Ben always refused to pick a favorite team or make comparisons. Ben Schwartzwalder Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death So the story is like you said -- its a big story and a small story. Jim Brown: The other star of "The Express" - Los Angeles Times 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. george w bush medal, us defense savings. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): But for the guards to be enough men to make a difference in a pitched battle, there must have been a lot of German prisoners for Badass Ben to mow down - if that actually happened. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. He was performing these new duties at the battalion headquarters on 28 June when the command post was struck by a direct artillery hit. Sc The Orange had won but nine games in four years and everyone was unhappy. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne (CO of Company G of the 507th), Schwartzwalder earned distinction during the invasion of Normandy and battles that followed in the last days of the war. 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). Walk Where They Fought: La Fire, 82d Airborne Division, D-Day 1944 | Armchair General Magazine - We Put YOU in Command! Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. West Virginia and Syracuse might have a sordid past as Big East rivals, but you'd never know it by what's not at stake in this month's upcoming Camping World Bowl. After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. Ben Schwartzwalder Papers An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder Birth 2 Jun 1909. Cemetery staff is on duty Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Ben Schwartzwalder. 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. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. But none of these shortcomings stopped Ben Schwartzwalder from plunging head first into the field of battle. 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 when he started talking about his own experiences, especially his conflicts with Schwartzwalder and how he was told he couldnt date white girls, I started to see a lot more drama there. Inductee | Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder 1982 | College Football Hall !8 holes of golf and Ben never said a word about football. The rest is now history. His primary recommendation for every injury was ice and rest. 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. And then people, the fans, used to always call for me. It doesnt break down in gender. In the spring of 1970, he arranged for former Syracuse football great Floyd . It's a scene included in tonight's world premier of "The Express" at the Landmark Theatre. He brought the school it's one and only national championship and undefeated season in 1959, but as his career progressed, it seemed to produce more and more cracks in a once so respected man. Schwartzwalder had a famous Penn State teammate in Normandy - syracuse The priest, his friar and two elderly women who had been caring for the wounded in the local church, a structure dating back to the 12th Century, were summarily shot, and the village then set aflame. The most pivotal character was Company Capt. One other thought on that. Search and browse yearbooks online! They cited instances of unfair treatment, ranging from differences in disciplinary action to the coaching staffs intolerance of their civil rights activism elsewhere on campus. 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. Notable Veteran Alumni: Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder Ben Schwartzwalder College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. Celebrating the 1959 SU football team | WSYR 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. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben, a Captain in Company G of the 507th, organized his men, established command, and a week later delivered a large group of prisoners to the Allied lines. He recruited black players not . He was a paratrooper in World War II, leaving the serv ice as a . 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 and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School and won two state championships. Several units were simultaneously converging on the same objective in a piecemeal, uncoordinated manner. December 23, 2014 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Ben Schwartzwalder Dies at 83; Revitalized Football at Syracuse Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. He wore street clothes at the alumni game, serving as an honorary coach. 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 Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. But there was to be a delay. 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. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. Honoring Black History: Point Pleasant's Ben Schwartzwalder After associate coaches ignored the players request to hire a black assistant for a year, one of the Syracuse 8, Greg Allen, met with head coach Schwartzwalder in spring 1969. You know, white folks could like him, black folks could like him, without really selling out. Played golf in an SU golf outing at Drrumliuns years back with Ben and an offensive lineman on the championship team (Yeager??). "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). 44 on it, back to Ben Schwartzwalder, saying Im not Jim Brown. And Ben says to him, God I hope not and God I hope so. And Jim started laughing out loud, watching that, and I finally relaxed. Today in History: Syracuse University Football Legend, Floyd "Ben Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. Jim told me something really amazing that put things in perspective. 1 after winning their first seven games. When he refused their request, they walked out of spring practice and leaked their act of resistance to the media. Schwartzwalder was a West Virginia graduate. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. map this locationGoogle map location That makes it exciting. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. He developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen - Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. In 1946 he rotated back to the States and was honorably discharged. It may not display this or other websites correctly. St Louis Sporting News Archives, Oct 7, 1967, p. 58 Both sites mention that in addition to the Silver Star, Major Ben was also awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, the latter indicating a combat wound.". Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. In fact, I never knew what being an alumnus was. Wiping Systems Market Is Likely To Boost In Upcoming Years Ben Schwartzwalder. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Schwartzwalder, Floyd Burdette ("Ben") - Encyclopedia.com He had the same burning drive in 1973 as he did as a rookie coach back in West Virginia in 1933. Popularized erroneously in 1970 by the media as the Syracuse 8, the nine students behind the boycott were Gregory Allen, Richard Bulls, Dana Harrell, John Godbolt, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad, Duane Walker, and Ron Womack. He also was a hero of World War II. Truth is sometimes rearranged in screen biographies, when facts aren't dramatic enough for the filmmaker's vision. Schwartzwalder is portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, a biographical film about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. Collapse. And then we played Illinois, and I had to play. I remember some story like that and Larry committed to SYR because of Ben doing that. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. She was 76 years old. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. Cemeteries & Memorials Onondaga County Parks I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. 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. I know it well. You must log in or register to reply here. Burials may be scheduled by calling the cemetery staff at (315) 484-1564. He was a real comedian too. Syracuse 8: Tom Smith, Walker, Muhammad, McGill, Lobon, Harrell, Allen, and Godbolt, Spring 1969. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. Coach Schwartzwalder's Decision A Black assistant football coach, Carlmon Jones, was finally hired in the summer of 1970, but neither the administration nor the football coaching staff took any other steps to address the boycotting athletes' other grievances. All rights reserved (About Us). Ben Schwartzwalder, a pre-war high school coach in West Virginia who served as a major with the army paratroopers during the war, returned home and took over the program as its new coach. He also developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. This was about 67% of all the recorded Schwartzwalder's in USA. His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. Ernest R Davis Essay Papers - 1117 Words | Internet Public Library 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. Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. I have to give Jim Brown a ton of credit. Camping World Bowl Game Will Not Feature Schwartzwalder Trophy The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. 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 University Football Collection, University Archives. Gary Fleder: You faced the exact same thing. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. 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. Ruth Simpson Reggie Schwartzwalder, 100, of Syracuse, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on August 25, 2012, at Crouse Hospital. Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder (1909-1993) During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Ben Schwartzwalder College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards | College Football at Sports-Reference.com Ben Schwartzwalder Career Record: 25 Years, 153-91-3, .626 Win% (at major schools) Bowl Record: 7 Games, 2-5, .286 Win% (at major schools) College Football Coaches Ben Schwartzwalder Overview More Other SR Sites 1/11/2013. 20072023 Blackpast.org. He was the starting center at 152 pounds for the Mountaineers of coach Greasey Neale. Then I played Colgate and had a great game and I just sort of broke the back of that whole discriminatory attitude. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. In 1941, he was coach of Canton McKinley High School in Ohio when, even though he was in his 30s, he commissioned in the US Army and fought in World War II. 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. "A lot of things in the movie didn't happen at that time at Syracuse but did happen in the country. On April 17, 1970, Black members of the football team sent Chancellor John Corbally a letter asking that he address their grievances within two days. 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". But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. When the Waffen-SS troops finally overran Graignes, they took out severe revenge on the villagers for having "collaborated with the enemy". Here are some excerpts from a 2005 conversation between Fleder and Brown that paved the way for the making of The Express.. 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. Teammates say 'Express' fumbles the facts - Chicago Tribune Soon after being drafted No. The student-athletes four demands were access to the same academic tutoring as their white teammates; better medical care for all team members; starting assignments based on merit; and racially integrating the coaching staff, which had been all white since 1898. He would then later imply he was joking or being sarcastic at the time these promises were made. You should know his story. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. 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. He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. 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. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. He was a paratrooper in World War II, rose to the rank of major, and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple . Syracuse, West Virginia Fans Create Petition For The Ben Schwartzwalder I will probably buy this book too. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, West Virginia Mountaineers football players, High school football coaches in the United States, United States Army personnel of World War II, People from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Players of American football from West Virginia, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. Quick Facts. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. World War II: Capturing the La Fiere Causeway - HistoryNet Orange Watch: Syracuse should add two more to Ring of Honor Ben was clearly on his way to the top. 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. . Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben, a Captain in Company G of the 507th, organized his men, established command, and a week later delivered a large group of prisoners to the Allied lines. He was also a military veteran. Schwartzwalder is portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, a biography about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The year was 1959. Its a great history lesson, offering kids a look at the real-life exploits of Ernie Davis, the trail-blazing Syracuse University running back who in 1961 became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. The school? The student-athletes also repeatedly requested that head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder hire a Black assistant coach, with whom they felt they could talk more easily about problems relating to race. Ben Schwartzwalder, Head Coach 1949-73 - Syracuse University Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It doesnt break down in color. Ernie Davis becomes first Black to win Heisman Trophy While the regiment was stateside Capt. He was captain of the football team in 1933. Damn right. A new head coach, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, would take over in 1949. But what was Coach Ben like? Before the summer of 1970, Coach Schwartzwalder agreed but failed to hire a Black assistant coach more than once. Davis' accomplishments and abbreviated life inspire the new movie, which Easterly saw at an Orangemen reunion recently. Jim Brown: I was going to leave because it was almost unbearable. 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. Soon thereafter, a force of 80 507th paratroopers led by G Company commander, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder, joined the developing battle. Floyd Little was raised in poverty in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The coaches? I think a couple of guys got hurt and they put me on defense. He wanted p Cutting black players from the list of team members mak ing trips. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Schwartzwalder, 61 years old, has been head coach since 1949. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. Davis still had no idea where he was going to attend, but what sealed the deal with Syracuse was when Jim Brown the former Syracuse . Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. 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. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. Chuck Leavitt did a great page-one rewrite of the script. One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. All WW11. 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. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". 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. During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. Sta Znaci TOP THEMSELVES na Hrvatskom - Hrvatski Prijevod Ben organized and coached the 507th's football team. He later joined teammate Patrick Whelan, 71, of Safety Harbor, at a Tampa screening. I didnt know why people gave them money -- I didnt know any of that. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. January 25, 2010 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. He thought there was only one way to play football and that was the rough way. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. "Ed Wagner, Class of '41, is the namesake of the ROTC Building at Penn State. 222 Waverly Avenue Coach Ben Schwartzwalder and the SU football team were having a great season. So if you take a story like Ernies, you can show that, for the first time somebody can show what it is to be an American and the subtleties of carrying that burden. By 1941, he had earned a name for himself and was offered the head coaching job at Canton McKinley High School in Ohio, one of the top jobs in the Midwest. Syracuse passing More than Ever in Ben Schwartzwalder s 19 year career took holy Cross apart 41-7. "Unfortunately, little else is known about Coach Schwartzwalder's rather outstanding military service in World War II. Bemiller was quite literally at the center of Buffalo's American Football League back-to-back championship teams. The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. During the West Virginia fracas, Davis snaps at his coach: "Maybe, just maybe, the rules down here are your rules too. By the end of the war Ben had been promoted to major and during the post-war period of occupation served as the military mayor of Essen, Germany. And enthusiasm!! You see, if Ernie didnt perform, all that nice [stuff] wouldnt have been about nothing. Yet forget wins and losses.