Title
Jay Beekmann interview (Buena Vista College alumnus and professor and coach), conducted by Sue Brinkman
Subject
Buena Vista College -- Oral histories
Oral histories -- Iowa -- Storm Lake
College students -- Iowa -- Storm Lake
College teachers -- Iowa Storm Lake
Coaches (Athletics) -- Iowa -- Storm Lake
Description
Jay Beekmann was an alumnus and a long-time coach and professor at Buena Vista College. He recounts college life in the late 1930s and recalls many professors and their dedication to the students. He also tells some humorous incidents of student life and as a student-athlete. Beekmann also recalls some coaching highlights and his concerns about alcohol and drug use among athletes.
Notes:
Scroll down to see the transcript. Numbers that appear in brackets show the timestamp of the conversation. To access the audio recording, click the arrow under the photograph to start.
To the best of the transcriptionist’s ability, this is a faithful rendition of the conversation. If inaccuracies are detected, please contact the BVU Archives by emailing archives@bvu.edu.
Notes:
Scroll down to see the transcript. Numbers that appear in brackets show the timestamp of the conversation. To access the audio recording, click the arrow under the photograph to start.
To the best of the transcriptionist’s ability, this is a faithful rendition of the conversation. If inaccuracies are detected, please contact the BVU Archives by emailing archives@bvu.edu.
Publisher
Buena Vista University
Date
June 13, 1985
Format
audio/mpeg
Language
English
Type
Sound
Identifier
http://bvuarchives.bvu.edu/Audio/OralHistories/JayBeekmann.mp3
Interviewer
Sue Brinkman
Interviewee
Jay Beekmann
Transcription
SB=Sue Brinkman
JB=Jay Beekmann
SB: [00:00:01] This is an interview conducted by Sue Brinkman on June 13th 1985 with Jay Beekmann, a BV graduate and athletic director here. [Recorder stops, then restarts.] When did you attend Buena Vista?
JB: [00:00:16] I started to Buena Vista in the fall of 1938 and graduated then in 1942, with the exception that I was not able to complete my practice teaching, it was called then, and before I was called into service [military service], and so I spent three-and-a-half years in the infantry and then came back and was fortunate enough to be offered a job at Hays Consolidated School, which is no longer a school, across the lake from Storm Lake. And they agreed to let me get credit from my student teaching on-the-job, so to speak, and so I was fortunate that I was able to do that, and that's how I actually got into teaching and coaching.
SB: [00:01:03] What made you choose BV in the first place?
JB: [00:01:05] I guess probably two things. One, it had some--what do I want to say--It had sort of a name in itself from the standpoint, again, of being a good school, as far as baseball is concerned, and I was very much interested in baseball. And it was a small school, and I had determined outta high school, since I attended a small high school, to come to a small college or to go to a small college. And so it appealed to me from that standpoint, and then I guess probably the last thing I would say, would be that, at that time I had a sister living in Storm Lake, and so it made kind of a relation arrangement, you might say-- I mean, so that because I was-- I was only 16 when I graduated from high school. So my parents were a little concerned over the fact that I was very young, and the fact that I had a sister here in town, I think helped sort of ease their fears with regard to me going away from home and so forth. So, basically that's the reason I think that I came to--
SB: [00:02:14] Did you stay with your sister?
JB: [00:02:15] Yes, I did. For the first couple of years and then I moved into a-- 'course at that time we had no dormitories. But they did have a house or two that they used sort of in connection with a makeshift-type dormitory, and so my last year I did spend in a house that, well, really the college didn't take it over. In other words, it was a private home, but I mean there were other students living in the house, that sort of thing, to give me some idea of what it was like to live away from home, yeah.
SB: [00:02:46] What was student life like in the '30s?
JB: [00:02:49] Well, it was-- I suppose I'd have to say, first of all, it was very limited in the sense that I recall. I believe there were only two or three cars, at the most, if you can imagine, on campus. And--kind of an interesting--little bit of a quip, I think, was the fact that even those seemed like they didn't run oftener than they ran. We ended up trying to push them, and it was quite a-- quite an event, as I say, if you had gasoline, and you had a car that would run. And so, needless to say, oftentimes there were more occupants in the car than should have been in the car. But there were some of the same things, in the sense that, again, I think students were interested in trying to find a form of entertainment, I mean, and such that-- that would enable them to, you know, advance and yet have some enjoyment, too. And-- It's-- The era that we live in now, I mean, there are so many more things involved with the matter of, again, giving them a selection, giving the students a selection of what it is that they would like to do, not only academically but of course from the standpoint, again, of, as I say, recreational opportunities. I think-- You know, television and all of the modern conveniences that we have at our disposal, that-- and this has had an effect, I think, on-- from the standpoint of athletics, in the sense that-- there are so many opportunities for students to branch out in various areas that we think, as coaches-- I think I can speak for some of the other coaches, at least from myself, I know-- that I don't think there is the intensity in student athletes today that there was, say, 25 years ago. And that's not-- that's no fault of the student. I simply think that there are other things to divert their attention to the point where again, everyone certainly doesn't like athletics and shouldn't be forced to take part in athletics. And I think, as a result of this, some of them who, in years gone by, would probably have taken part simply because there was nothing else to do. As compared to now, there are countless numbers of things, you know, that can occupy their time and from a gainful standpoint, it's to their advantage to try to explore those things.
