'Beacon of hope': Community honors All-American football star and activist Duke Slater

Hawkeye football legend Duke Slater broke down racial barriers and became one of the best football players of his time, and it was due to his relentless will, talent and likable personality. His success as a football player eventually led to him becoming a lawyer and eventually a judge, but no matter how successful he got, he was always finding ways to give back to his community. Here in the small river town of Clinton, legend of Frederick Wayman Slater, better known as Duke, began to form. He and his family moved to the area when he was 13 years old, and he made his mark in more ways than one. Some still remained to this day. This actually was originally the attic of the Roosevelt School. We have two signatures from Fred Slater. We have one here where he fit it all into one brick. Field Duke was a spectacular talent and helped Clinton High School win two state championships. Off the field he was a well-rounded student. Well, he was a very good student here. He was also in the drama club. He performed in a couple of plays. His can do attitude and joyous spirit made him well liked by many of his peers. Duke Slater had a tremendous personality. People really loved him. I mean, when people were around Dukes later, they couldn't help but like him and I think particularly when he was playing. Football, to be a a black man in that era, playing football, he faced a lot of prejudice. There were a lot of late hits and cheap shots and things of that nature. And they said that Duke Slater, the smile never left his face. He was always someone who just always had good humor and he was able to diffuse situations that might have been problematic for other people, both because of his personality and also because most of the time he was the biggest and strongest person on the field. And those things he was able to use to. To battle the the the prejudice at the time. Ohh his talents led him to the University of Iowa where he played football from 1918 to 1921. During his time as a Hawkeye, he was a three time all Big 10 selection and a two time all American. In a time where racism created constant barriers for African Americans in all aspects of life, Duke continue to defy the odds and blaze the path for other African American players to follow. In 1922, Duke became the first African American. Lineman in the NFL and went on to play ten seasons where he was a seven time all pro. He was a terrific football player. He really was in his day, widely regarded as one of the greatest lineman to ever play the sport. That's what Duke is best remembered for, but what he went on to achieve after his football career was just as remarkable. While he was still in the NFL, he was also pursuing a law degree from Iowa, which he earned in 1928. From there he went on to become a lawyer and practiced in the Chicago area 20 years later. He became the second black judge elected to the Cook County Municipal Court, and by 1960 he became the first black judge elevated to the Chicago Superior Court. Through all this, Duke was actively working for the advancement and empowerment of minorities in the United States. He was also instrumental in advising the president to ban segregation in the armed forces, which is a tremendous step after the World War Two of creating a democracy not only for Europe but also here in the United States, and actually put the words of the Constitution into actual effect, how they affected. Minority groups who were being discriminated against and gave them a vehicle to be heard and acknowledged for their importance and the dignity of a human being. His community was always at the center of everything he did, and he made it a point to give back and mentor the next generation. And he's someone that in every aspect of his life he strived to be the very best he could. And I think that we he should be looked upon as a beacon of hope. For a while, it seemed Duke's legacy was being forgotten. With every passing year, but the Duke Slater Memorial Statue Committee is making sure his legacy lives on in Clinton. They're installing a life sized statue of Duke across from Clinton High School. The statue will be overlooking the football field and we should think is an aspiration for young people seeing that to say if he can achieve it, I can achieve it too. In addition, there'll be establishing a scholarship fund in his name. You see, playing football was what he did, but it didn't define who he was. Was and what he was. That's more important than making a special block to win the big game against Notre Dame. And and you know, being one of the greatest Hawkeyes of all time, that again this is a man of huge character and this is something our community should be able to hang their hat on. Old in the courtroom or spending time with people in his community, Dukes character always has and continues to shine through. Insulator was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. We know shortly after that they named the field after him at Iowa Duke Slater Field and then now we're getting the statue which I believe is set to be installed in 2024. So it's great to to see him being honored. It seemed kind of like his story was forgotten for a while, but now people are like in his community of Clinton, are really making the effort to make sure his story doesn't get forgotten and what an important story it is. Just on the field, off the field, all the obstacles. He overcame and leading the way for other people to live better lives, too. Remarkable man. Absolutely. Rena, thank you so much for.