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Everything you ever wanted to know about the State of
Oregon's
past and present sports teams and athletes.
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Oregon Sports Pioneers
from the Golden Age of Sports
In 1926, Robert Robinson (left) and Charles Williams
(right) enrolled at the
University of Oregon and became its first
African American athletes.
Oregon's only Heisman Trophy Winner
In 1962, Terry Baker became Oregon's first and only Heisman Trophy
winner.
The 1920s have been called the Golden Age of Sports by many, and was
without a doubt the beginning of big-time sports in the United States
and the state of oregon. Although the state of Oregon's constitution
had many provisions that discriminated against African Americans, it
did not stop some African Americans from coming to Oregon in search
of opportunity. Robert Simpson Robinson and Charles Arthur Williams
made history in 1926, when they enrolled at the University of Oregon
as student-athletes with the football program. They became the state's
first African American collegiate athletes of record, and Robinson became
possibly the first African American to play quarterback for a major
"white" college.
Robert S. Robinson |
Charles A. Williams |
Prior to Robinson and Williams enrolling at the University of Oregon,
African American college students were very rare and those who did come
where not permitted to reside in University Housing. In 1925, Dr. William
Sherman Savage became the University of Oregon's first African American
graduate when he completed his M.A. degree, and according to Dr. Sherman
he was preceded by another African American student named Mabel Byrd
who worked as a domestic in the home of Dr. Joseph Shaffer. Robinson
and Williams were not the first African Americans at the University
of Oregon, but they were the first widely known full-time African
American students in the school's history.
Robinson was born in Temple, Texas and moved to Portland in 1922 where
he enrolled at Jefferson High School. He was a great success as a multi-sport
athlete excelling in football, basketball, baseball and track.
Bobby Robinson (center) with 1925 Jefferson High
School students
Williams was born in LaGrande, Oregon and went to high school in Pendleton
before attending Lincoln and Washington High Schools in Portland. He
was an exceptional basketball player and football player for Washington
High School in 1925, and was a high school friend and rival of Robinson.
Charles Williams
Even though their was a strong anti-Black Ku Klux Klan presence
in Oregon, both Robinson and Williams became high school sports
stars in Portland, and played before huge crowds at old Multnomah
Stadium (now PGE Park.) During the 1920s, it was common for
the Klan to parade openly and meet with elected officials throughout
the state. Even the University of Oregon had some klansmen who were associated
with the football program, and their were a few students who were active in the Klan. When Robinson and Williams
first attended the University of Oregon they were not allowed to live
in University Housing because of their race and had to stay off campus
in an apartment. During their second year at the school the administration
relented and allowed them to stay in Friendly Hall, but they had to
enter through a separate door made for them, and reside in a separate
part of the building. According to an account given by Williams, they
managed to mix in the dormitory with the other students despite the
segregated layout.
Robinson and Williams were popular with most of their teammates, but
their were some in Eugene who did not want them on the team. Eventually,
community pressure prevented the school from starting Robinson and Williams
in the backfield at the same time during home games. Robinson was a
nifty multi-talented backfield player who played quarterback, halfback,
receiver, defensive back, punter, punt and kick returner. Additionally,
Robinson was an excellent pole vaulter for the Oregon Ducks. Williams
was a tough yardage fullback/halfback and defensive back. Early in their
careers they started many games on offense, but later became second
team players on offense despite their apparent talent. They received
a great deal of positive coverage in the school paper and annual.
In 1928, both Robinson and Williams were an important part of the team's
unprecedented 9 win 2 loss season that led to championships of the Northwest
and Mid-Pacific. It was apparent that some associated with the program
and community did not want them to represent Oregon, but there were
many whites on the team and in the community who supported their participation.
Their were racial slights to be sure, with black face cartoons and other
negative stereotypes in the school paper and annual, but overall Robinson
and Williams were a success on and off the field for the University
of Oregon during a very difficult time in Oregon's social history.
In spite of all the success, tragedy struck Robinson and Williams just
before the final game of their college careers in 1929. Oregon was scheduled
to play the University of Florida in Miami, but the school refused to
play if Robinson or Williams was allowed to play in the game. The University
of Oregon's administration succumbed to the racist pressure and left
Robinson and Williams at home. Because the University of Florida would
not compete against African American athletes, Robinson and Williams
were denied the right to compete in the final game of their college
careers. Friends and supporters of Robinson and Williams were outraged,
but there were many others who went along with the decision. Robinson
completed his collegiate football career on a positive note when he
was named third team Pacific Coast halfback and tied for first in the
conference pole vault championships. After college Robinson had an excellent
career in Canada pole vaulting, and earned his degree in 1935. He eventually
settled in Los Angeles where he became a social activist. Williams married
and raised a family in Portland while working as a warehouseman.
In May, 2003, I approached the University of Oregon with a request for
the school to officially recognize the contribution of Robert S. Robinson
and Charles A. Williams. For a full manuscript
about Robinson and Williams write Herman L. Brame, 5845 N.E. 23rd, Portland,
Oregon 97211.
Herman L. Brame
August 12, 2003
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Oregon's First Heisman Trophy Winner
Terry Baker was born May 5, 1941 at Pine River, Minnesota and spent
most of his youth in northeast Portland where he attended legendary
Jefferson High School with the fabled Renfro brothers and many other
fine athletes. While at Jefferson High School, Baker starred as a quarterback
with the football team, and as a guard with the basketball team. He
was a High School All-American in both sports, and went to Oregon State
University on a basketball scholarship before joining the football team
under coach Tommy Protho his sophomore year and became the starter at
quarterback.
In his final year with the Oregon State Beavers in 1962, he led the
nation in total offense with 2,276 yards, earned consensus All-American
honors and won both the Heisman and Maxwell Trophies as the year's best
college football player. He had an amazing career total of 4,980 yards
running and passing. While at Oregon State he was also a standout on
the basketball team averaging more than 10 points per game from 1961
through 1963, and was a forced enabling the Oregon State basketball
team to earn NCAA tournament appearances in 1961/62 and 1962/63 seasons.
He graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1963.
After college the Los Angeles Rams took him as the first player drafted
in the 1963 NFL draft. Baker played with the Rams for three seasons,
but never could crack the starting lineup, and in 1967 he played briefly
with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He completed
his juris doctorate from the University of Southern California in 1968.
Outside of football he distinguished himself as a lawyer, and had many
honors to him name including serving on the staff of the President's
Commission on Campus Unrest and the Kent State Task Force in 1970. In
1998, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and was elected
to the GTE Academic All-American Hall of Fame in 1991. He has also served
many community organizations in a voluntary capacity. To date Terry
Baker is Oregon's only Heisman Trophy Winner.
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Terry Baker |
Terry Baker's Collegiate Awards (partial list):
Heisman Award and Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player in the Nation)
Sportsman of the Year (Sports Illustrated Magazine)
Helms Foundation Award (Top Athlete in North America)
Player of the Year (AP, UPI, Coach & Athlete Magazine)
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