SB: [00:05:14] Do you think it was tougher to go to school in the '30s?
JB: [00:05:17] Well-- I-- I don't know whether it was tough or not. I-- I would say that, from a financial standpoint, I think that I-- I found it more difficult, I think. I came from out-- from a-- a background that my parents didn't have a great deal of finances, yet we were never hungry or anything like that. But I think it was probably more of a struggle then than it is now. And that's-- I don't know, that's probably due to various factors, not the least of which, of course, is that inflation has come, as you know, and so forth and these-- This has changed some of the aspects of the financial part of it, of attending college, too. But-- I-- I-- I think students at that time were more conscious of the fact that they knew they were going to have to work, in some form or in some way, in order to be able to go to school.
JB: [00:06:14] Now-- though the tuition, I look back, I think-- I can't recall exactly, but I believe when I started in 1938, I think tuition was something like, oh, four hundred dollars a year. If you can imagine, 200 and some dollars a semester, you see, and-- and even though that's almost, you know, you can't even hardly imagine that today. Yet, it was, it seemed to me, anyway, that it was almost as hard to get that kind of money, at that time, you know, as it is now to get six or seven thousand dollars you know-- [laughs] to accomplish the same thing. So it's-- it's a different era. And as a result, I think sometimes this, this kind of colors the picture that we have. And yet, when you look at the thing realistically, you recognize that some of this is just change that has occurred, you know.
SB: [00:07:13] What were your classes like?
JB: [00:07:17] Uh-- Small. Of course at the time, that I enrolled, in '38, I think the college was probably around 400, somewhere in that neighborhood, at least. And it was not unusual at all to have classes with, oh, four or five students in. And there were some that, in the social sciences and some of the areas that-- there was considerably more emphasis placed upon at that time, you might go around as high as 20 or 25, but that was about the extent of it. And, of course, the faculty was-- was much smaller, and certainly, understandably so, with regard to, again, the lesser enrollment. But I-- I think the thing that-- that I would say about the faculty at that time, was that I felt them to be a-- a most dedicated group and-- and ones that, you know, were just more than willing to spend additional time with you at any time, relative to trying to help you as much as they possibly could.
SB: [00:08:15] Do you remember any in particular?
JB: [00:08:17] Yes, I do. I would mention, of course, George Reynolds, who is deceased. I would mention him, of course, in the political science and history field. Dr. Sampson, who is also deceased recently, was in sociology and taught courses--marriage and the family and, and the criminology and courses, such as that. And a man by the name of J. Luke Creel was in the English department, along with Maryanna Hamer. Maryanna Hamer is still living, by the way, and lives in Waterloo and was instrumental in several facets of college life, even though she was a very quiet, reserved lady. She is given credit, and rightly so, for writing the words to the alma mater. And I see her occasionally, and naturally, she's quite old, in fact very old, but still her mind is very active and so forth, and she did a superb job.
JB: [00:09:21] A couple of others that I think were-- that I recall quite vividly were a man and wife teaching combination by the name of Crawford, who were in-- they were both in the education department, and since I was interested in teacher education and coaching, I had considerable contact with both of them. And though they were a little bit odd and eccentric, I recall that one of the oddities of their life off-campus was the fact that they drove, I believe, probably a Model A Ford or something. They had a huge police dog that they kept as-- around the house and so forth, and every time they would drive anywhere in town that dog was always in the back seat, just like one of their family and little things like that. But there were [unintelligible] and again, as I say, that's the one thing that I certainly have never had any regrets about, the education that I got at Buena Vista, because I felt that it was as good as I could obtain anywhere, I really do.
SB: [00:10:29] What kind of coaches did you have?
JB: [00:10:32] That's an interesting point, too, in the sense that-- the coach that actually recruited me was a man by the name of Al Dallager, and he had come from the high school ranks to college coaching and was the basketball coach. Of course, in those days, two coaches is all that-- as a matter of fact, when I came to Buena Vista to teach and coach myself, there were just two of us, Dean Laun, and myself. So that was not unusual at all, but the football coach was a man by the name of-- [pauses to think] oh, let's see, the basketball coach was, I mentioned, was Al Dallager, and the football coach, I can't recall his name right at the moment, but both of them were very dedicated individuals, hard-nosed, I would say, with regard to their feeling that, you know, athletics should come first, and that they expected you to put forth a hundred percent effort all times.
