American College or university Finally Remembers Dickie Wells

The newest later Richard “Dickie” Wells would be in the end inducted toward school’s baseball hall off fame. Fifty-half dozen in years past he was good trailblazer and you can master towards basketball legal. The college is located in the newest far northwest corridor away from Washington, DC, at the intersection away from Nebraska and Massachusetts Streams NW.

It was the past outpost regarding advanced schooling about Nation’s Capitol. Westmoreland Network was times out of the Maryland suburbs that could force you to all of the issues southern.

When students/athlete discussed going out of county to attend college he possess with ease been talking about American College!

Benning Highway is minutes away from Kenilworth Method. So it path contributed that the latest Baltimore/Arizona Parkway causing you to all factors northern (New york, etc).

He had been a pretty much all-doing athlete within Spingarn High school in which he had been a beginner and you may star toward activities and you may basketball teams.

Within the baseball he had been a great tenacious rebounder and defender, predicated on their teammate Andrew Johnson exactly who was born in this new same community.

Andrew in addition to remembers almost every other qualities and attributes you to definitely made Dickie the fresh new most useful applicant having his pioneering part within Western College or university, the guy told you, “He was unselfish and you can coachable!” Dickie manage tend to need more youthful guys significantly less than his side that assist him or her improve their sports knowledge.

I remember I happened to be among those more youthful professional athletes whom benefited from Dickie’s unselfish choices. As i come to Spingarn I happened to be browsing heck when you look at the a race in which he became my personal advisor.

Dickie is actually a beginner into 1956 Spingarn sports group you to defeat brand new legendary QB Willie Timber and his Armstrong teammates thirteen-7 so you’re able to earn new Eastern Division Title. The profit generated Spingarn the right to see Cardozo HS to own brand new DC Personal High-school Championship.

Spingarn tied the Clerks 0-0 however, Cardozo is approved brand new title to your a little made use of rather than observed before link breaker system called Penetration. The newest rule stated the brand new winner within the a fastened game is the people one to crosses others team’s fifty grass more frequently-champion Cardozo.

This new burning real question is exactly how performed Dickie Wells look for his way onto a campus on the reverse side the metropolis using simply public transportation (bus)? It was a two and a half hours ride per way going and you may arriving at the brand new school’s university and you will back home.

Enter, Western School Mentor Dave Carasco. He may possess effortlessly starred a respected part regarding the Sidney Poitier motion picture vintage “Assume That is Visiting Dinner!”

Evidently, Coach Carasco ended up being viewing Dickie’s exploits because a great DC Societal Senior high school athlete and you will after graduation the guy found his cure for their household for the Oklahoma Avenue, NE. Dickie existed actually across the street out of Spingarn.

Whenever Dickie graduated out of Spingarn it had been still a duration of “Civil Uncertainty” remembers his big brother Ed Wells, a ball legend within his very own proper. He had been a celebrity player in the Armstrong and you will North carolina A great T in the Greensboro, North carolina.

It had been just a couple of age (1954) removed from Brown vs Panel out of Knowledge decision one to outlawed segregation from the personal colleges in the us.

Dickie’s teammate the latest later Spotswood Bolling are the lead plaintiff getting the fresh DC Public school program it had been Bolling versus DC Board out of Training.

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Government Ed recalls you to definitely the their class mates during the Northern Carolina A beneficial T was in fact carrying meetings to go over the possibility of this new today historic “Sit-ins” on dinner stop of downtown Kreslers Five Dime-store inside Greensboro.

He sat from the Wells’ dining room table and you will spoke passionately regarding his attention off a beneficial racially provided basketball system in the Western University. After multiple house check outs and deep-fried poultry snacks he had been able in order to persuade Mrs. Wells one Dickie is actually just the right son to become listed on him inside the their trip.