Muhlenberg College was founded in 1848 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as the Allentown Seminary by Samuel K. Brobst, a Reformed Lutheran minister. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Syracuse a Veteran coach Ben Schwartzwalder was musing about his Lack of depth recently. Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (Ben was a childhood nickname) had a major impact on the Syracuse University football program during his 25 years as head coach including winning a national championship in 1959. Finally, we got the scene where Ernie wants to give his jersey, with No. He coached high schools in West Virginia and Ohio 1933-41. Almost immediately, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder enlisted in the United States Army, earning his paratrooper wings as part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:55, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "'The Express' and the movie's connections to Parkersburg", by Jody Murphy. Director Gary Fleder uses Davis' football career to illustrate racial intolerance that Easterly and Whelan claim seldom existed for him. It doesnt break down in gender. He also wrestled and dodged a young coed who was just as fierce a competitor as he when it came to getting her man. Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. Ben Schwartzwalder. Syracuse football was coached at the time by Ben Schwartzwalder, a beloved figure on campus, who led the Orange to. Ben Schwartzwalder. Thats the reason I recruited Ernie, because he was a great, great player and it was starting to change. In 1941, he was coach of Canton McKinley High School in Ohio when, even though he was in his 30s, he commissioned in the US Army and fought in World War II. 1/11/2013. According to an email sent to SU's office of athletics communication and passed along to me, Schwartzwalder served in the same World War II unit and fought together during the D-Day invasion of Normandy with Penn State's Harry Edward Wagner, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate. They believed this practice restricted their talents and abilities and decreased the teams likelihood of winning games. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. You are using an out of date browser. After associate coaches ignored the players request to hire a black assistant for a year, one of the Syracuse 8, Greg Allen, met with head coach Schwartzwalder in spring 1969. The coach is also remembered through the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy which, goes to the winner of each game between West Virginia University (where he had played as a college student) and Syracuse University. After the United States entered World War II, Schwartzwalder joined the U.S. Army and served with the 507th Parachute Infantry of the famed Eighty-second Airborne Division. "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. Meanwhile, up in central New York, Syracuse was struggling for survival. Soon after being drafted No. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Ben and Ed trained together and most likely socialized with each other at unit functions and the officers' club. He didn't starve as a boy growing up but he knew what it was to want. Its also a genuine comeback for Fleder, who hasnt made a feature in five years (hes been directing TV pilots), and he finally seems poised to recapture the promise of his early career work on such films as Things To Do in Denver When Youre Dead and Kiss the Girls. Before Fleder began work on the film, he knew he had to have one key figure on board -- Jim Brown, who was a star running back at Syracuse in the 1950s, helped recruit Davis (after Brown left to play in the NFL) and later become an action film star and civil rights activist. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. He thought the first script was a little thin. How does one describe Ben Schwartzwalder? And they made Ben look like a racist, to me.". By 1941, he had earned a name for himself and was offered the head coaching job at Canton McKinley High School in Ohio, one of the top jobs in the Midwest. Schwartzwalder plays a prominent role in the battle. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. t: 1.315.443.2093f: 1.315.443.4083 scrc@syr.edu ", Easterly scoffs at that dramatic license. The public Ben Schwartzwalder often appeared to be a cross between a wounded bear and a crossed bull. He coached the 507th PIR football team, leading them through a ten-game season in which the 507th was never defeated and never even scored upon. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. In fact, he didnt even look at the original script. Under Bens leadership, SU produced 22 straight years of non-losing football. He coached the first African-American to win a Heisman Trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic and win a national championship. Chancellor John Corbally Records, University Archives. Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder (June 2, 1909 - April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse University, where he trained future National Football League stars such as Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy . Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. So the story is like you said -- its a big story and a small story. Parkersburg, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Schwartzwalder&oldid=1140633059, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:55. He also developed some of the most impressive running backs the game has ever seen Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. It's a scene included in tonight's world premier of "The Express" at the Landmark Theatre. He was the starting center at 152 pounds for the Mountaineers of coach Greasey Neale. What did Jim Brown say that made such a difference? Wiping Systems Market Is Likely To Boost In Upcoming Years. Ben Schwartzwalder . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . He had the same burning drive in 1973 as he did as a rookie coach back in West Virginia in 1933. On the Monday following a game, the coaches used to show the game films in Sadler Hall for anyone wishing to see them. Gary Fleder: I just want to make a film that has the essence of Ernie Davis. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor. The greatest part of Ernie Davis was that he could cross over lines. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield, his wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. While the regiment was stateside Capt. Schwartzwalder was born in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Gary Fleder: Did you feel it from the players? Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. But in real life, there are people -- white people -- who have done wonderful things because they were just good human beings. Casualties caused the 507th to regroup and reorganize. Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). Today Ed is buried with many of his fallen comrades from the 507th PIR in the beautiful US Military Cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy. "I have a strange feeling that in the years to come, officials, alumni and fans might finally realize what a tremendous asset Ben was. But what do you do when youve got these circumstances? He was also a military veteran. In addition to Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, he coached Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Larry Csonka through their college careers. [1] He coached high school football for six years in West Virginia a year at Sistersville High School, followed by the Parkersburg High School Big Reds football from 1936 to 1940[1] and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School[1] and won two state championships. I gave him the transcript of my talk with Jim and based on that, he said, Im in. Hearing Jim talk about the times was all he needed to convince him., Two and a half years later, after Fleder had a completed film -- with Rob Brown playing Davis and Dennis Quaid as Schwartzwalder -- Fleder returned to Browns house with a DVD of the film in his hands. I didnt know why people gave them money -- I didnt know any of that. Here's more about their relationship (all from the unknown emailer): He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. Notably, he coached the first African-American to win a Heisman trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship. After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178963 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated with an 110 record. Ben Schwartzwalder began his football career as a 95-pound high school freshman quarterback. Capt. "He was like a magnet to good things, always; polite, smart, a real personality," Whelan said. It was superficial and cloying and didnt give enough dimension to the story. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In fact, I never knew what being an alumnus was. The story grew each time it was told. Former Syracuse head coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (center with his arm around SU's Ger Schwedes, 16) was no stranger to a good fight including this one involving the Orange and Texas. Finally he called Brown, who lives here in L.A., and set up a meeting. He organized an athletic league from among the soldiers being assembled in England in preparation for D-Day in order to keep the troops motivated and fit. After talking to him, I knew we had a movie. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. He finally gets his chance in The Express, playing legendary Syracuse coach Ben. About coming to Syracuse, Schwartzwalder famously said: The alumni wanted a big-name coach. Even as a paratrooper, Schwartzwalder remained focused on his football career. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. When their request was not met, Greg Allen, Richard Bulls, John Godbolt, Robin Griffin (who only boycotted in the spring), Dana D.J. Harrell, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad (then known as Al Newton), and Duane Walker began their boycott of spring football practice. He also watched Spike Lees documentary, Jim Brown All-American, which offered more insight into the era. One other thought on that. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, and a Presidential Unit citation. It may not display this or other websites correctly. His primary recommendation for every injury was ice and rest. The basics. The student-athletes stated they would not return until the University hired a Black coach and addressed racial discrimination in starting assignments, the use of racist language by the coaching staff, racial disparities in disciplinary action, lack of academic support, and substandard medical care for all players. No. After associate coaches ignored the players request to hire a black assistant for a year, one of the Syracuse 8, Greg Allen, met with head coach Schwartzwalder in spring 1969.