JB: [00:11:36] And I think the one interesting incident that might be of some concern was the fact that we travelled then in a college-owned bus on all of our athletic trips. [slight laugh] And it was not uncommon at all for the coach to drive the bus. And the-- the particular basketball coach that I'm thinking about--I wish I could recall his name--I guess that's a sign of my age, too, but maybe I will before we're through. But in any event, he would drive, and in the wintertime it was not uncommon at all that we'd, for instance, go to Dubuque, and Loras College was in the conference at that time. And it was not uncommon that we'd play three straight nights in basketball, say, play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and then get in the bus after the game was over and drive all the way back to Storm Lake. So, needless to say, the trips were tiring, and the basketball coach had been a prize fighter, a boxer in his [slight laugh] early stages of his career, and so everybody was a little bit leery of-- of wanting to cross him [slight laugh] in any way. And I can recall that we'd have trouble. The bus was quite old, and oftentimes we had mechanical problems with it on the way home, and-- and so I remem-- remember more than one incident, we would have to maybe stop for a while and try to get help to come, and so forth, and-- and so the coach sometimes that this would occur, would fall asleep. And so we used to-- it kind of was a joke, and yet it really wasn't, in the sense that once we did get the help that we were looking for and so forth, why oftentimes, he still would be asleep, and no one really wanted to go in and try to wake him up. So, we'd roll the window down on the bus on the inside, and one [laughs] of the players would go around to the outside and reach in the window, if you can imagine, and shake him, in an effort to-- to try to wake him up. And so we had some-- I remember one other thing in connection with that, that the bus had rather a long seat in the back on each side, and we'd take old mattresses and just throw 'em down on the floor and-- and just pile in there, and try to get some sleep, if we could, on the way home from some of these longer trips. So it-- There were some interesting experiences.
SB: [00:14:10] What was it like to play in the Iowa Conference? Was it tough?
JB: [00:14:13] Yes, it was. It was a very good league. Much the same, I think, as far as competition is concerned as it is today, in that, oh, there were quite a number of players that went on and at least took part in professional athletics after they had had graduated. Or some of them left even before graduation. So-- oh, to mention a couple of the players, I know that Upper Iowa had some outstanding teams at that time. University of Dubuque had a black athlete at that time, which was very, very unusual, by the name of LeRoy Watts. Came out of the Chicago area and was-- was just an exceptionally fine basketball player and a great athlete. And-- but blacks at that time were, in fact, I think, he-- I'm sure, as a matter of fact, he was the only one in the conference and yet was accepted well, I thought, you know, and got along, but there were some some real good athletes, and the competition was very good then, too, it really was.
JB: [00:15:20] There was a little bit of a division, in the sense that there were more teams in the Iowa conference at that time, and it was divided into what some peo-- Well, it was actually called a North and South Division of the Iowa Conference. And since, of course, some of the schools have withdrawn, as you know, now the Iowa Conference is made up presently of eight teams. But now Loras is going to be coming in in 1986, and so, and then the conference will be made up of nine teams. But there were, oh, 13 or 14 teams and it was divided into a North and South Division.
SB: [00:15:51] Do you think training has changed significantly since the '30s?
JB: [00:15:53] Oh, I think so. I really do in the sense that, again, I think there is less opportunity for modern era players to keep themselves in, you know, in good physical conditioning in the sense that, you know, we ride everywhere practically, and-- and, you know, I'm no different than anyone else, but at those times, as I say, there were-- there wasn't the transportation and so forth that there is now, so-- There was a great deal more walking and riding bicycles and those kinds of things, and, as a result, I think that that it is more difficult today to actually maintain a level of physical fitness that is going to enable you to do the best you can, yeah.
SB: [00:16:43] As a coach [unintelligible]
JB: [00:16:47] Well, I-- That's a little bit hard to say. I probably would say-- would have to rank the win that we got in the regional tournament in Lisle, Illinois in 1981. It's probably the highlight when we-- our kids defeated Stanislaus State of California in the regional tournament, and they had-- they [Stanilaus State] had won the national tournament the year previous. And so, I think they took us too lightly, is what happened, and we were able to score on them early and got so far ahead that they just simply couldn't catch up. But we've had teams in the national tournament. 'Course we were members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics--NAIA--in those years. Whereas now, we're members of NCAA, which is another-- there are two national organizations, really, and the Iowa Conference, about five or six years ago, voted to go NCAA. And so, therefore, we severed relationships with NAIA, but we participated in the first NAIA National Baseball Tournament that was ever held, which is a memory that I'll hold for-- forever. And it was held at Alpine, Texas, in 1957. And we were fortunate enough to win the regional playoff out of Blair, Nebraska and got to go. We were one of six teams in the tournament. And though we didn't win it, we finished, I think, fourth. We did receive a sportsmanship trophy, which we still have, for which I'm proud, and so--.
