In 1880 there were 6 Schwartzwalder families living in New York. But none of these shortcomings stopped Ben Schwartzwalder from plunging head first into the field of battle. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. Floyd Benjamin Ben 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 had many reasons for doing what he did, but he stood up against his own people. Syracuse University Photo & Imaging Collection, University Archives. Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained such future National Football League stars as Jim Brown, as well as the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, Ernie Davis. Over that time he led Syracuse to its only football national title, in 1959. I'm guessing it's after beating WVU to claim the Schwartzwalder Trophy. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". It is where the seeds of the fierce competitor were nurtured and matured. No. But it was changing. 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. Syracuse University Football Collection, University Archives. As a paratrooper with the 82nd, he was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped on D-Day in 1944. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. The coaches? Davis was the team's juggernaut running back, later the first African-American ever to win the Heisman Trophy. Heres a clip from a recent Bob Costas interview talking with Brown about Ernie Davis: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. 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. 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. 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. 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. Jim Brown: I was going to leave because it was almost unbearable. But its also a great drama about how both the athletes and coaches of that era were profoundly transformed by the civil rights movement, which initially had a far greater impact on society than on the football field. Syracuse 8: Tom Smith, Walker, Muhammad, McGill, Lobon, Harrell, Allen, and Godbolt, Spring 1969. This little-known episode of brutality has been documented by the History Channel in a video titled, "Secret Massacre at D-Day". She was 76 years old. 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. Casualties caused the 507th to regroup and reorganize. The Schwartzwalder Trophy was named after former Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, who led the Orange to the 1959 national title. Despite promising to do so, Schwartzwalder failed to follow through. We created a day for minority students coming back together. 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. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben organized his command immediately and a week later brought a bunch of prisoners to the Allied lines. Penn state then killed the clock and Tom Cherry took a deliberate safety with eight seconds to play to preserve the Victory. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award.". On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. 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). 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. I didnt know why people loved their university. While the team will be forever linked to offensive stars like Davis, consensus All-America guard Roger Davis, and fellow All-Americans Fred Mautino and Bob Yates, the defense . 222 Waverly Avenue One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. As a first lieutenant and S-1/adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, 507th PIR, he jumped into Normandy in the same air drop as Coach Ben. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. 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. 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). Ben Schwartzwalder . When the Waffen-SS troops finally overran Graignes, they took out severe revenge on the villagers for having "collaborated with the enemy". 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. 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. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244, Notable Veteran Alumni: Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder. (Courtesy Syracuse University Press) "So he looks me in the eye, and he said, 'Well then, you have a decision to make. 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. Although in his thirties, Ben decided he was going to be a paratrooper. Qualities missing from Davis' portrayal in "The Express," opening Friday. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. Those units were from the 17th Waffen-SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Gotz von Berlichingen". He eventually was able to link up with some 180 other "lost" paratroopers who had been dropped off target. At first, Ben Schwartzwalder was a legend at Syracuse. Thats the reason I recruited Ernie, because he was a great, great player and it was starting to change. 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. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. Here are some excerpts from a 2005 conversation between Fleder and Brown that paved the way for the making of The Express.. He was also a military veteran. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. Biography Lists News Also Viewed. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I don't know what the ratio of prisoners to guards would have been. [continued on next page] Pages: 1 2 3 4 In 1946 he rotated back to the States and was honorably discharged. His report card shows 178 wins, 96 losses and three ties during his 28-year tenure as a head coach (three years at Muhlenberg, 25 at Syracuse). BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Ernie doesnt scream and he doesnt protest, but hes raging inside. He recruited black players not . Ben and Ed trained together and most likely socialized with each other at unit functions and the officers' club. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . "I never expected to see you here to receive this award," said the commander of the 82nd. 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 . Frank Giardina: Sports Legend Dinner, relationships, Ben Schwartzwalder and D-Day. Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. From 1946-48 he coached Muhlenberg (Pa.) College to a 25-5 record before heading to Syracuse to coach the Orangemen. I remember Ben as gruff, but kind. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. Doesn't the story go that when Larry was recruited by all the Big Ten schools and Notre Dame, they only showed him around the football facilities, stadiums and campuses? The media focused on only one request, the hiring of a black assistant coach, ignoring their other grievances. They then approached the Office of the Chancellor. 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. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. Led by College Football Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orange were unranked to start the season, but climbed to No. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. Schwartzwalder, a decorated paratrooper during World War II in the 82nd Airborne Division who was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped at D-Day in 1944, coached the Orange from 1949 through 1973. 