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Ohio Northern University

Did You Know? Ohio Northern plays Wilberforce in historic Men’s Golf matches in 1937

Did You Know? Ohio Northern plays Wilberforce in historic Men’s Golf matches in 1937
September 18, 2020

| Klondike's Did You Know? page |

On April 26, 1937, Wilberforce downed Ohio Northern 9-3 in a historic match that was the first collegiate men's golf match between a predominantly black school and a predominantly white school.

Both schools fielded their school's first golf teams that year, but Ohio Northern was the only school to agree to play Wilberforce that season, due to racial problems of the day.

WU won both matches in 1937 by identical 9-3 scores, once in Dayton on April 26 at Fairmont Country Club, and again on May 18 at Lost Creek Country Club in Lima.

Ohio Northern finished its 1937 season under legendary head coach Clyde Lamb, with a 2-5-1 record.

The two schools played for a third time in a historic rematch on April 13, 2002, with ONU winning 313-383 at the Clearview Golf Club in East Canton.

Hon. Joseph Malone (Ohio Northern '40) and William Powell (Wilberforce '37) hit ceremonial tee shots to begin the celebration of that historic match 65 years prior.

Judge Malone (then 86) and Mr. Powell (then 85) were the only two surviving players in 2002 of the 1937 contests.

The match was played at Mr. Powell's Clearview Golf Club because he was the first African-American to design, build and own his own golf course in the United States. Clearview Golf Club was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Match 1 - April 26, 1937 - Fairmont Country Club, Dayton
Wilberforce 9, Ohio Northern 3

1. Schultz (ONU) def. B. Powell (WU), 3-0
2. W. Powell (WU) def. Malone (ONU), 3-0
3. Broadus (WU) def. Neiswander (ONU), 3-0
4. Galloway (WU) def. Smull (ONU), 3-0

Match 2 - May 18, 1937 - Lost Creek Country Club, Lima
Wilberforce 9, Ohio Northern 3

1. B. Powell (WU) def. Malone (ONU), 3-0
2. W. Powell (WU) def. Hay (ONU), 3-0
3. Smull (ONU) def. Broadus (WU), 3-0
4. Galloway (WU) def. Kennedy (ONU), 3-0

Match 3 - April 13, 2002 - Clearview Golf Club, East Canton
Ohio Northern 313, Wilberforce 383

1. Troy Hunsicker (ONU) 37-34—71, 2. Billy Fischer (ONU) 39-40—79, 3. Reid Moore 33-48—81, 4. Matt Eley (ONU) 38-44—82, David Parr (ONU) 43-41—84, 6. Patrick Walker (WU) 43-49—92, 7. Harold White (WU) 44-49—93, 8. Michael Beckett (WU) 50-47—97, 9. Loren Lash (WU) 48-53—101.