JB: [00:18:32] There have been numerous highlights. We've been in numerous regional playoffs and-- and some of our players such as Danny Monzon up here, has played with the Minnesota Twins, and, of course, Larry Bittner, was with several major league clubs. Actually signed with the then- Washington Senators, and then was-- they became the Texas Rangers and then from there, he was traded to Montreal, and then from Montreal to the Chicago Cubs and finished his career with the Chicago Cubs. And we've had other players, of course, who have played some professional baseball but have not reached the major league status. But I've been fortunate in that I've had a lot of good players, and as I look back, many of them were, you know, of good character and the type of individual that you'd like to have work with your youngsters, I mean, if-- if the occasion should present itself.
SB: [00:19:29] Is there anybody now that you think could make it in the pros?
JB: [00:19:33] Well, I-- I think that's-- that's so difficult to say because everybody-- though there are certain general categories that you look at with regard to, first of all--[coughs] Excuse me. --the speed with which the player can run is of paramount importance today. And then, of course, they look for strength of arm, and they look for ability to hit the ball. I think that we probably have one or two players that would warrant the possibility, anyway, of being able to go on. But it's-- it's pretty uncertain, and again, as I say, not only do you have to have a lot of ability, but you've got to be in the right place at the right time for, you know, to get an opportunity a lot of times.
SB: [00:20:20] What have been your most frustrating and "slash" rewarding experiences?
JB: [00:20:26] Well, I think one of the things, if I were to try to pick out one thing that bothers me, I am very much concerned about use of alcohol and drug-related incidents, other drugs in relationship to athletics. And I just feel that, though we have made, I think, some progress with regard to things, those particular things, I still think we have a long ways to go. And it bothers me, in the sense that I don't think we've done as good a job as we perhaps should have done in working with young people and being able to relate to them. You know, the dangers and the things that are involved in the use of alcohol and drugs. I think, especially now, that our problems with alcohol are-- are even much greater than-- than other-- other types of drugs. I really do, in the sense that alcohol, or the use of it, is an accepted way of life. And, you know, be that as it may it doesn't alter the fact, you know, that many of the players that you have come from homes where it's accepted, you know, and it makes it very difficult for you to say, "Hey," you know, "there's no place." I have always told my athletes, you know, that if you can-- if you can indicate to me one way in which you're going to be better off for having consumed alcohol as an athlete, then I'll be willing to listen to you, but I don't think that you can do that. And yet, you know, as I say, you have to use some common sense, and-- and, you know, as we get older, myself included, I think we're more reluctant to change and so forth. And the era in which we live, as I say, alcohol is accepted, but that really bothers me, because, again, as I say, I see nothing but-- not true--some people can-- can imbibe, so to speak, and handle it, but you never can be sure whether you're going to be one of those or not, you see. And-- not so much from the standpoint of what it does for them as an athlete, although that's certainly very important to someone who's spent their life coaching. But, again, I see so much, oh, hardship and so forth that results later in life, you know, as a result of becoming an alcoholic. And having to deal with the problems there, so I guess that would be one of my biggest frustrations, it really would.
SB: [00:23:02] And a rewarding experience?
JB: [00:23:04] Well, I-- there I would say the kids that I've had that-- you know, it's an interesting point. Sometimes it isn't always the kid that you got along with exceptionally well that-- that remembers you. And this-- this kind of surprises me in a way, and yet, you know, we read accounts of those things almost every day, but somebody who maybe you had a confrontation with, oh, 5, 10, 15 years later, will write you, or maybe give you a call or something. Say, 'You know the difficulty we had?" "Yeah." "You were right," you know, and so those are the things that, at that time, you know, you say to yourself well, sometimes it's very easy to look on the negative side, you know, and say, well, I'm not getting much accomplished and so forth. But then you get a little, you know, highlight here or there that-- that kind of spurs you on and-- So I guess, really, when they-- in the final analysis, you know, if you can-- can feel even if you help just one individual, you know, why then you haven't wasted everything completely and so-- I've had some really exceptional young-- young people that I've worked with and-- and I really appreciate the opportunity that I've had to work with them, because, again, it's-- it's something that I'll remember forever, I know that.
SB: [00:24:33] Do you think students have changed since you went to school?
JB: [00:24:36] I-- I don't think-- I don't think a great deal. No, I really don't I-- I think what change there is, if there is some, has been necessitated again by, as I say, the difference in the change of living and so forth. And I still think when I talk with people now, you have exceptions, of course, but if you sit down and use common sense and talk with-- with young people, I think you'll find far more that-- that will, in the end, you know, see what you're trying to get across to them and-- and realize, you know, that, hey it's-- it is worthy of consideration. You won't-- it won't be true in every case, of course, but it isn't in anything, you know. And I think if we-- and I am myself-- I'm prone to, many times, you know, to express myself with regard to some negative things that have occurred, and yet, there are far more positive things, if you just stop and-- and-- and kind of say to yourself, Now, whoa, wait a minute, you know. Let's-- let's think of some of those others and there's far more of them than there are-- So, I think they're basically-- They-- they have similar desires, I think, you know, and-- and that type of thing. And, so, I don't see a great deal of change, no.
