Harry Ward (athlete)

Harry G. "Wu Fang" Ward (1900 – May 26, 1965) was an American college and professional athlete in the 1920s and 1930s.

Harry Ward
PositionTailback, Placekicker
Personal information
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight183 lb (83 kg)
Career history
CollegeWilberforce University 1923-1928
Harry "Wu Fang" Ward
Outfielder
Professional debut
1934, for the Cincinnati Tigers
Teams

College career

Football

Ward teamed up with Halley Harding at Wilberforce University as a running back and placekicker. Called upon heavily during games, he was described in one account as a "consistent gainer" with "the speed of a Mercury."[1] In 1925, Ward experienced a breakout season, running for 98 yards in a single quarter against Linden Center in Dayton, Ohio and scoring three touchdowns against Lincoln. He scored an additional three touchdowns against Kentucky State, gathering the attention of Pittsburgh Courier, which stated "Ward is never completely stopped. Aside from his running, Ward is a deadly tackler, a good punter, a good passer, and is first on the interference."[2] At the end of the season, Ward was named to the fullback position of the newspaper's very first All-American team.[3] In 1926 he missed time due to injuries from running a nail into his hand.,[4] but stayed true to form when he was on the field, scoring a 98 yard touchdown during a 16–0 win over Bluefield Institute.[2] He made national headlines again in late October when he intercepted a pass and scored an 80 yard touchdown in a 7–0 win over Lincoln at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.[5] Ward wrapped up his college football career on Thanksgiving Day in 1928, kicking a game-tying field goal in the closing moments of a 13–13 tie against West Virginia State in Cleveland.[6]

Basketball

In 1925, Ward was named captain of the basketball team at Wilberforce,[7] playing at the forward, guard, and center positions.

Track and field

On the track and field team at Wilberforce, Ward participated in the shot put and discus throws, running broad jump, and sprinting events. He also took part in relay events, running the 220 yard dash in less than 23 seconds.[8][2] At the YMCA Invitational meet in Springfield, Ohio in May 1924, Ward won the shot put and discus events with a throws of 39 feet, 6 inches and 87 feet, 9 inches respectively.[2]

Baseball

Ward also played first base and pitched for Wilberforce's baseball team. On April 26, 1926, Ward had a career day at the plate against Defiance College, hitting a home run on a full count and later knocking in two more runs with a walk off inside the park home run.[2]

Other sports

In 1924 the Baltimore Afro-American called Ward "the Jim Thorpe of today," noting his abilities in tennis, wrestling, and gymnastics in addition to his baseball, football, and basketball exploits.[9]

Coaching

In 1930, Ward was named to the football coaching staff at Wilberforce, specializing in the backfield.[10]

Professional basketball career

In 1926, Ward joined former Olympian and fellow Cincinnati native DeHart Hubbard on the Chester Comets, a Black Fives era team that played in Cincinnati.[11] Ward and Hubbard were briefly courted by the Baltimore Athenians, a barnstorming club, but neither signed with the team.[12] Ward continued to team up with Hubbard on several local teams including the Cincinnati Cardinals[13] and Cincinnati Lion Tamers.[2] In addition to his time in the Queen City, he also spent time with Cumberland Posey's Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Loendi Five clubs.[14]

Baseball career

Springfield Eddie's Tailors

Following college, Ward played shortstop and right field for "Eddie's Tailors" of Springfield, Ohio.[15]

Excelsior Nine

Ward played on basketball teammate DeHart Hubbard's Cincinnati Excelsior Nine amateur baseball team, an early forerunner to the Cincinnati Tigers. Ward returned to manage the team in 1943.[16]

Cincinnati Tigers

Ward moved with multiple core players from Excelsior to the new Cincinnati Tigers, also created and owned by Hubbard.[17] In 1934, Ward hit a documented .478 in seven games for the Tigers of the Negro Southern League, though complete data is sparse.[18] By October, Ward was identified as the Tigers' manager.[19] Ward remained with the club in 1935. Among his highlights in 1935 was a three hit game against the Memphis Red Sox, including a home run and a base hit that put advanced Neil Robinson into scoring position.[20]

