Behind the scenes movement to change a culture Integrating UK Basketball Special to the Courier-Journal by Don R. Mills, January 13, 2006 Former Gov. Edward T. "Ned" Breathitt, above right, joined UK Coach Adolph Rupp (seated), former Lt. Gov. Wilson Wyatt Sr., left, and Gov. Wendell Ford at a testimonial dinner in 1972. The late Edward T. "Ned" Breathitt played a significant role in attempting to integrate the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams when he served as governor from 1963-67. Breathitt, who then was chairman of the UK board of trustees, met with UK President John Oswald, asking him to push the idea with the athletic department and its coaches. Oswald agreed and saw the need. The governor, who also was attempting to get the legislature to pass a strong civil rights bill, felt the integration of the teams would not only help him in his effort but also would benefit Kentucky as a whole, because UK, at that time, was the only flagship university in the state. "Not only will it help the image of the state but it is the right thing to do," he said. Breathitt also was convinced that without action, federal assistance in grants from Washington might be put in jeopardy . After all, the University of Louisville had integrated its teams in 1962 and Western Kentucky University followed in 1963. At that time, Washington was flooding Kentucky with funds to build new college classrooms and dormitories, thanks to the programs pushed by President Lyndon Johnson. Rupp signed Tom Payne of Louisville, who became UK's first black basketball player. But Breathitt decided to do more than just talk to Oswald. He phoned two excellent Kentucky high school football players -- Greg Page of Middlesboro and Nat Northington of Louisville -- urging them to enroll at UK to play football. Breathitt and UK Coach Charlie Bradshaw were sucessful in that both accepted scholarships to play at UK. The governor even went to Northington's home in Louisville, met with his mother and was present when Northington signed his letter-of-intent in December 1965, becoming the first African American to sign with UK and the Southeastern Conference. Unfortunately, both players met with tragedy. Page, in a scrimmage at UK, broke his back, suffering severe spinal damage and, after weeks of hospitalization, died. Northington was injured later in a Louisville fire, forcing him to drop out of school. He subsequently played at Western Kentucky, where he graduated By the time Breathitt got involved in the effort to integrate the basketball team, Louisville's Wes Unseld, who was Kentucky's 1964 best player had already committed to play for the University of Louisville. It didn't help when Unseld was booed at the high school basketball tournament earlier in Lexington's Memorial Coliseum, either because his school was from the big city of Louisville or, as some thought, partly because he was African American. But, whatever the case, Breckinridge County's Butch Beard was another matter. Breathitt made an all-out effort the next year to get the state's No. 1 player to sign with UK, telephoning him and even meeting with him along with UK boosters at Spindletop Hall in Lexington. Shortly thereafter, Beard publicly signed with Louisville, saying he felt more welcome at U of L and could play closer to home. UK President John Oswald encouraged Breathitt's efforts to integrate. Why did Breathitt as governor get involved in the players' decisions to attend college? Didn't this attempt irk the Cardinal fans? Probably it did -- at least for those who knew about it. But Breathitt was dead serious in his effort to integrate the teams at UK. He felt the entire state would benefit. And Breathitt had another reason -- as governor, he was chairman of the board (because of a statute that has since been changed), which enabled him to get involved. While Breathitt was unsuccessful in helping integrate the UK basketball team, Coach Adolph Rupp did contact Beard, offering him a scholarship, as he earler did for Unseld. Both wanted a stronger commitment from Rupp, however. Finally, in 1969, Rupp signed Louisville's Tom Payne to play at UK, a welcome development, but a lingering delay that probably cost Rupp the opportunity to add to his four NCAA championships, last won in 1958, over the years he coached. [Payne later was convicted of rape in three states, and has spent much of his life in prison. -- Editor.] Now there is another concept. A new movie is out called "Glory Road," which opens today in theaters across the nation . It is based on the 1966 NCAA championshp game that pitted the all-white Kentucky team against an all-black Texas Western team that won, marking the end of a social stigma and proving that, yes, indeed, African Americans can play basketball. The aging Rupp, who looks older than he actually was at that time, is played by actor Jon Voight. The movie is neither flattering nor kind to either Rupp, UK or the state of Kentucky, but it could have been worse. [The writer is a former editor of the Lexington Herald and the Sunday Herald-Leader. He has held a number of public positions, including press secretary to former Gov. Edward T. "Ned" Breathitt and executive director of the state Public Service Commission.]