SB: [00:25:59] Thank you.
JB: [00:25:59] You're welcome. You bet.
JB=Jay Beekmann
SB: [00:00:01] This is an interview conducted by Sue Brinkman on June 13th 1985 with Jay Beekmann, a BV graduate and athletic director here. [Recorder stops, then restarts.] When did you attend Buena Vista?
JB: [00:00:16] I started to Buena Vista in the fall of 1938 and graduated then in 1942, with the exception that I was not able to complete my practice teaching, it was called then, and before I was called into service [military service], and so I spent three-and-a-half years in the infantry and then came back and was fortunate enough to be offered a job at Hays Consolidated School, which is no longer a school, across the lake from Storm Lake. And they agreed to let me get credit from my student teaching on-the-job, so to speak, and so I was fortunate that I was able to do that, and that's how I actually got into teaching and coaching.
SB: [00:01:03] What made you choose BV in the first place?
JB: [00:01:05] I guess probably two things. One, it had some--what do I want to say--It had sort of a name in itself from the standpoint, again, of being a good school, as far as baseball is concerned, and I was very much interested in baseball. And it was a small school, and I had determined outta high school, since I attended a small high school, to come to a small college or to go to a small college. And so it appealed to me from that standpoint, and then I guess probably the last thing I would say, would be that, at that time I had a sister living in Storm Lake, and so it made kind of a relation arrangement, you might say-- I mean, so that because I was-- I was only 16 when I graduated from high school. So my parents were a little concerned over the fact that I was very young, and the fact that I had a sister here in town, I think helped sort of ease their fears with regard to me going away from home and so forth. So, basically that's the reason I think that I came to--
SB: [00:02:14] Did you stay with your sister?
JB: [00:02:15] Yes, I did. For the first couple of years and then I moved into a-- 'course at that time we had no dormitories. But they did have a house or two that they used sort of in connection with a makeshift-type dormitory, and so my last year I did spend in a house that, well, really the college didn't take it over. In other words, it was a private home, but I mean there were other students living in the house, that sort of thing, to give me some idea of what it was like to live away from home, yeah.
SB: [00:02:46] What was student life like in the '30s?
JB: [00:02:49] Well, it was-- I suppose I'd have to say, first of all, it was very limited in the sense that I recall. I believe there were only two or three cars, at the most, if you can imagine, on campus. And--kind of an interesting--little bit of a quip, I think, was the fact that even those seemed like they didn't run oftener than they ran. We ended up trying to push them, and it was quite a-- quite an event, as I say, if you had gasoline, and you had a car that would run. And so, needless to say, oftentimes there were more occupants in the car than should have been in the car. But there were some of the same things, in the sense that, again, I think students were interested in trying to find a form of entertainment, I mean, and such that-- that would enable them to, you know, advance and yet have some enjoyment, too. And-- It's-- The era that we live in now, I mean, there are so many more things involved with the matter of, again, giving them a selection, giving the students a selection of what it is that they would like to do, not only academically but of course from the standpoint, again, of, as I say, recreational opportunities. I think-- You know, television and all of the modern conveniences that we have at our disposal, that-- and this has had an effect, I think, on-- from the standpoint of athletics, in the sense that-- there are so many opportunities for students to branch out in various areas that we think, as coaches-- I think I can speak for some of the other coaches, at least from myself, I know-- that I don't think there is the intensity in student athletes today that there was, say, 25 years ago. And that's not-- that's no fault of the student. I simply think that there are other things to divert their attention to the point where again, everyone certainly doesn't like athletics and shouldn't be forced to take part in athletics. And I think, as a result of this, some of them who, in years gone by, would probably have taken part simply because there was nothing else to do. As compared to now, there are countless numbers of things, you know, that can occupy their time and from a gainful standpoint, it's to their advantage to try to explore those things.
SB: [00:05:14] Do you think it was tougher to go to school in the '30s?
JB: [00:05:17] Well-- I-- I don't know whether it was tough or not. I-- I would say that, from a financial standpoint, I think that I-- I found it more difficult, I think. I came from out-- from a-- a background that my parents didn't have a great deal of finances, yet we were never hungry or anything like that. But I think it was probably more of a struggle then than it is now. And that's-- I don't know, that's probably due to various factors, not the least of which, of course, is that inflation has come, as you know, and so forth and these-- This has changed some of the aspects of the financial part of it, of attending college, too. But-- I-- I-- I think students at that time were more conscious of the fact that they knew they were going to have to work, in some form or in some way, in order to be able to go to school.
