One of the true pioneers in college basketball died yesterday.
Perry Wallace was a Nashville ballplayer who, in 1966, accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Vanderbilt University. He was the first African-American to play basketball in the Southeastern Conference. For that, he received a level of abuse few 17 to 22 year olds ever faced. He reacted with the same level of class and dignity as Jackie Robinson when he integrated baseball 20 years earlier.
Before he came to Vanderbilt, he played for Nashville Pearl and his team won the state basketball championship in the first year that the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association was integrated.. Most of his high school team played college ball and couple played in the NBA.
Mr. Wallace went on to obtain an engineering degree and later a law degree from Columbia University. He was an environmental lawyer and later a law professor. He was the subject on the book "Strong Inside" by Andrew Maraniss.
He played long before ESPN and so we followed him in person, on radio and occasionally on television. He was fun to watch and someone who was incredibly admirable for what he did. He was the only basketball player who didn't go to Marquette that I held in as high esteem as those who did!
Rest in peace Perry.
http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2017/12/01/perry-wallaces-impact-importance-cant-overstated/846677001/