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. After the intervention of Syracuse football alumnus Jim Brown, who acted as an intermediary between the coach and the players, a black assistant coach was hired. Soon thereafter, a force of 80 507th paratroopers led by G Company commander, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder, joined the developing battle. No portion of this site may be reproduced or duplicated without the express written permission of Syracuse University. Gary Fleder: You faced the exact same thing. While the regiment was stateside Capt. Syracuse Chancellor John Corbally, prompted by faculty sympathetic to the 8, allowed the players to keep their scholarships and to graduate, which they did. According to an email sent to SU's office of athletics communication and passed along to me, Schwartzwalder served in the same World War II unit and fought together during the D-Day invasion of Normandy with Penn State's Harry Edward Wagner, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate. . 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. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. 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. On the right side of the photograph are several Black team members who boycotted the football program the following spring. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder and the SU football team were having a great season. And that was the first time I ever felt like an alumni. "Sometimes outstanding individuals are never appreciated until they are gone," said Beano Cooke, a former sports information director and now with ABC-TV. 2023 Syracuse University. Fleder admits to being something of a nervous wreck. You should know his story, because it's a Syracuse University story - one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. He didn't starve as a boy growing up but he knew what it was to want. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Youre always having to think of what youre going to say, what youre going to do, where you can go and where you cant. Ben organized and coached the 507th's football team. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. wood stock homemade appx 30 3/4l 2" metal lincoln bust heavy appx 5" politician dewey bust copyright 1899 5" general john j pershing 1917 glass mold. And there was always the female situation -- dont date white girls and you have to play better than anybody else. They wanted me to change positions, all kinds of stuff. Death 28 Apr 1993 (aged 83) . Some white teammates stood in solidarity and threatened to boycott if the black players were not allowed back, but they were overpowered by the alumni who wanted all the black players off the team and their scholarships revoked. With the score Reading 13-6, North Carolina state drove All the Way to the Lions goal but Pound it Over. A nice memory. But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. The 1987 Orangemen electrified a crowd of more than 50,000 up there on their campus while routing these Nittany Lions' ancestors behind Don McPherson & Co. Find high-quality images, photos, and animated GIFS with Bing Images. He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. [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. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. In fact, he didnt even look at the original script. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. I will probably buy this book too. Did you feel the constant pressure or did you acclimate to it? Syracuse passing More than Ever in Ben Schwartzwalder s 19 year career took holy Cross apart 41-7. Carolina a amp to 0 a Murray state 21 Livingston 0 j. C. Smith 15 William amp Mary 7 a West Liberty 20 Virginia military 9 appalachian 0 Austin play 6 Gonso. Schwartzwalder was the head football coach of the Syracuse Orange from 1949 to 1973. The rest is now history. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. Syracuse football was coached at the time by Ben Schwartzwalder, a beloved figure on campus, who led the Orange to. The teammates also say that Brown's portrayal misses Davis' essence. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. Then I played Colgate and had a great game and I just sort of broke the back of that whole discriminatory attitude. Finally, we got the scene where Ernie wants to give his jersey, with No. He was also a military veteran. Ben was just an old fashioned guy who thought you were privileged to play. At West Virginia, he became a first-string center at only 148 pounds. Lots of midgets. Yet forget wins and losses. In 1946, Ben came east and guided Muhlenberg to a 25-5 slate in three years. In 1969 a group of nine student-athletes boycotted Syracuse Universitys football program to demand change and promote racial equality. "When Ed initially reported for duty with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Sep42 at Ft. Benning, Georgia, his company commander was none other than Captain Floyd B. Schwartzwalder, the future head football coach of Syracuse University and eventual gridiron nemesis of Ed Wagner's Nittany Lions. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Ben Schwartzwalder. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. Between 1848 and 1867, the college operated as the Allentown Seminary, the Allentown Collegiate and Military Institute, and the Allentown Collegiate Institute. "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. 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. He was a real comedian too. The war ended and football again became his life. He was the starting center at 152 pounds for the Mountaineers of coach Greasey Neale. The demand for a black coach was prompted by the black players accusations of discriminatory practices by their coach, Floyd Ben Schwartzwalder, and his assistant coaches. He was performing these new duties at the battalion headquarters on 28 June when the command post was struck by a direct artillery hit. You should know his story. You know, white folks could like him, black folks could like him, without really selling out. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. But there was to be a delay. 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. 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 . Ben Schwartzwalder was in a relationship with Ruth Schwartzwalder. The basics. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. 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. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs. Google Image Result for https://d3d4f9a2nwdz4m.cloudfront.net/images/2011/9/28/SchwartzwalderBenonshoulderscolor.jpg, The Penn State game looms down there in Jersey; not so long ago, it delivered Dome delirium. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". 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. After the United States entered World War II, Schwartzwalder joined the U.S. Army and served with the 507th Parachute Infantry of the famed Eighty-second Airborne Division. "He was a real taskmaster. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. Is that in the book? - Ben Schwartzwalder. The Story of the Syracuse 8, The Players Tribune, October 25, 2015, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/syracuse-football-1960s-race-civil-rights; WBUR. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. 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. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 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 was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. He produced 22 straight years of non-losing football, took the Orange to seven bowls, and won the national championship in 1959. 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.