JB: [00:06:14] Now-- though the tuition, I look back, I think-- I can't recall exactly, but I believe when I started in 1938, I think tuition was something like, oh, four hundred dollars a year. If you can imagine, 200 and some dollars a semester, you see, and-- and even though that's almost, you know, you can't even hardly imagine that today. Yet, it was, it seemed to me, anyway, that it was almost as hard to get that kind of money, at that time, you know, as it is now to get six or seven thousand dollars you know-- [laughs] to accomplish the same thing. So it's-- it's a different era. And as a result, I think sometimes this, this kind of colors the picture that we have. And yet, when you look at the thing realistically, you recognize that some of this is just change that has occurred, you know.
SB: [00:07:13] What were your classes like?
JB: [00:07:17] Uh-- Small. Of course at the time, that I enrolled, in '38, I think the college was probably around 400, somewhere in that neighborhood, at least. And it was not unusual at all to have classes with, oh, four or five students in. And there were some that, in the social sciences and some of the areas that-- there was considerably more emphasis placed upon at that time, you might go around as high as 20 or 25, but that was about the extent of it. And, of course, the faculty was-- was much smaller, and certainly, understandably so, with regard to, again, the lesser enrollment. But I-- I think the thing that-- that I would say about the faculty at that time, was that I felt them to be a-- a most dedicated group and-- and ones that, you know, were just more than willing to spend additional time with you at any time, relative to trying to help you as much as they possibly could.
SB: [00:08:15] Do you remember any in particular?
JB: [00:08:17] Yes, I do. I would mention, of course, George Reynolds, who is deceased. I would mention him, of course, in the political science and history field. Dr. Sampson, who is also deceased recently, was in sociology and taught courses--marriage and the family and, and the criminology and courses, such as that. And a man by the name of J. Luke Creel was in the English department, along with Maryanna Hamer. Maryanna Hamer is still living, by the way, and lives in Waterloo and was instrumental in several facets of college life, even though she was a very quiet, reserved lady. She is given credit, and rightly so, for writing the words to the alma mater. And I see her occasionally, and naturally, she's quite old, in fact very old, but still her mind is very active and so forth, and she did a superb job.
JB: [00:09:21] A couple of others that I think were-- that I recall quite vividly were a man and wife teaching combination by the name of Crawford, who were in-- they were both in the education department, and since I was interested in teacher education and coaching, I had considerable contact with both of them. And though they were a little bit odd and eccentric, I recall that one of the oddities of their life off-campus was the fact that they drove, I believe, probably a Model A Ford or something. They had a huge police dog that they kept as-- around the house and so forth, and every time they would drive anywhere in town that dog was always in the back seat, just like one of their family and little things like that. But there were [unintelligible] and again, as I say, that's the one thing that I certainly have never had any regrets about, the education that I got at Buena Vista, because I felt that it was as good as I could obtain anywhere, I really do.
SB: [00:10:29] What kind of coaches did you have?
JB: [00:10:32] That's an interesting point, too, in the sense that-- the coach that actually recruited me was a man by the name of Al Dallager, and he had come from the high school ranks to college coaching and was the basketball coach. Of course, in those days, two coaches is all that-- as a matter of fact, when I came to Buena Vista to teach and coach myself, there were just two of us, Dean Laun, and myself. So that was not unusual at all, but the football coach was a man by the name of-- [pauses to think] oh, let's see, the basketball coach was, I mentioned, was Al Dallager, and the football coach, I can't recall his name right at the moment, but both of them were very dedicated individuals, hard-nosed, I would say, with regard to their feeling that, you know, athletics should come first, and that they expected you to put forth a hundred percent effort all times.
JB: [00:11:36] And I think the one interesting incident that might be of some concern was the fact that we travelled then in a college-owned bus on all of our athletic trips. [slight laugh] And it was not uncommon at all for the coach to drive the bus. And the-- the particular basketball coach that I'm thinking about--I wish I could recall his name--I guess that's a sign of my age, too, but maybe I will before we're through. But in any event, he would drive, and in the wintertime it was not uncommon at all that we'd, for instance, go to Dubuque, and Loras College was in the conference at that time. And it was not uncommon that we'd play three straight nights in basketball, say, play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and then get in the bus after the game was over and drive all the way back to Storm Lake. So, needless to say, the trips were tiring, and the basketball coach had been a prize fighter, a boxer in his [slight laugh] early stages of his career, and so everybody was a little bit leery of-- of wanting to cross him [slight laugh] in any way. And I can recall that we'd have trouble. The bus was quite old, and oftentimes we had mechanical problems with it on the way home, and-- and so I remem-- remember more than one incident, we would have to maybe stop for a while and try to get help to come, and so forth, and-- and so the coach sometimes that this would occur, would fall asleep. And so we used to-- it kind of was a joke, and yet it really wasn't, in the sense that once we did get the help that we were looking for and so forth, why oftentimes, he still would be asleep, and no one really wanted to go in and try to wake him up. So, we'd roll the window down on the bus on the inside, and one [laughs] of the players would go around to the outside and reach in the window, if you can imagine, and shake him, in an effort to-- to try to wake him up. And so we had some-- I remember one other thing in connection with that, that the bus had rather a long seat in the back on each side, and we'd take old mattresses and just throw 'em down on the floor and-- and just pile in there, and try to get some sleep, if we could, on the way home from some of these longer trips. So it-- There were some interesting experiences.
