ben schwartzwalder military
Ben Schwartzwalder began his football career as a 95-pound high school freshman quarterback. Walk Where They Fought: La Fire, 82d Airborne Division, D-Day 1944 | Armchair General Magazine - We Put YOU in Command! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . An endearing photo is one from 90s I believe when Cuse players have Ben raised on their shoulders after a win. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Born the second daughter to Floyd ("Ben") and Ben Schwartzwalder - NNDB He was also a military veteran. 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. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. 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. 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. Years after Davis' death, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder called him "the best kid I ever had anything to do with." "Ernie was just like a puppy dog, friendly and warm and kind," he told. Jim was skeptical, Fleder recalls. Ben Schwartzwalder - Wikipedia Syracuse, New York 13244 Because in my experience, I just wanted to get out of there and get moving. He coached high schools in West Virginia and Ohio 1933-41. 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. The team he was coaching at the time was his favorite simply because of his great love of coaching. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Hon. Mordue Obituary (1942 - 2022) - Syracuse, NY - Syracuse Post Standard 5 in our series looking at the coaches and players who have made the biggest impact in Syracuse University sports. 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. Enjoyed the story, I am sure Czonka repeated what he heard. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. Floyd Burdette "Ben" Schwartzwalder (1909-1993) - Find a Grave Ernie doesnt scream and he doesnt protest, but hes raging inside. It's everyone's fight, even if it's not specifically your story Bad-ass Ben | Syracusefan.com Time Machine: Eight Black athletes off football team 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. 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 After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. 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. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. Ben died in 1993 at the age of 84.. Schwartzwalder Trophy not in play - Big 12 Blog- ESPN Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. Parkersburg. Schwartzwalder was also a hero of the D-Day invasion and several other important engagements of World War II. "Nor would Ben ever talk to Ernie like that.". 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. 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. By any definition, during the war Ben distinguished himself in service to the nation, and to his men. Items For Sale At Auction - Online Auction Sunday Jan 29th 9am Military BEN SCHWARTZWALDER (1909-93) - Syracuse University Athletics As a paratrooper with the 82nd, he was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped on D-Day in 1944. (2017, November 17). Ben Schwartzwalder, Head Coach 1949-73 - Syracuse University I just want to know -- what did you feel on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis? 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 Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. Oct 8, 2008 Dennis Quaid has played both a baseball and football star on the big screen but never a coach. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Presidential Unit Citation. ". During the war, Schwartzwalder was a military hero, a paratrooper, part of the D-Day invasion in June 1944 fighting behind enemy lines. Ben Schwartzwalder - Wikipedia You find it where you find it. The Mules played in the 1946 Tobacco Bowl - The Morning Call But you needed both of us to make real changes. , Fleder shakes his head. Ben Schwartzwalder. "Sometimes outstanding individuals are never appreciated until they are gone," said Beano Cooke, a former sports information director and now with ABC-TV. Search and browse yearbooks online! Intro: American football player and coach: Was: Sports coach American football player: From: United States of America: Field: Sports: Gender: male: Birth: 2 June 1909: Death: 28 April 1993 (aged 83 years) Soon after being drafted No. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. 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. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. After holding off the vastly superior German forc es for four days, the senior officer in command ordered the paratroopers to withdraw under the cover of darkness and attempt to reach Allied lines by exfilling in small bands through the flooded marshes and swollen streams. However, that coach often sat in the back of the room and was not listed on the coaching roster. He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. This is where that appetite of desire was whetted and the burning determination to succeed was honed. One other thought on that. Do you find this information helpful? Ben Schwartzwalder. 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 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. 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. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Cemeteries & Memorials Onondaga County Parks 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. 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 doing the best we can do with the job we have, wherever it is, we can serve our nation in its greatest task.". Brown portrays Davis as an intense, shy person moved to anger when Schwartzwalder deflects any discriminatory acts. But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? He gave me a way in to tell this story. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. 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. Dennis Quaid says 'The Express: The Ernie Davis Story' speaks to 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. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder and the SU football team were having a great season. Muhlenberg College - Wikipedia Jim Brown. The players believed that many of these issues could be remedied by hiring a black coach. 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. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Beginnings of the Boycott - Syracuse 8 Davis, 23, died the next month in a Cleveland hospital. He recruited black players not . Syracuse University Photo & Imaging Collection, University Archives. No. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. Celebrating the 1959 SU football team | WSYR Coach Ben Schwartzwalder had no interest in acknowledging race and how racism affects the experience of black athletes. 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. Starting in the fall of 1968, Black football players at Syracuse University expressed concerns about racial discrimination within the football program. Fleder admits to being something of a nervous wreck. Both taught and Ben began coaching in his home state. 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. What did Jim Brown say that made such a difference? 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. However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. Schwartzwalder had a famous Penn State teammate in Normandy - syracuse NY Senate Resolution | NY State Senate New York had the highest population of Schwartzwalder families in 1880. Biography Edit Early life and career Edit. Ed was killed and the acting battalion commander seriously wounded. This was about 67% of all the recorded Schwartzwalder's in USA. Sta Znaci TOP THEMSELVES na Hrvatskom - Hrvatski Prijevod Inductee | Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder 1982 | College Football Hall Syracuse passing More than Ever in Ben Schwartzwalder s 19 year career took holy Cross apart 41-7. 