Western School Ultimately Remembers Dickie Wells
Brand new later Richard “Dickie” Wells is finally inducted into school’s baseball hall of glory. Fifty-half a dozen years back he was a beneficial trailblazer and you will leader for the baseball court. The institution is located in the fresh new much northwest passageway from Washington, DC, during the intersection of Nebraska and you can Massachusetts Avenues NW.
It had been the Cougar rencontre site very last outpost out of advanced schooling in the Nation’s Capitol. Westmoreland Network was times from the Maryland suburbs that could cause you to most of the items southern area.
Whenever a student/athlete chatted about moving away from condition to visit college or university the guy possess easily been these are Western College!
Benning Road is actually minutes off Kenilworth Opportunity. That it street led one new Baltimore/Washington Parkway making you all of the situations northern (New york city, etc).
He had been a virtually all-doing runner within Spingarn High school where he was a beginner and you may celebrity on the recreations and you may basketball organizations.
For the basketball he was a great tenacious rebounder and you will defender, based on their teammate Andrew Johnson exactly who was born in brand new exact same area.
Andrew together with remembers other attributes and you will attributes you to generated Dickie brand new most useful applicant to have their pioneering role on Western College, the guy told you, “He was unselfish and coachable!” Dickie manage commonly get younger people below their wing and help them improve their sports experience.
I remember I became one of those more youthful athletes just who gained away from Dickie’s unselfish behavior. Once i reach Spingarn I became gonna hell for the a run and he turned my personal coach.
Dickie try a beginner into 1956 Spingarn sports team you to defeat this new legendary QB Willie Wood with his Armstrong teammates thirteen-seven to win new East Section Title. New earn received Spingarn the ability to see Cardozo HS for brand new DC Public Twelfth grade Title.
Spingarn tied up the Clerks 0-0 however, Cardozo try approved the fresh new title with the a small made use of and not observed prior to link breaker system called Penetration. The brand new laws mentioned the winner when you look at the a tied up games ‘s the group one crosses others team’s 50 grass more often-winner Cardozo.
The newest burning question for you is how did Dickie Wells see their ways on to a campus on the other hand the town using simply public transit (bus)? It actually was a two . 5 time trip per ways heading and arriving at this new school’s campus and you will back.
Go into, American School Mentor Dave Carasco. He may keeps easily played a leading role on Sidney Poitier movie vintage “Assume That is Visiting Dinner!”
Plainly, Advisor Carasco ended up being enjoying Dickie’s exploits since the a great DC Societal Senior school athlete and you may just after graduation the guy discovered their means to fix his house to your Oklahoma Method, NE. Dickie lived physically nearby regarding Spingarn.
When Dickie finished away from Spingarn it had been still a time of “Civil Uncertainty” recalls his big brother Ed Wells, a basketball legend in the very own best. He had been a celebrity player within Armstrong and you can North carolina A good T inside the Greensboro, New york.
It absolutely was just a couple of ages (1954) taken off Brownish compared to Board regarding Knowledge decision that outlawed segregation about personal colleges in america.
Dickie’s teammate the brand new later Spotswood Bolling are top honors plaintiff to own new DC Public-school system it actually was Bolling against DC Panel out-of Studies.
Such as this:
Your government Ed remembers one to a number of their class mates within North Carolina A T was carrying meetings to discuss the possibility of the fresh today historic “Sit-ins” on food stop of the downtown area Kreslers Five Dime-store from inside the Greensboro.
The guy seated during the Wells’ dining room table and you may talked passionately regarding his vision of an effective racially included basketball program during the Western College. Immediately after several family visits and you may deep-fried chicken foods he had been able to persuade Mrs. Wells that Dickie was ideal boy to participate your inside the his quest.