Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
CT 17
Fiege, Mark.
Mark Fiege Washington State University Athletics Oral History Project
1982
.2 Linear feet of shelf space
1 box
Oral history interviews (audiocassettes) about the history of Washington State University athletics, conducted by Mark Fiege in 1982. The interviewees are Jack Friel, basketball coach; Ike Deeter, boxing coach; Harry Missildine, sports reporter for the Spokane Spokesman-Review; and Glen Oman, assistant athletic director.
Collection materials are inEnglish
This collection consists of four oral history interviews (eight audiocassettes) about the history of Washington State University athletics, conducted by Mark Fiege in 1982. The interviewees are Jack Friel, basketball coach; Ike Deeter, boxing coach; Harry Missildine, sports reporter for the Spokane Spokesman-Review; and Glen Oman, assistant athletic director.
The tapes are maintained in their original order.
(MASC STAFF USE): range 3-4.
These interviews have been digitized, and are available online as part of the Washington State University Oral History Project.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
[Item Description]
Mark Fiege Washington State University Athletics Oral History Project, 1982 (CT 17)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections,
Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The Washington State University sports oral history interviews conducted by Mark Fiege in 1982 were transferred with their abstracts to the Archives by Mr. Fiege in late 1982 (MS.1982.20).
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Oral history -- United States.
Washington State University -- Sports -- History.
College sports -- Washington (State) -- History.
Oral Histories
Sports and Recreation
Colleges and Universities
Washington (State)
Series 17/1: John B. "Jack" Friel, WSU
Basketball Coach from 1928-1958, 1982
Interviewer: Mark T. Fiege
Location of Interview: Pullman, WA
Date of Interview: 11 March 1982
Length of Interview: 74.5 minutes
Abstractor: Mark T. Fiege
Date of Abstraction: 11 March 1982
Release: Yes
Restrictions: No
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-1
Introduction
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 1-6
Early years as coach of high school teams
in Colville and Spokane. Came to WSU in the fall of 1928. Talks about
early conditions at WSU. Used to play their games in an "old crackerbox"
where the CUB now stands.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 6-16.5
Changes in the game of basketball.
Revolutionary developments came through rule changes and development of
the jump shot. Talks about his introduction and use of the two-platoon
system. The game has advanced much over his time. Younger players are
much more skillful. Players were shorter in his day. Some centers were
only 6'2".
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 16.5-20
WSU was a small school before WWII. But
athletics were popular with students and local populace. Students held
alternate tickets for games at old gym. Students climbed in the windows
with ladders to view events.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 20-25
There was no Cougar Club in the old days.
Scholarships were given to athletes in the form of jobs with local
businessmen. Coaches were given a list of businessmen to meet and ask
for money. Had to raise more money to compete with other schools. Most
of athletes were from State of WA.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 25-30
Story of the "Golden Era" of WSU sports.
Successful teams, and all the coaches had good rapport. Babe
Hollingberry, football; Karl Schlademan and Jack Mulberry, track; Ike
Deeter, boxing; Buck Bailey, baseball. Bailey had a basketball team
called "Bailey's Angels." They played games around the northwest. Also
played the Harlem Globetrotters. Bailey once broke his toe by kicking a
waterbucket filled with cement.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 0-13
More about the Golden Era. Coaches
attended each other's games, and also helped each other with coaching.
He was happy to be a part of it. Football was dropped as a sport during
WW II. There was a lot of interest in boxing. People filled Bohler Gym
for matches. Director Bohler was responsible for Washington State's
early progress in athletics. He helped California schools get started in
athletics. Bohler was a hot-headed man. Once grabbed a boxing referee by
the throat after a bad decision against a WSU athlete.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 13-16
Old conference was once divided into a
northern and southern division. There was a lessening of interest in
basketball because of this. But rivalry always existed between US and
WSU.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 16-22
Had a championship basketball team in
1942. A big year. Had to get breaks to go that far. A popular team. His
best team.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 22-25.5
For a while he was intramural director.
Baseball was offered for a time. He spent more time with intramurals
than with basketball. There was "no attitude" in those days toward
women's athletics. Woman leadership did not want women's intercollegiate
athletics. They recognized the drawbacks of men's.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 25.5-30
Played semi-pro baseball in the northwest.
Bellingham, Kelso, Spokane, Colfax, Colville. Made money to help pay for
school. $250-$300 per month. Played against House of David baseball
team.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-10.5
More about baseball. Believes that there
was a "colored" House of David team. He thinks that the automobile had a
great deal to do with the decline in popularity of community baseball
teams. Practically all small towns had a team.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 10.5-14.5
Athletic facilities at WSU have changed.
As good as can be found anywhere. Good management brought it
about.
