in its history. Shipley deserves more recognition than he's received. Maybe this book will begin to show how much the man accomplished and how little the University deserved such a man. The NAACP should take a look at the events of this book and seriously consider honoring Beryl Shipley. We all knew he was a great coach, but few knew the battles he was fighting off the court with the University administration and Louisiana politicians. College sports fans need to read this book.
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