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. 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. 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. 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. This little-known episode of brutality has been documented by the History Channel in a video titled, "Secret Massacre at D-Day". You see, if Ernie didnt perform, all that nice [stuff] wouldnt have been about nothing. January 25, 2010 Floyd Benjamin "Ben" Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. By Frank Giardina For the Gazette-Mail; Jun 10, 2017 Jun 10, 2017 Updated Nov 21, 2017; Comments; In 1973, Schwartzwalder retired from coaching and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. 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. 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. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. Jim Brown: I was going to leave because it was almost unbearable. Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (Ben was a childhood nickname) had a major impact on the Syracuse University football program during his 25 years as head coach including winning a national championship in 1959. As head coach from 1949-73, he mounted an impressive 153-91-3 record there. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. Its also a genuine comeback for Fleder, who hasnt made a feature in five years (hes been directing TV pilots), and he finally seems poised to recapture the promise of his early career work on such films as Things To Do in Denver When Youre Dead and Kiss the Girls. Before Fleder began work on the film, he knew he had to have one key figure on board -- Jim Brown, who was a star running back at Syracuse in the 1950s, helped recruit Davis (after Brown left to play in the NFL) and later become an action film star and civil rights activist. I know it well. 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. 3 pair military pants 36s 38s 36xs shirt. So the story is like you said -- its a big story and a small story. Hell, the movie's more about him than Ernie. 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. Syracuse head football coach Ben Schwartzwalder. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. Ben organized and coached the 507th's football team. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). As a paratrooper with the 82nd, he was among the first wave of soldiers that jumped on D-Day in 1944. 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. Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. It was 1963 at Syracuse University's alumni football game, where teammates celebrated the Orangemen's 1959 national championship. And less than a handful of men who have entered the coaching profession since Princeton and Rutgers started the madness back in 1869 have recorded as many victories as did this crew-cut, bespectacled quiet little giant out of the hills of West Virginia. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. We might have to change and modify things Jim Brown: You can do a hell of a film if you can understand what it is to be a man in America. Schwartzwalder had a knack for developing excellent running backs through their college careers, including Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Larry Csonka. 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. At Syracuse, I was the radical and Ernie was the peacemaker, the guy everyone loved. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Ben Schwartzwalder. Reading your post, I flashed on "Band of Brothers", which detailed a company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. He is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Syracuse, NY. 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. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. 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. Schwartzwalder with quarterback Dick Easterly at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 1959. He was basically a shy, quiet individual who never got very close to the press or general public. He served with the 82nd Airborne and was in the first wave of troops that jumped on D-Day in 1944. He didn't starve as a boy growing up but he knew what it was to want. Syracuse 8 Collection, University Archives. Later that afternoon, a beaming Davis, seeing Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, went floating toward him through a. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. kids games foreign dolls asst. Richard Winters (played by Damian Lewis), who also received a battlefield promotion to major and was also from West Virginia, like Ol' Ben. 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. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. 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. They wanted me to change positions, all kinds of stuff. Ben Schwartzwalder Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death You should know his story, because it's a Syracuse University story - one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. Al Davis: the Machiavelli of football - Los Angeles Times Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): They claim key events on screen never occurred, like the team being showered with garbage and racial epithets during a game at West Virginia. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. Dennis Quaid: I Cleaned My Life Up - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes Today in History: Syracuse University Football Legend, Floyd "Ben Notably, 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 University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship. - Ben Schwartzwalder. He thought the first script was a little thin. 1LT Wagner was promoted to commander of the 3rd battalion's headquarters company. Ben Schwartzwalder Papers An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse Fifty years later, the Syracuse 8 boycott still matters He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. I think a couple of guys got hurt and they put me on defense. Gary Fleder: You came before Ernie. Syracuse, West Virginia Fans Create Petition For The Ben Schwartzwalder 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). Ben was clearly on his way to the top. "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 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. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. It is where the seeds of the fierce competitor were nurtured and matured. "What the director tried to accomplish is showing the conditions of those times," Easterly said. Neither believes "The Express" captures his personality, or accurately portrays his relationships with head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and teammates. 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 St Louis Sporting News Archives, Nov 25, 1967, p. 18 [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. I didnt know why people loved their university. And enthusiasm!! Ben Schwartzwalder - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia Muhlenberg College was founded in 1848 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as the Allentown Seminary by Samuel K. Brobst, a Reformed Lutheran minister. He was captain of the football team in 1933. 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. "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). Mary ScofieldMary Scofield (born Mary Schwartzwalder) passed away on December 7, 2017 after battling ovarian cancer for three years. I loved the genre and I thought Ernie was an intriguing character, but it didnt have any real conflict. Fleder started doing his own research, reading a lengthy Sports Illustrated article by William Nack that dealt with Davis, Brown and racism in college sports in the 60s. 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).
