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. The coaches? He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . I didnt know why people gave them money -- I didnt know any of that. But there was to be a delay. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. In 1969 a group of nine student-athletes boycotted Syracuse Universitys football program to demand change and promote racial equality. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). During the West Virginia fracas, Davis snaps at his coach: "Maybe, just maybe, the rules down here are your rules too. After returning home, Schwartzwalder began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College, where he went 25-5. Significance: The Ben . He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178963 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated with an 110 record. 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. 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. Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. While the regiment was stateside Capt. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, and a Presidential Unit citation. 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. The most Schwartzwalder families were found in USA in 1920. Davis was the team's juggernaut running back, later the first African-American ever to win the Heisman Trophy. What made him tick and what made him one of the giants of the game? They basically tried to take all my self-esteem away. He would lead the program for more than 20 years, a period that would reach its crescendo with a national championship, in 1959. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 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.". But it was changing. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. You should know his story, because its a Syracuse University story one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy . "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. Ben died in 1993 at the age of 84.. He would then later imply he was joking or being sarcastic at the time these promises were made. I remember all I was thinking was, Great, hes not gonna kill me. After it was over, Jim said, You got it right. That was the best compliment a filmmaker could ask for. Syracuse, New York 13244 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. [continued on next page] Pages: 1 2 3 4 He gave me a way in to tell this story. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. Reggie was the widow of legendary Syracuse University head football coach Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, who died in 1993. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. When Ben recruited Larry, he did all that and also drove Larry out to the beautiful Central NY countryside and showed him where he could hunt and fish. Courtesy Syracuse Library Special Collections (Syracuse 8 Collection, John Lobon Box 1), African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Racial Conflict - Segregation/Integration, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/syracuse-football-1960s-race-civil-rights, https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/11/17/syracuse-8-football-boycott-kaepernick, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. 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. He organized an athletic league from among the soldiers being assembled in England in preparation for D-Day in order to keep the troops motivated and fit. Ben Schwartzwalder . By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. Corbally and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Carleton met with the boycotting players that spring and committed to hiring a Black assistant football coach before fall practice. Quick Facts. For his actions during the invasion, Ben was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and was promoted to the rank of Major. [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. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. I know it well. Very similar to Ronald Spiers story in episode 2 of that series when he supposedly gave a handful of German soldiers a cigarette and then executed all but one. In fact, he didnt even look at the original script. 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. Jim told me something really amazing that put things in perspective. And according to the emailer, Schwartzwalder and Wagner served together as paratroopers in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Ben organized and coached the 507th's football team. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. Scoop: Fans want The Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy to be awarded to the winner of the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which features old Big East rivals Syracuse and West Virginia. After being labeled black dissidents, the Syracuse 8 were suspended from the team. Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. (2017, November 17). This remains Syracuse's only national football title in football to date. The student-athletes stated they would not return until the University hired a Black coach and addressed racial discrimination in starting assignments, the use of racist language by the coaching staff, racial disparities in disciplinary action, lack of academic support, and substandard medical care for all players. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". His primary recommendation for every injury was ice and rest. Then I played Colgate and had a great game and I just sort of broke the back of that whole discriminatory attitude. 20072023 Blackpast.org. 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 library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. 222 Waverly Avenue Chancellor John Corbally Records, University Archives. He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. 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. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. "I have a strange feeling that in the years to come, officials, alumni and fans might finally realize what a tremendous asset Ben was. 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. Truth is sometimes rearranged in screen biographies, when facts aren't dramatic enough for the filmmaker's vision. Their demand was based on their awareness of how their academic potential exceeded the universitys expectations. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield. 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. Quaid, who plays legendary Syracuse University coach Ben Schwartzwalder, described his character as "a hard-nosed, tough guy who stormed the beaches at Normandy. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black. Fleder admits to being something of a nervous wreck. Davis, 23, died the next month in a Cleveland hospital. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield, his wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. This was about 67% of all the recorded Schwartzwalder's in USA. 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. 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. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black athletes to openly defy American racism. You know, the funny thing about cinema is, usually when they do a story that has African Americans in it, there always has to be a white guy whos the savior. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. It doesnt break down in gender. 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. Soon thereafter, a force of 80 507th paratroopers led by G Company commander, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder, joined the developing battle. 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 . 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. He said, You have to realize, in the civil rights movement, there had to be radicals and peacemakers, radicals like Malcolm X and peacemakers like Martin Luther King. Born the second daughter to Floyd ("Ben") and We created a day for minority students coming back together. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . 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. December 23, 2014 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. Between 1848 and 1867, the college operated as the Allentown Seminary, the Allentown Collegiate and Military Institute, and the Allentown Collegiate Institute. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. Mary ScofieldMary Scofield (born Mary Schwartzwalder) passed away on December 7, 2017 after battling ovarian cancer for three years. Fleder didnt simply want Browns take on Davis; he wanted to hear what the former football star thought of Ben Schwartzwalder, the legendary Syracuse coach who wasnt so enthralled by the civil rights fervor that was starting to sweep the nation. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. Schwartzwalder was a West Virginia graduate. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. 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 . You must log in or register to reply here. Schwartzwalder 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. 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. Ben gave Syracuse its finest hours in football. January 25, 2010 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. In the spring of 1970, he arranged for former Syracuse football great Floyd . In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. I remember Ben as gruff, but kind. 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. During the D-Day invasion in 1944, Schwartzwalder parachuted into Normandy and was wounded. 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. Ben Schwartzwalder AKA Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder Born: 2-Jun - 1909 Birthplace: Point Pleasant, WV Died: 28-Apr - 1993 Location of death: St. Petersburg, FL Cause of death: Heart Failure Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Football Nationality: United States One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. You should know his story. In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. 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. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. "Ernie knew everybody's name and went out of his way to say hello. Today Ed is buried with many of his fallen comrades from the 507th PIR in the beautiful US Military Cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids.
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