Athlete (1965-1968) Curtis James

[Turbine]

AS an African-American athlete, Curtis James -in hindsight- defines 1965 for the University of Louisiana.

1965 was a time when many of the colleges across the south were just starting to integrate their campuses. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited race discrimination by institutions receiving federal funds, was forcing their hand.

For the University of Louisiana 1965 was already the eleventh year of peaceful though sometimes patience-trying integration. Due to the continuous flow of incoming freshmen who had never before experienced integration, a yearly struggle existed that created a seemingly perpetual two steps forward, one step back scenario.

1965 represented year eleven of racial integration for academia at Louisiana, while at the same time it also represented year-one for athletics. The person destined to carry this load, in fact responsibility, on his shoulders, was Curtis James. Simply because he was on the leading edge of an integration process that soon swept across the country, it was apropos that Curtis excelled as a cross country runner,


For 1965 Curtis James cross country teammates that year were Steve Massie, Bill Sirmon, Howard Trahan, Mike Sith and fellow freshman Mike Maraist. The cross country team of 1965 was coached by student-coach Malcolm Robinson. Curtis James was the newest addition to a small but rugged group of long-winded runners at UL that year. The team went on to finish second in the Gulf States Conference. This marked the best showing since 1961 when they had also finished second.

The team improved still more in 1966 when they were Gulf States Conference cross country champs.

1967 saw the overall track team win the GSC for the third straight year, setting records in the 440-yard relay, the mile relay, and the sprint medley.

Teammates of Curtis James that year were Galen LaBauve, Jimmy Barrilleaux, Stewart Blue, Larry McCartney, Charles Beazley, and Ed Domingues.

Thank you Curtis James, for choosing the University of Louisiana.

photo from Edith Dupre' Library