He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. I remember some story like that and Larry committed to SYR because of Ben doing that. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. Floyd Little was raised in poverty in New Haven, Connecticut. A new head coach, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, would take over in 1949. Ed was killed and the acting battalion commander seriously wounded. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. He wanted p The story grew each time it was told. Do you find this information helpful? Youre always having to think of what youre going to say, what youre going to do, where you can go and where you cant. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Death 28 Apr 1993 (aged 83) . He rose to the rank of major and in the process picked up the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, four battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. serving during World War II, Ben Schwartzwalder returned home and began coaching college football; and WHEREAS, In 1949, the couple moved to Syracuse, New York, and Ben Schwartzwalder began his long and distinguished coaching career with the football team at Syracuse University; and In 1969 a group of nine student-athletes boycotted Syracuse Universitys football program to demand change and promote racial equality. Syracuse University Football Collection, University Archives. And according to the emailer, Schwartzwalder and Wagner served together as paratroopers in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. "Miraculously, Ed and the majority of his "lost" group were able to reach the US lines and by 14 June he was reunited with the regiment outside of St. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. He was basically a shy, quiet individual who never got very close to the press or general public. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. The most pivotal character was Company Capt. During the summer, the black players filed a complaint against Syracuse University and the coaching staff with the Syracuse and Onondaga Human Rights Commission. West Virginia University - Monticola Yearbook (Morgantown, WV), Class of 1932, Page 231 of 392 | E-Yearbook.com has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. All WW11. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Ben Schwartzwalder. He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. He recruited black players not . Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. He played center at West Virginia University, despite weighing only 146 pounds, and was an all-campus wrestler in 1930 in the 155-pound weight class. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. The greatest part of Ernie Davis was that he could cross over lines. Hell, the movie's more about him than Ernie. And if you deal with my life, while Im dealing with all these bad people at Syracuse, I got all these good people out there helping [me]. Some white teammates stood in solidarity and threatened to boycott if the black players were not allowed back, but they were overpowered by the alumni who wanted all the black players off the team and their scholarships revoked. In 1946 he rotated back to the States and was honorably discharged. I gave him the transcript of my talk with Jim and based on that, he said, Im in. Hearing Jim talk about the times was all he needed to convince him., Two and a half years later, after Fleder had a completed film -- with Rob Brown playing Davis and Dennis Quaid as Schwartzwalder -- Fleder returned to Browns house with a DVD of the film in his hands. Capt. Finally he called Brown, who lives here in L.A., and set up a meeting. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. Ben was just an old fashioned guy who thought you were privileged to play. [1] He coached high school football for six years in West Virginia a year at Sistersville High School, followed by the Parkersburg High School Big Reds football from 1936 to 1940[1] and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School[1] and won two state championships. That makes it exciting. Quot gosh Quot moaned the hard bitten sex paratrooper Quot All we Are is one deep. Ernie doesnt scream and he doesnt protest, but hes raging inside. He was also a military veteran. wood stock homemade appx 30 3/4l 2" metal lincoln bust heavy appx 5" politician dewey bust copyright 1899 5" general john j pershing 1917 glass mold. When their request was not met, Greg Allen, Richard Bulls, John Godbolt, Robin Griffin (who only boycotted in the spring), Dana D.J. Harrell, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad (then known as Al Newton), and Duane Walker began their boycott of spring football practice. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. I know it well. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. 3 pair military pants 36s 38s 36xs shirt. Ben Schwartzwalder . The coach is also remembered through the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy which, goes to the winner of each game between West Virginia University (where he had played as a college student) and Syracuse University. We created a day for minority students coming back together. "A lot of things in the movie didn't happen at that time at Syracuse but did happen in the country. It is very likely that Lt. Wagner assisted him with this extracurricular athletic program in view of the fact that Ed had been an assistant manager for the Penn State football team in 1939, and as the 3rd Battalion's personnel officer, or S-1, he would have been able to identify unit personnel with football experience and "facilitate" their assignment to "extra duties". Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. As a first lieutenant and S-1/adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, 507th PIR, he jumped into Normandy in the same air drop as Coach Ben. Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). New York had the highest population of Schwartzwalder families in 1880. A call for help went out and in the end it was that man who was to win more games than Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson or Earl Blaik that answered. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. Im just saying you have an opportunity to take that story and do some things thatve never been done. There is so much joy on the faces of the players and Ben. The ROTC building at Penn State is named after Wagner. Ruth Simpson Reggie Schwartzwalder, 100, of Syracuse, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on August 25, 2012, at Crouse Hospital. When the Waffen-SS troops finally overran Graignes, they took out severe revenge on the villagers for having "collaborated with the enemy". The three major forces in the dispute have been the eight black athletes, and their spokesman George Moody, director of King-on-campus School; Chancellor John E. Corbally and the administration; and Coach Schwartzwalder, supported by his coaching staff and football squad. Mountaineer fans are just over . He played key roles in the capture of the La Fire Causeway and Sainte-Mre-glise, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. Syracuse leads the overall record of the series 31-27, however West Virginia has won the trophy 11 times to Syracuse's 7. Just watched Seize and Secure a one hour documentary on PBS about the battle to secure the bridge at La Fire on DDay Capt. Ben gave Syracuse its finest hours in football. They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. By the time he was in college, it was apparent that he wasn't going to weigh much more than 150 and grow taller than 5-9. He thought there was only one way to play football and that was the rough way. The demand for a black coach was prompted by the black players accusations of discriminatory practices by their coach, Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, and his assistant coaches. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. His report card shows 178 wins, 96 losses and three ties during his 28-year tenure as a head coach (three years at Muhlenberg, 25 at Syracuse). He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. !8 holes of golf and Ben never said a word about football. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. JavaScript is disabled. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:55, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. He coached the first African-American to win a Heisman Trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic and win a national championship. Jim Brown: If you deal with the times, you have a pretty gritty story. He also watched Spike Lees documentary, Jim Brown All-American, which offered more insight into the era. This month marks 50 years since the Syracuse 8 began their peaceful protest. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 25-5. BEN SCHWARTZWALDER (1909-93) The game ended and Ben Schwartzwalder walked to the middle of the field, shook hands, exchanged a few words with his opposing coach, then turned and headed toward the dressing room. Jim Brown. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. He coached the 507th PIR football team, leading them through a ten-game season in which the 507th was never defeated and never even scored upon. With the aid of the local French people this small group, isolated behind the German lines, attempted to hold the village of Graignes until the US units moving inland from the invasion beaches could reach their position. If you look at the Underground Railroad, it wasnt just Harriet Tubman, it was all those white people who risked their lives to help these slaves get up north. Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. Ron Womack had been removed from the roster due to an injury, a coaching decision he and his Black teammates viewed with suspicion, but he supported them through the whole boycott and is counted with them. In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. He became a company commander and earned the rank of major. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. Schwartzwalder was also a hero of the D-Day invasion and several other important engagements of World War II. I have to give Jim Brown a ton of credit. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. . You must log in or register to reply here. In the spring of 1970, he arranged for former Syracuse football great Floyd Little 67 to help with spring practice under the guise of an assistant football coach, but the Black athletes were upset to learn it was just for a few days. Cemetery Policies Our goal is to provide and maintain a facility of respect and dignity for the men and women of the military and their families. You should know his story. Frank Giardina: Sports Legend Dinner, relationships, Ben Schwartzwalder and D-Day. Before Kaepernick, The Syracuse 8 Were Blackballed By Pro Football, WBUR Radio, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick. As Dolan approached from the north, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder led more than 40 men of the 507th to the south side of the Manoir, where he was also stopped by machine-gun fire. Former Syracuse head coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (center with his arm around SU's Ger Schwedes, 16) was no stranger to a good fight including this one involving the Orange and Texas. Soon after being drafted No. Ben Schwartzwalder grew up in West Virginia, and developed into a superb athlete (a standout wrestler and football player, both in high school and college). But what was Coach Ben like? The private Ben was a very devoted family man who loved to putter around in his garden or who always had time to stop and give a stray dog a reassuring pat on the head or say hello to a youngster. We might have to change and modify things Jim Brown: You can do a hell of a film if you can understand what it is to be a man in America. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. But there was to be a delay. What made him tick and what made him one of the giants of the game? He was a paratrooper in World War II, rose to the rank of major, and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple . In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report.