Umpiring

After concluding his playing career, Ward worked as an umpire in the Cincinnati area, for both the Negro Leagues and local teams.[21] He umpired the 1944 Negro World Series between the Homestead Grays and Birmingham Black Barons,[21] and in 1945 he was chosen to work the East-West All-Star Game in Chicago, which featured Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella.[3] In July 1945, Ward was honored during pregame ceremonies of a Cincinnati Clowns-Memphis Red Sox game for his "long and meritorious career as an arbiter".[22]

Personal life

Upon graduation from Wilberforce, Ward taught at the Douglass School,[23] one of the only schools available for African American children in Cincinnati at the time.[24] He also worked at the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati Milling Machine Company, and Ohio State Liquor Department.[23] On April 18, 1927 he married Sephronia Simpson in Newport, Kentucky. They had two children.[25]

Death and legacy

On May 29, 1965, Ward collapsed and died at the Hamilton County Courthouse, where he worked in Cincinnati, the day after umpiring a baseball game. He was remembered as a "leader in promoting youthful athletic activities in the Queen City" and left behind a wife, two daughters, and four grandchildren. Ward was 64 years old.[23] He was interred at United American Cemetery in Cincinnati.[23] In 1975, Cincinnati sportswriter and broadcaster Dick Bray wrote of Ward, "it has always been of the writer's opinion that Harry Ward would have been the first Black ballplayer had the rules been the same as they were when Jackie Robinson became eligible to perform in the Major Leagues."[26] In 1988, Ward was briefly profiled in "The Cincinnati Game", a book about the history of baseball in Cincinnati.[17]

References
  1. "Wilberforce Beats Lincoln 7-0". Pittsburgh Courier. October 30, 1926 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Chalk, Ocania (1976). Black college sport. New York: Dodd, Mead. ISBN 0-396-07023-X. OCLC 1975274.
  3. Sokol, Jay (January 6, 2010). "Harry Ward of Wilberforce University – A Star for All Seasons – Black College Nines". Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. "Rain, Thunder, Lighting Sweep Grid as Wilberforce Beats Simmons "11"". Pittsburgh Courier. October 23, 1926 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Lincoln Bows to Wilberforce, 7-0". Baltimore Afro-American. October 30, 1926 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  6. "Toe Saved 'Force". Baltimore Afro American. December 8, 1928 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  7. "Wu Fang Ward is Captain of 'Force' Quint". Pittsburgh Courier. December 19, 1925 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Athletics at Wilberforce". Richmond Planet. Richmond, VA. May 24, 1924 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  9. "Wilberforce has Great Athlete". Baltimore Afro American. September 19, 1924.
  10. "'Force Expects Best Football Season". Baltimore Afro American. September 27, 1930 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  11. "DeHart Hubbard Goes West". Pittsburgh Courier. November 6, 1926 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Kuska, Bob (2004). Hot potato : how Washington and New York gave birth to Black basketball and changed America's game forever. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. ISBN 0-8139-2263-1. OCLC 52937877.
  13. "Hubbard's 5, Junior Order Clash Tonight". Hamilton Daily News Journal. Hamilton, OH. December 30, 1933 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  14. Overmyer, James (2020). Cum Posey of the Homestead Grays : a biography of the Negro League's owner and hall of famer. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4766-3484-5. OCLC 1138030016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. "Eddie's Tailors to Meet Florida Ball Club Sunday at Dunn Field". Springfield News-Sun. July 8, 1928.
  16. "Acme to Play Twice Sunday". Dayton Daily News. June 5, 1943 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Wheeler, Lonnie (1988). The Cincinnati game. John Baskin. Wilmington, Ohio: Orange Frazer Press. ISBN 0-9619637-1-9. OCLC 18367258.
  18. Plott, William J. (2015). The Negro southern league : a baseball history, 1920-1951. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-0-7864-7544-5. OCLC 907976278.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  19. "Final Game Today". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 7, 1934 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Tigers Break Even". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 31, 1935 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Wilberforce Immortal Wufang Ward, Honored". Call and Post. March 30, 1957 – via NewspaperArchive.
  22. "Clowns Play Red Sox at 8:30 PM". The Cincinnati Post. July 27, 1945 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. "Obituary for Harry Ward (Aged 64)". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 29, 1965 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "Douglass School | African American Resources | Cincinnati History Library and Archives". library.cincymuseum.org. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  25. "Harry Ward, "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954"". FamilySearch. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  26. "Yesterday's Sports Heroes Recalled". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 27, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
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