Series 17/2: Ike Deeter, WSU Boxing Coach,
1982
Interviewer: Mark T. Fiege
Location of Interview: Pullman, WA
Date of Interview: 25 March 1982
Length of Interview: 64 minutes
Abstractor: Mark T. Fiege
Date of Abstraction: 25 March 1982
Release: Yes
Restrictions: No
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-1
Introduction
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 1-11
Early years at WSU as student and coach.
Hurt knee in football injury. Bohler told him to forget playing
football. Bohler interested in build ing an organized boxing program.
Club started. Had matches with other clubs in Spokane, Butte, Trail,
Seattle. Mullan, Idaho had "tough miners" for a team. Deeter eventually
took over as coach. Recalls some of the more memorable boxers. Story of
a Philipino boxer.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 11-13.5
Development of WSU Boxing from club to
intercollegiate status. Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Boxing
Association. First tournament at Univer sity of Washington in 1928 or
1929. Bohler was enthusiastic about boxing. Deeter hired as coach. Some
boxers went on to pro careers. George Theodoradis, Pete
Rademacher.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 13.5-18
Owes all of his success to Bohler. Gave
him an opportunity to do something with boxing. Bohler a great
sportsman. Once tried to get lacrosse started. Bohler had good
connections around the athletic world. Arranged dual meets with
Wisconsin. As WSU Boxing grew, other schools took it up. Louis August
coached Idahos first team.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 18-27.5
Talks about successful teams and athletes.
Once at national championship at Penn State, area schools won five out
of eight championships. Coast championships. Won national championship
in 1937. Had good, tough kids. Won a lot of bouts through good
conditioning. Best boxer was Eddie Mckinnon. Heard about him while he
was working in the CCC in Idaho. More about Pete Rademacher.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 27.5-30
Boxing was popular, had good attendance.
Drew more than anything except basketball and football. Sometimes packed
Bohler gym. Had an intramural program, P.E. classes. Got some team
boxers out of this.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 0-19
The "Golden Era." One of best coaching
staffs on the coast. They were "all for one and one for all." Doc Bohler
made it a success. He hired good people. Coaches helped each other. Buck
Bailey stories. One of outstanding characters he has known. He was an
enthusiastic rooter for all sports. A lot of fans came to baseball games
to watch Bailey. Bailey in the Navy. He used to play golf with Bing
Crosby. He liked to sing so he organized a "shower-room
quartet."
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 19-24
Why the boxing program was discontinued.
Some schools got too strong for others. Some boxers were killed. School
administrations were in fluenced by the brutality of pro boxing they saw
on television. WSU had a safe program. Use of headgear and stand-up
knock-dn count began at WSU, later adopted by the AAU. WSU never had its
safe program aired on television. As schools dropped the sport, teams
had to travel longer distances for competition. Took too much money to
travel.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 24-27.5
Most boxers graduated and went into
teaching. some coach. Boxing continued with intramurals. Also Golden
Gloves tournaments. Never had any black boxers. Only ones he contacted
couldn't get into WSU because of poor grades.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 27.5-30
Has a high regard for boxing. It has been
good to him. Got through school by getting money from merchants through
merchandise orders. Wasn't supposed to get cash. Been to boxing clinics
around the world: Honolulu, Tokyo, Yokahama, Europe. Helped U. S. boxing
coach at Rome Olympics.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-4
One of highlights of coaching career was
meeting Jerry Ford in the Navy. Ford was a good person. He studied law
books while others went out and had a good time. "Malarky" about Ford
being uncoordinated is untrue. He could handle his fists. National
championship was also a highlight. Had a good time and met interesting
people.
Series 17/3: Harry Missildine, journalist for
the Spokane Spokesman-Review, 1982
Interviewer: Mark T. Fiege
Location of Interview: Moscow, ID
Date of Interview: 3 May 1982
Length of Interview: 82 minutes
Abstractor: Unidentifed
Date of Abstraction: Undated
Release: Yes
Restrictions: No
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-2
Introduction.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 2-11
Covered WSU sports from 1956 until 1980.
Mainly football, basketball, with some track and baseball. In football
Coach Sutherland in the late 1950s and good teams. He was ahead of his
time. One of the first to time the football in the air. The 1958 team
was good. They would have gone to the Sugar Bowl if it had not been for
the break-up of the Pacific Coast conference.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 11-24
Talks about football teams. 1965 team
coached by Burt Clark almost went to the Rose Bowl. They lost a key game
against Arizona State, when they were called for delay of game on
crucial play. Missildine called the official on the play the
"Nightwatchman of Tempe." Many WSU players went on to professional
careers, some in the Canadian football League. Talks about outstanding
football coaches.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 24-30
The track team. WSU was one of the first
teams to recruit foreign athletes. Discusses implications of this in the
Pacific Eight conference. Best football team was in 1981. Coach Sweeney
had excellent teams, especially when Jack Thompson played.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 0-7
More about Cougar football teams. Bobo
Brayton's Baseball teams. WSU teams have done well.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 7-17.5
Memorable football games. Jim Sutherland's
teams once had eight straight victories over Stanford. 1970 Stanford
game in Joe Albi stadium. Next year at Stanford he had a bet with Red
Smith. Warren Power's team once beat Nebraska in opening game of
season.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 17.5-23.5
Talks about basketball. WSU beat UCLA for
first time in Pullman in 1980. Story of a UCLA game in Bohler gym.
