Quick, can you name the location of the first modern YMCA building for African Americans? How about the name of a future general and president who helped coach Ft. Benning’s Doughboys football team to an all-Army championship? Or where 15-year-old Jack Nicklaus finished 13th at the International Jaycee junior tournament in 1955?
If you answered (in order) Columbus, Georgia; Dwight D. Eisenhower; and the Columbus Country Club, then you would be correct. These interesting stories and many more are part of a new exhibit at the Columbus Museum continuing now through March 17, 2017. Field of Play, Sports in the Chattahoochee Valley, highlights sports history of the region using photos, sports equipment, memorabilia, and other artifacts from the past and present.
The exhibit is the culmination of an idea developed by the museum’s Curator of History, Rebecca Bush.
“It was something I wanted to do when I came here four years ago,” Bush said. “I’m a fan of sports, and I thought it would have a popular appeal. The board members encouraged me to pursuit the idea. We’ve been planning in earnest for this show for two years.”
In order to produce the caliber of exhibit Bush envisioned, she and the staff of the museum realized they needed to reach out to the community. Columbus Museum had many artifacts in storage that have been used for Field of Play. The rest of the items in the show are on loan, donated, or borrowed for the duration of the exhibit.
The museum’s call for assistance resulted in locating artifacts from the earliest of days up until the most recent sporting events. Columbus State University, Muscogee County School District, the Chattahoochee Valley Hall of Fame, The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame participated in the project. Individuals also provided personal memorabilia for the show, including rarely seen before photos and unique sports apparel.
All combined, the show highlights sporting events from horse racing to hockey. Every high school in Muscogee County is represented in some form as well as Alabama schools Central High and Glenwood. Notable local sports legends who have a spot in the show include golfer Larry Mize; baseball player Frank Thomas; and Phenix City, Alabama, native and Olympic athlete Harvey Glance.
Some of the stories portrayed in the exhibit might have been well-known at one time but have since faded in recognition. For instance, Fort Benning’s Gowdy Field is named after Hank Gowdy, who was the first MLB player to enlist in World War I. During World War II, Gowdy served as athletic director at Fort Benning.
In 1948, NASCAR held five events at the Columbus Speedway, which was located in the area off Blackmon Road in north Columbus. And Columbus native George M. Odom was a Hall of Fame jockey who got his start at Exposition Park. Also known as the Driving Park, it was originally located on the site that is now Memorial Stadium, which was named to honor soldiers killed in World War I.
Bush says when she first presented the idea of the show, she had no idea of the extent of Chattahoochee Valley’s sports history. A native of Kansas, she has learned a lot about the area from her research and better understands the community pride in sports and the athletes who have connections to the region. She has also become partial to a few of the artifacts that are part of Field of Play.
“This is one of my favorites,” Bush said as she pointed to a sepia-tone photo featuring a line of women posing for the camera. “Columbus was a mill town. This is a photo of the Schwob Manufacturing Company softball team. It just goes to show that sports are an important way of life in many different ways. Sports also provide cultural relationships.”
Another one of Bush’s favorites is a photo of the 1911 YMCA Jr. Champs, the Columbus Reds basketball team and their coach. Indicating the tall young man on the left side of the line-up, she revealed the player’s identity.
“That’s Nunnally Johnson,” Bush said.
Johnson was born in Columbus and graduated from Georgia Tech. It is rumored he wanted to be a professional baseball player, but he is probably best known for writing the screenplay for the adaption of John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath” for film. Nunnally was nominated for two Academy Awards for his screenplays. He had a long career in Hollywood before his death in 1977.
Speaking of professional baseball, Field of Play gives space to Golden Park, which was built in 1926 and has been home to various minor league teams over the years. Many outstanding athletes have passed through the area by way of playing on the field at Golden Park. The Kansas City Monarchs, an affiliate of the Negro American League, used the facility as a neutral site from 1957 to 1961, and it was also the 1996 Olympic Softball venue.
In addition to such impressive stories from the past, the local show features memorabilia from the current ice hockey team, The Columbus Cottonmouths, and arena football team, The Columbus Lions.
The opening of the show was held with a tailgate reception on April 3. Lunch and Learn sessions and other promotional activities have been scheduled throughout the year-long exhibit. For more information about Field of Play, Sports in the Chattahoochee Valley, contact the Columbus Museum or visit the museum’s website, www.columbusmuseum.com
Columbus Valley/June 2016
Field of Play Exhibition
Columbus Museum
Museum Exhibition Highlights Rich Sports Heritage in Chattahoochee Valley
By Beth Welch
Photos by George McDuffie/Courtesy of Columbus Museum
