IN SR0047

Indiana Senate recognizes John R. Wooden for his stand against segregation in 1947 and contributions to Hoosier basketball.

In 1947, Coach Wooden turned down an invitation for Indiana State Teacher's College (Indiana State University) to participate in the NAIB tournament because African-American player Clarence Walker would have been excluded.

In response to Wooden's decision, several other schools declined the tournament invitation in protest, leading the NAIB to allow integrated teams to compete in 1948.

On March 9, 1948, Walker became the first black player to compete in the NAIB tournament, followed by three teams bringing black players the following year and City College of New York winning both the NIT and NCAA tournaments in 1950 with two black starters.

Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of the resolution to Indiana State University.