OVC Celebrates Black History Month

The month of February marks the annual observance of Black History Month. During this month we will feature stories of pioneers and leaders from OVC member institutions who paved and continue to pave the way for future generations of student-athletes and administrators.

Dr. Marshall Banks was the first African American to receive athletic financial aid at Morehead State and first to play in the OVC.

After attending Booker T. Washington High School in Ashland, Ky., Banks enrolled at Morehead State in 1958. He was a member of the Eagle basketball team, earning financial aid from the school as the first black athlete to ever be awarded financial aid. Soon after, Morehead State and the rest of the OVC began offering aid to more African American athletes, essentially owing the changes in policies to Banks' admittance.

He participated in basketball for a year and a half and then was approached by MSU track coach Earl Bentley. Banks joined the track and field program even though he had never run track before, but he became an all-conference performer.

Banks graduated with his bachelor's degree from Morehead State in 1962 and made history again in 1966. He returned to his alma mater to be the head coach of the track and field program, thus becoming the first African American in any sport to be a head coach in the OVC.

Banks, who was a member of the Dean's List, attributed much of his academic success to Morehead State, and never recalled an incident in the classroom.
 
But Banks did experience resistance outside the classroom. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had not yet been passed, and many hotels and restaurants in the South refused to accommodate African-Americans.  When he was a member of the basketball team his freshman and sophomore years, he was not allowed to travel to many of the away games because separate accommodations were not made.
 
Similarly, Banks recalled an incident on a road trip to the conference championship at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
 
"When we were ready to check into the hotel in Murfreesboro, the owner came out when he noticed that I was with the team," Banks stated recalling the incident.  "The owner said 'Coach you didn't tell me Banks was with you.' One of my stipulations for continuing to run track was that I would be able to travel."
 
To further the situation, Banks was also forced to eat in the kitchen of a local restaurant with the African-American kitchen staff.  "The rest of the team were extremely upset by this and wanted to go home," Banks continued. "But I said no, we were here for the championships and we are staying."  
 
Banks also recalled this event later when he was watching basketball on TV.
 
"I was watching NCAA basketball some years later and Middle Tennessee State was on," Banks began. "The irony was here I was in the early 1960s trying to be a groundbreaker in the OVC and struggling to change the situation. And now I turn on the TV and Middle Tennessee State was starting five black athletes. And I looked at that and realized I did make a difference adding black athletes to the Ohio Valley Conference."

Banks earned his Master's Degree from the University of Illinois in 1963, where he also served as an assistant track and field coach while working on his Doctorate. He earned that PhD in 1973.

Banks went on to serve as Associate Professor in the Recreation Education Department at SUNY (N.Y)-Cortland in 1973 and 1974 and then was an associate professor in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Colorado from 1974-78.

At Howard University in Washington, DC, he was a tenured position and Chairman of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation for two terms, 1978-89 and 1993-99. After 34 years of service, he retired from Howard in 2012 as a Professor Emeritus.

Banks was inducted into the Morehead State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987 and received the University's Founder's Day Award in 2008.

Banks passed away this week at the age of 80 in October 2020.