SB: [00:14:10] What was it like to play in the Iowa Conference? Was it tough?
JB: [00:14:13] Yes, it was. It was a very good league. Much the same, I think, as far as competition is concerned as it is today, in that, oh, there were quite a number of players that went on and at least took part in professional athletics after they had had graduated. Or some of them left even before graduation. So-- oh, to mention a couple of the players, I know that Upper Iowa had some outstanding teams at that time. University of Dubuque had a black athlete at that time, which was very, very unusual, by the name of LeRoy Watts. Came out of the Chicago area and was-- was just an exceptionally fine basketball player and a great athlete. And-- but blacks at that time were, in fact, I think, he-- I'm sure, as a matter of fact, he was the only one in the conference and yet was accepted well, I thought, you know, and got along, but there were some some real good athletes, and the competition was very good then, too, it really was.
JB: [00:15:20] There was a little bit of a division, in the sense that there were more teams in the Iowa conference at that time, and it was divided into what some peo-- Well, it was actually called a North and South Division of the Iowa Conference. And since, of course, some of the schools have withdrawn, as you know, now the Iowa Conference is made up presently of eight teams. But now Loras is going to be coming in in 1986, and so, and then the conference will be made up of nine teams. But there were, oh, 13 or 14 teams and it was divided into a North and South Division.
SB: [00:15:51] Do you think training has changed significantly since the '30s?
JB: [00:15:53] Oh, I think so. I really do in the sense that, again, I think there is less opportunity for modern era players to keep themselves in, you know, in good physical conditioning in the sense that, you know, we ride everywhere practically, and-- and, you know, I'm no different than anyone else, but at those times, as I say, there were-- there wasn't the transportation and so forth that there is now, so-- There was a great deal more walking and riding bicycles and those kinds of things, and, as a result, I think that that it is more difficult today to actually maintain a level of physical fitness that is going to enable you to do the best you can, yeah.
SB: [00:16:43] As a coach [unintelligible]
JB: [00:16:47] Well, I-- That's a little bit hard to say. I probably would say-- would have to rank the win that we got in the regional tournament in Lisle, Illinois in 1981. It's probably the highlight when we-- our kids defeated Stanislaus State of California in the regional tournament, and they had-- they [Stanilaus State] had won the national tournament the year previous. And so, I think they took us too lightly, is what happened, and we were able to score on them early and got so far ahead that they just simply couldn't catch up. But we've had teams in the national tournament. 'Course we were members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics--NAIA--in those years. Whereas now, we're members of NCAA, which is another-- there are two national organizations, really, and the Iowa Conference, about five or six years ago, voted to go NCAA. And so, therefore, we severed relationships with NAIA, but we participated in the first NAIA National Baseball Tournament that was ever held, which is a memory that I'll hold for-- forever. And it was held at Alpine, Texas, in 1957. And we were fortunate enough to win the regional playoff out of Blair, Nebraska and got to go. We were one of six teams in the tournament. And though we didn't win it, we finished, I think, fourth. We did receive a sportsmanship trophy, which we still have, for which I'm proud, and so--.
JB: [00:18:32] There have been numerous highlights. We've been in numerous regional playoffs and-- and some of our players such as Danny Monzon up here, has played with the Minnesota Twins, and, of course, Larry Bittner, was with several major league clubs. Actually signed with the then- Washington Senators, and then was-- they became the Texas Rangers and then from there, he was traded to Montreal, and then from Montreal to the Chicago Cubs and finished his career with the Chicago Cubs. And we've had other players, of course, who have played some professional baseball but have not reached the major league status. But I've been fortunate in that I've had a lot of good players, and as I look back, many of them were, you know, of good character and the type of individual that you'd like to have work with your youngsters, I mean, if-- if the occasion should present itself.
SB: [00:19:29] Is there anybody now that you think could make it in the pros?
JB: [00:19:33] Well, I-- I think that's-- that's so difficult to say because everybody-- though there are certain general categories that you look at with regard to, first of all--[coughs] Excuse me. --the speed with which the player can run is of paramount importance today. And then, of course, they look for strength of arm, and they look for ability to hit the ball. I think that we probably have one or two players that would warrant the possibility, anyway, of being able to go on. But it's-- it's pretty uncertain, and again, as I say, not only do you have to have a lot of ability, but you've got to be in the right place at the right time for, you know, to get an opportunity a lot of times.
