page_title: 1951–52 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
section_title: Racial integration
hierarchical_section_title: 1951–52 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team / Racial integration
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Don Eaddy This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1924 and 1963 and although there may or may not have been a copyright notice, the copyright was not renewed. Unless its author has been dead for the required period, it is copyrighted in the countries or areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada (50 pma), Mainland China (50 pma, not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 pma), Mexico (100 pma), Switzerland (70 pma), and other countries with individual treaties. See Commons:Hirtle chart for further explanation. Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| español&#160;| français&#160;| italiano&#160;| 日本語&#160;| 한국어&#160;| македонски&#160;| português&#160;| português do Brasil&#160;| русский&#160;| українська&#160;| 中文（台灣）‎&#160;| +/− This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1924 and 1977 without a copyright notice. See Commons:Hirtle chart for further explanation. Note that it may still be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties. Беларуская&#160;| Čeština&#160;| Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| Español&#160;| Français&#160;| Italiano&#160;| 日本語&#160;| Македонски&#160;| Nederlands&#160;| Português&#160;| Русский&#160;| Slovenščina&#160;| ไทย&#160;| +/−
context_page_description: The 1951–52 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate basketball during the 1951–52 season. In their fourth season under head coach Ernie McCoy, the Wolverines team compiled a 7–15 record and finished in a tie for eighth place in the Big Ten Conference. Senior Jim Skala was the team captain, leading scorer and Most Valuable Player. The team was notable as the first racially integrated Michigan basketball team with Don Eaddy and John Codwell becoming the first two African-American players.
context_section_description: The 1951–52 team was notable as the first Michigan men's basketball team to be racially integrated.  During the 1950–51 season, the Indiana Hoosiers became the first Big Ten basketball team to integrate with the addition of center Bill Garrett.  On January 9, 1951, Garrett became the first African-American to play at Yost Field House where he was "warmly applauded" by the fans.  In a letter to The Michigan Daily, members of the Inter-Racial Association protested the lack of integration at Michigan.  The letter said in part:
  "Garrett is the first Negro to break the color line which exists in all Big Ten sports except football and track. ...  Year after year Michigan has had top Negro football and track stars. ... Why has the University NEVER had a Negro on the basketball team? Why does this policy persist throughout the Big Ten?  The answers are obvious.  There is a deliberate and conscious policy of discrimination against Negro athletes. Or perhaps you will tell us where we err, Mr. Crisler?"
  Michigan coach Ernie McCoy responded by denying the accusation of discrimination.  McCoy noted that, in the prior 10 years, only one African-American, football star Len Ford, had tried out for the basketball team.  McCoy opined that Ford could have been a good basketball player, but noted that his obligations to the football team kept him from reporting on time and added that Ford had developed bad habits playing unorganized ball which he did not have time to erase in practice.
  On December 1, 1951, less than a year after the published criticism from Inter-Racial Association, Don Eaddy and John Codwell became the first African-American basketball players at Michigan.  In the opening game of the 1951–52 season, Eaddy "hit four long shots" for eight points against Central Michigan University, the first points scored by an African-American basketball player at Michigan.  Codwell also played in the opening game of the season and scored one point on a free throw.
  Eaddy appeared in all 22 games for the Wolverines during the 1951–52 season and was the team's third leading scorer with 188 points. He went on to score over 1,000 points in four years for the Wolverines.  He later played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs.
  Codwell was reportedly able to slam dunk the basketball with ease, and although he saw limited action in the 1951–52 season, he became one of the team's leading scorers with an average of 10.5 points per game during the 1952–53 season. Although he was able to break the race barrier on the basketball court, Codwell was barred from speaking at the Detroit alumni group's annual meeting at the University Club after the group found out he was African-American. One member sought to justify the decision: "It's not a question of being barred. It's just that the Club has never had any Negroes there before."
caption: Don Eaddy appeared in all 22 games and was the team's third leading scorer.
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