Hall of Fame
Ben Price, Bob Scott, Irvin Lewis and Jack Jackson were pioneers in the field of intercollegiate athletics, not only at Eastern Kentucky University but nationally as well, by becoming the first African-American athletes to compete for an intercollegiate athletics team in our University's history. In addition to being pioneers in breaking the color barrier, they were also very talented in their event in which they competed on the EKU men's track team -- the mile relay. Over a two-year period, they compiled a remarkable 22-3 record in the mile relay, including running a school-record 3:35.2 in placing second in the prestigious Mason-Dixon games at Louisville's Freedom Hall before 9,200 spectators. They later eclipsed the school record three other times that season, dropping it 3:25.1 in a regular-season victory over Tennessee Tech. Eastern finished fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference meet as Bob Scott was EKU's high-point man in that meet by finishing second in the mile and 440-yard dash relays and third in the individual 440-yard dash. The following season, Eastern finished third in the Mason-Dixon games with a time of 3:29.2. Ben Price and Jack Jackson were leaders that season as Price posted best times in the 440 and 880-yard dashes, while Jackson was running in the 100, 220 and 440-yard dashes in addition to their work on the mile relay team. The only dual meet loss that season was to Cincinnati and the year was highlighted by a 71.3-64.3 win over Vanderbilt. Jackson went on to tie the school record in the 100-yard dash when he ran a 9.7 against Union as the mile relay team cut nearly six seconds off the school record for that event. In 1963, Jackson became the first African-American athlete to ever compete on the Vanderbilt University campus in any sport.