SB: [00:20:20] What have been your most frustrating and "slash" rewarding experiences?
JB: [00:20:26] Well, I think one of the things, if I were to try to pick out one thing that bothers me, I am very much concerned about use of alcohol and drug-related incidents, other drugs in relationship to athletics. And I just feel that, though we have made, I think, some progress with regard to things, those particular things, I still think we have a long ways to go. And it bothers me, in the sense that I don't think we've done as good a job as we perhaps should have done in working with young people and being able to relate to them. You know, the dangers and the things that are involved in the use of alcohol and drugs. I think, especially now, that our problems with alcohol are-- are even much greater than-- than other-- other types of drugs. I really do, in the sense that alcohol, or the use of it, is an accepted way of life. And, you know, be that as it may it doesn't alter the fact, you know, that many of the players that you have come from homes where it's accepted, you know, and it makes it very difficult for you to say, "Hey," you know, "there's no place." I have always told my athletes, you know, that if you can-- if you can indicate to me one way in which you're going to be better off for having consumed alcohol as an athlete, then I'll be willing to listen to you, but I don't think that you can do that. And yet, you know, as I say, you have to use some common sense, and-- and, you know, as we get older, myself included, I think we're more reluctant to change and so forth. And the era in which we live, as I say, alcohol is accepted, but that really bothers me, because, again, as I say, I see nothing but-- not true--some people can-- can imbibe, so to speak, and handle it, but you never can be sure whether you're going to be one of those or not, you see. And-- not so much from the standpoint of what it does for them as an athlete, although that's certainly very important to someone who's spent their life coaching. But, again, I see so much, oh, hardship and so forth that results later in life, you know, as a result of becoming an alcoholic. And having to deal with the problems there, so I guess that would be one of my biggest frustrations, it really would.
SB: [00:23:02] And a rewarding experience?
JB: [00:23:04] Well, I-- there I would say the kids that I've had that-- you know, it's an interesting point. Sometimes it isn't always the kid that you got along with exceptionally well that-- that remembers you. And this-- this kind of surprises me in a way, and yet, you know, we read accounts of those things almost every day, but somebody who maybe you had a confrontation with, oh, 5, 10, 15 years later, will write you, or maybe give you a call or something. Say, 'You know the difficulty we had?" "Yeah." "You were right," you know, and so those are the things that, at that time, you know, you say to yourself well, sometimes it's very easy to look on the negative side, you know, and say, well, I'm not getting much accomplished and so forth. But then you get a little, you know, highlight here or there that-- that kind of spurs you on and-- So I guess, really, when they-- in the final analysis, you know, if you can-- can feel even if you help just one individual, you know, why then you haven't wasted everything completely and so-- I've had some really exceptional young-- young people that I've worked with and-- and I really appreciate the opportunity that I've had to work with them, because, again, it's-- it's something that I'll remember forever, I know that.
SB: [00:24:33] Do you think students have changed since you went to school?
JB: [00:24:36] I-- I don't think-- I don't think a great deal. No, I really don't I-- I think what change there is, if there is some, has been necessitated again by, as I say, the difference in the change of living and so forth. And I still think when I talk with people now, you have exceptions, of course, but if you sit down and use common sense and talk with-- with young people, I think you'll find far more that-- that will, in the end, you know, see what you're trying to get across to them and-- and realize, you know, that, hey it's-- it is worthy of consideration. You won't-- it won't be true in every case, of course, but it isn't in anything, you know. And I think if we-- and I am myself-- I'm prone to, many times, you know, to express myself with regard to some negative things that have occurred, and yet, there are far more positive things, if you just stop and-- and-- and kind of say to yourself, Now, whoa, wait a minute, you know. Let's-- let's think of some of those others and there's far more of them than there are-- So, I think they're basically-- They-- they have similar desires, I think, you know, and-- and that type of thing. And, so, I don't see a great deal of change, no.
SB: [00:25:59] Thank you.
JB: [00:25:59] You're welcome. You bet.
Original Format
audio cassette
Duration
0:26:04
Bit Rate/Frequency
80 kbps
Time Summary
00:01:05 - Choosing Buena Vista College ;
00:02:46 - Student life in the 1930s ;
00:07:13 - Classes and professors at BV ;
00:10:32 - Coaches at BV ;
00:11:36 - A funny incident on the basketball bus ;
00:14:10 - Playing in the Iowa Conference ;
00:16:47 - BV switches from NAIA to NCAA ;
00:20:20 - Frustrating and rewarding experiences
00:02:46 - Student life in the 1930s ;
00:07:13 - Classes and professors at BV ;
00:10:32 - Coaches at BV ;
00:11:36 - A funny incident on the basketball bus ;
00:14:10 - Playing in the Iowa Conference ;
00:16:47 - BV switches from NAIA to NCAA ;
00:20:20 - Frustrating and rewarding experiences