Well, I remember it! I was a 12-year-old student at Simpsonville Elementary, and now I'm a writer researching a book on the first black basketball teams to play in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd love to hear your memories of teams like Dunbar, Hopkinsville Attucks, Covington Grant, Louisville Central and those early teams who made the transition during desegregation. Join me!

Well, I remember it! I was a 12-year-old student at Simpsonville Elementary, and now I'm a writer researching a book on the first black basketball teams to play in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd love to hear your memories of teams like Dunbar, Hopkinsville Attucks, Covington Grant, Louisville Central and those early teams who made the transition during desegregation. Join me!

 

 

Never heard of the Lincoln Institute but sounds interesting.

Well, I remember it! I was a 12-year-old student at Simpsonville Elementary, and now I'm a writer researching a book on the first black basketball teams to play in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd love to hear your memories of teams like Dunbar, Hopkinsville Attucks, Covington Grant, Louisville Central and those early teams who made the transition during desegregation. Join me!

 

No. I'm old, but not old enough to have used chisels and stone tablets in penmanship class.

 

Welcome to the site!:thumb:

Well, I remember it! I was a 12-year-old student at Simpsonville Elementary, and now I'm a writer researching a book on the first black basketball teams to play in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd love to hear your memories of teams like Dunbar, Hopkinsville Attucks, Covington Grant, Louisville Central and those early teams who made the transition during desegregation. Join me!

 

Welcome to the site JWMilz. Great topic and would love to hear more about some of these teams. I'm a little familiar with the Tom Thacker led Covington Grant squads since I'm a NKY resident. Tom Thacker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Tom Thacker trivia....... He is the only player to have played on an NCAA championship team, an ABA championship team, and an NBA championship team.

 

BTW I wasn't even a thought in 1960. :lol2:

Sounds like a great topic, definitely one I am interested in!

 

I'm no where near being old enough to remember Lincoln Institute, but living in Shelby County, I am familiar with it. It was located just west of Simpsonville along US 60 in between Simpsonville and the Jefferson County line. It now houses the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center.

 

Here are a few links for more info on Lincoln Institute for those that are not familiar with it.

 

Lincoln Institute (Kentucky) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Lincoln Institute Alumni Website - HOME

Well, I remember it! I was a 12-year-old student at Simpsonville Elementary, and now I'm a writer researching a book on the first black basketball teams to play in the Sweet Sixteen. I'd love to hear your memories of teams like Dunbar, Hopkinsville Attucks, Covington Grant, Louisville Central and those early teams who made the transition during desegregation. Join me!

 

The late Louis Stout did a book several years ago chronicling the history of Kentucky's pre-desegregation all-black schools in athletics. I've read some passages of it, but haven't been able to put my hands on the actual book. Would be a great starting place to help with your research.

Sounds like a great topic, definitely one I am interested in!

 

I'm no where near being old enough to remember Lincoln Institute, but living in Shelby County, I am familiar with it. It was located just west of Simpsonville along US 60 in between Simpsonville and the Jefferson County line. It now houses the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center.

 

Here are a few links for more info on Lincoln Institute for those that are not familiar with it.

 

Lincoln Institute (Kentucky) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Lincoln Institute Alumni Website - HOME

 

Interesting read, thanks for posting. :thumb:

Lincoln Institute has a great history, with its start at Berea and eventually ending up in Simpsonville.

 

And what a great topic for a book. Lewis Stout's book about the schools that made up the Kentucky High School Athletic League is fascinating; those schools' integration into the KHSAA and their eventual demise (in most cases) would be a welcome addition to books about Kentucky high school basketball.

Lincoln Institute was also runner up to Gallatin County and Jock Sutherland in 1959, the Wildcats only regional title.

Hey JW, we have corresponded. The mention of Louis Stout brought back some memories. Was a member of the all state tournament team in 1958 from Cynthiana High School. He was a commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association; and in 2006, he wrote a book called "Shadows of the Past"...about the old KHSAL (Kentucky High School Athletic League) and its teams from 1932-1957. That, and perhaps other of his writings, would be at the Eastern Kentucky University library in a special section regarding the old black high schools, their teams and coaches.

 

KHSAA State tournament selections from all black schools included:

Julius Berry of Lexington Dunbar in '58 and '59

Tom Thacker, Covington Grant, 1959

Walter Gee, Hopkinsville Attucks, 1960

Henry Davis & Austin Dumas, Lexington Dunbar 1961

James Smith & George Wilson, Lexington Dunbar 1963

Dwight Smith, Princeton Dotson, 1963

George Wilson, Dunbar, again in 1964

George Stone, Covington Grant, 1964

James Bryant, Louisville Central, 1965

Robert Washington, Lexington Dunbar, 1965

 

I'm not sure this is an exhaustive list, but it's the best I could cull from my files.