Letter documenting Penn State vs. Michigan St.

[jiw98]

I'm not sure were the racial overtones came in with this letter. I read it as a bunch of made up schools including the one mentioned in his home town. Muskegon had a junior college at the time which is now Muskegon Community College, but I don't believe there was ever a Muskegon Music College. And maybe I'm wrong and ole S. Dennis was a bigot and did mean it that way, but I think it was trash talk from a fan of a no so good team that beat what was suppose to be a good team.
As for African-American players on a football team, Michigan State had it's first African-American player in 1913. Gideon E. Smith LT, graduated in 1916 with a BS in Agriculture.

Originally Posted by jiw98

I'm not sure were the racial overtones came in with this letter. I read it as a bunch of made up schools including the one mentioned in his home town. Muskegon had a junior college at the time which is now Muskegon Community College, but I don't believe there was ever a Muskegon Music College. And maybe I'm wrong and ole S. Dennis was a bigot and did mean it that way, but I think it was trash talk from a fan of a no so good team that beat what was suppose to be a good team.
As for African-American players on a football team, Michigan State had it's first African-American player in 1913. Gideon E. Smith LT, graduated in 1916 with a BS in Agriculture.

The parties in the correspondence certainly seem familiar with each other, and I don't mean to imply that anyone of them were racists. Only that it was a sad commentary. To say the fictional "Kleaveland Kroger Kollege" doesn't have racial connotations would be ignoring the obvious.

[DBesse27]

That letter is awesome!