- June 7, 2023
- Comments: 0
- Posted by: Sue Smith
American University In the end Recalls Dickie Wells
The new later Richard “Dickie” Wells is in the long run inducted for the school’s baseball hallway away from fame. Fifty-half a dozen years back he had been an excellent trailblazer and you will master on basketball courtroom. The institution is located in the latest far northwest corridor regarding Arizona, DC, in the intersection from Nebraska and you will Massachusetts Streams NW.
It was the past outpost of advanced schooling in the State’s Capitol. Westmoreland System try minutes off the Maryland suburbs that will force you to all of the points southern.
When students/athlete talked about losing sight of state to go to college or university he could have effortlessly come speaking of American University!
Benning Roadway try times from Kenilworth Method. This roadway contributed you to the fresh Baltimore/Washington Parkway making you all of the points north (New york city, etc).
He was a practically all-doing athlete at the Spingarn Highschool where he had been a starter and star into the sports and basketball organizations.
From inside the basketball he was an effective tenacious 
rebounder and you will defender, based on their teammate Andrew Johnson which was born in this new exact same neighborhood.
Andrew as well as recalls almost every other properties and you may characteristics you to made Dickie the newest better candidate to possess his groundbreaking role during the American School, he told you, “He was unselfish and you can coachable!” Dickie create often capture more youthful people lower than their wing and help her or him boost their sports event.
I remember I was one of those more youthful players exactly who gained from Dickie’s unselfish conclusion. As i arrive at Spingarn I became browsing hell during the a dash in which he turned my mentor.
Dickie was a starter with the 1956 Spingarn sporting events class one overcome the new epic QB Willie Wood and his Armstrong teammates 13-eight in order to win the fresh new Eastern Division Title. The fresh victory generated Spingarn the ability to see Cardozo HS having the fresh new DC Social Highschool Title.
Spingarn tied this new Clerks 0-0 but Cardozo try given the new championship into the a little used rather than heard of in advance of tie breaker program titled Penetration. This new code mentioned brand new winner within the a tied game ‘s the team one to crosses additional team’s 50 grass with greater regularity-winner Cardozo.
The latest consuming question is how performed Dickie Wells pick their method on to a campus on the other hand the town playing with merely public transit (bus)? It actually was a-two . 5 time ride for every single ways going and you may going to the latest school’s campus and home.
Enter into, American University Coach Dave Carasco. He could have effortlessly starred a prominent role on the Sidney Poitier film antique “Imagine Who is Arriving at Dinner!”
Plainly, Advisor Carasco had been seeing Dickie’s exploits just like the an excellent DC Societal Senior school runner and shortly after graduation the guy discover his treatment for their family to your Oklahoma Method, NE. Dickie existed individually nearby out-of Spingarn.
When Dickie graduated out-of Spingarn it had been nevertheless a time of “Municipal Uncertainty” recalls their big brother Ed Wells, a golf ball legend in the very own right. He had been a star pro during the Armstrong and you will New york Good T in the Greensboro, New york.
It actually was a few decades (1954) taken off Brown vs Board from Knowledge choice you to definitely outlawed segregation about social schools in the us.
Dickie’s teammate the fresh new late Spotswood Bolling are top honors plaintiff to have new DC Public school program it had been Bolling compared to DC Board out-of Studies.
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Your government Ed remembers you to several of their classmates in the North Carolina A good T was holding group meetings to discuss the potential for the today historic “Sit-ins” in the food stop of downtown Kreslers Four Dime store during the Greensboro.
He seated on Wells’ dinner table and you can spoke warmly of his attention out-of a good racially provided basketball program within American College. Just after multiple household visits and you will deep-fried poultry dinners he had been ready to convince Mrs. Wells you to definitely Dickie try best child to become listed on him inside their quest.