Bohler was a noisy gym. More about football--game with Huskies in
1960.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 23.5-30
Washington State has had good teams for
the area that it is in. Talks about infractions of rules by Pacific
Eight teams. WSU has a clean record. Many people have thought WSU has
played over its head. Financing of athletics through bowl
games.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-17
His past relationship with coaches and
teams. He is not inclined to "uncover dirt" on teams. Many writers who
engage in this "adversary journalism" make themselves look foolish. Not
much for him to do anyway, because WSU has a clean record. Talks about
the importance of inter-collegiate athletics. Has had a good association
with the coaches. Nicknamed Dee Andros the "Great Pumkin." Sometimes he
was allowed in on team meetings. Sometimes he was the "House Man," but
he didn't receive anything for it. Warren Powers once kicked him out.
Walden was his favorite coach.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 17-22
His choices for outstanding athletes at
WSU. He always liked the "improbable types" who made it.
Series 17/4: Glenn Oman, Associate Athletic
Director - WSU, 1982
Interviewer: Mark T. Fiege
Location of Interview: Pullman, WA
Date of Interview: 19 April 1982
Length of Interview: 86 minutes
Abstractor: Mark T. Fiege
Date of Abstraction: 19 April 1982
Release: Yes
Restrictions: No
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-1
Introduction.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 1-9
Worked for WSU from 1949-1981. Had job in
Controller's office, then moved to the Athletic Department. Athletics
were separated from other student activities. Coaches and staff have
worked harder than at any other university. Distance from other schools
has hindered the program.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 9-24
Duties as Associate Athletic Director.
Made sure all the bills were paid. At one time he handled travel
arrangements for teams. Was ticket manager, business manager, assistant
athletic director, before becoming associate director. Differences
between his job and Athletic Director's job. Scheduling of games. "-
Many decisions involved. Teams of lesser ability are scheduled to
improve won-loss record. A better record means a chance at a bowl
game.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 24-29
Used to travel with the football team to
handle travel arrangements. Suffered from oxygen starvation in
unpressurized cabins. Jets improved traveling because they were faster.
He enjoyed the travel. Travel had to be well scheduled, or people got
upset. Feels lucky that he was never in an airplane crash.
1, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 29-30
Changes in athletics, specifically
financial affairs.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 1-9.5
Changes in athletics during his career.
Financial support for athletes changed. Eventually students received aid
without having to work. Conference rule concerning this had been more
strict than that of NCAA. Books were permitted to be issued. Conference
disbanded in the late 1960s. Eventually came back together.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 9.5-12.5
Changes in scheduling. Better teams were
once scheduled, in order to increase revenue. Now games closer to home,
with greater chance of WSU victory.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 12.5-17.5
Changes in individual sports. Travel is
more complicated now. Football teams used to travel with thirty-three
players, now it is fifty-six. Substitution rules allow more players.
With specialization, there are more players.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 17.5-24.5
People wondered what effect television
would have. Income from television helped WSU athletics. Pacific Eight
conference spreads television money around to all schools.
1, Side B
Minutes (approx.): 24.5-30
Changes in women's sports. WSU has been
behind the times in this area. Women used to be allocated money out of
men's programs when he started. Women had "play days" instead of regular
athletics.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 0-9
More about women's sports. Up until 1970,
money was allocated to Women's Recreation Association. Problems of space
involved in expansion of women's athletics.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 9-18
Helped to promote expansion of facilities,
such as the coliseum. In the stadium project, a foundation was set up
for the construction, so that the contractors did not deal directly with
the University. Some did work at reduced (continued) cost, or for free.
Coliseum was a valuable addition to the University. WSU renovated three
facilities in "one fell swoop." This was unique, and it received
national attention.
2, Side A
Minutes (approx.): 18-26
Several local companies helped by
providing work at reduced cost, or for free. Unions contributed by
providing apprentices to fill training requirements. Farmers contributef
labor and equipment. Athletic teams also did menial work. It was a
community project. R. A. Hanson Co. used techniques of irrigation ditch
construction in pouring the concrete for the stadium.