We are all familiar with those who broke the color barrier, Jackie Robinson for major league baseball, Kenny Washington in the NFL, Earl Lloyd in the NBA.
Did you know that Emporian Paul Terry was the first African American in the state of Kansas to play basketball at an all-White school?
As a sophomore in 1933-34, he would be the 6th man on a team that would win a state championship. The Head Coach for the Spartans Alfred Smith, the father of Dean Smith, asked Terry to join the team.
Unfortunately due to a Kansas law that legalized segregation Paul Terry was not allowed to play in that state championship game. A game Emporia High won 22-15 over Wichita East.
Terry was quoted in Dean Smiths book “A Coaches life” saying he took some verbal abuse from other players and fans during that season.
Terry would go on to earn a degree from the Kansas State Teachers College, which is now Emporia State.
3 of his sons, John, Martin, and Charles would play college basketball.
Paul Terry was inducted into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006, he was one of the first to break the color barrier in Kansas High School athletics.
Now you know
