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October 23, 2006

Gautt gets his due as OU legend

By Bruce Campbell Commentary

It was good to see the memory of Prentice Gautt honored Saturday at halftime of the Oklahoma-Colorado football game.

It’s the 50th anniversary of Gautt breaking the color barrier at OU. The university announced a new endowed scholarship in Gautt’s name Saturday.

“Prentice Gautt, through his personal integrity and moral courage, has left a lasting impact on the University of Oklahoma,’’ said OU President David Boren in a press release. “His example will continue to inspire the university family for years to come.’’

So true.

Gautt came to OU only two years after the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed school segregation.

He had to win over teammates, who had come from a segregated environment.

Brewster Hobby, in the book “The Undefeated,’’ was quoted as overhearing teammates calling Gautt the “N’’ word, and how they got some cheap shots on him in a practice.

Gautt suffered the indignity of not being served when the OU freshmen team stopped for dinner at a Tulsa restaurant after a game with TU. The rest of his teammates walked out with him.

How lonely it must have been for him to virtually be the only African-American on campus. Oklahoma, while not Mississippi, was a racist environment. The Daily Oklahoman once had an editorial entitled “The “N’’ in the woodpile.

Gautt, though, went on.

He not only became a two-time All-Big Eight player for the Sooners, but eventually would earn a PhD from the University of Missouri in psychology.

The OU athletic department’s academic center at the stadium is named after him. It’s too bad the stadium couldn’t be named after him. His contributions to OU far exceed those of the moneybags of the Gaylord family.



Campbell is a News & Eagle sports writer

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