AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FOOTBALL PIONEER FROM IOWA

When thinking of Iowa, most Americans imagine waves of corn fields blowing in the wind, a field of dreams, or the start of a Presidential campaign.

Few think of Iowa's contribution to the history of African-Americans in football, yet Iowa was one place where a small number of African-Americans made a significant contribution.

A few of these are known: Iowa State's football stadium is named for Jack Trice who played for the school in 1923;  Sol Butler, a former world record holder in the long jump played football for the University of Dubuque in 1919 and 1920;  Duke Slater starred at the University of Iowa between 1918 and 1922 and was elected in the inaugural class to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.