Hill, Damon H

From SWC Oral History Collection
Revision as of 13:52, 2 July 2019 by Elissa (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Damon Hill, former Dunbar High School athletic coach, talks about his career, his involvement with Texas Tech football coach Pete Cawthon, and various aspects of Lubbock’s black community during the 1930s and 1940s, including the significance of "Juneteenth." Mrs. Hill also comments on the last two tapes.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Damon H. Hill

Additional Parties Recorded: Mrs. Hill

Date: April 21, 1969; June 16 and 25, 1975

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Robert Foster, Etta Lynch, David Murrah.

Length: 3 hours, 20 minutes


Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Damon Hill’s job as all-sports coach and agriculture, teacher at Lubbock’s Dunbar school (1937-1950), Development of the Wheelock area (c. 1937), Busing of students from servants’ quarters in white sections to black schools, Movement of blacks out of servants’ quarters and into black residential areas, Necessity of blacks to build their own businesses, Black school facilities and equipment, Tells of a bus accident in which he was injured and that eventually led to partial disability, Movement from Iles School (1958), Describes Avenue A (1937), Discrepancy between black and white salaries at the same job.

Tape 1, Side 2: Blank

Tape 2, Side 1: Dutchy Smith Cawthon’s assistant coach, Pete Cawthon, Childhood, Use of ineligible player, Bobby Horn, Racism, Support of Dunbar High School football, Use of Texas Tech’s facilities, Donated equipment, Dean Stangel, Damon Hill’s medical problems, Pete Cawthon (again), Publicized and supported Dunbar football, Texas Tech football team first to travel by plane, Pete Cawthon (again), Coaching school, Post-Tech positions, Disciplinarian, Sideline emotions, Holding son out of school, Allowed Pete Jr. to peak physically, Quarterbacked Lubbock High Westerners to their first state championship, Hugh "Bo" Williams, Tech’s football business manager, As a friend, Wide range of opponents.

Tape 2, Side 2: Pete Cawthon (continued).

Tape 3, Side 1: Personal history, Black athletics (1930s), Attended Prairie View A & M University, Worked in power plant, Played football, Description of other black colleges, Moved to Lubbock (1937), Early Dunbar High School related, Club (not schoolboy) football, Development of tennis program, Conflicts between cotton picking and football program, First Monday Night Quarterback Club meeting, Credits Pete Cawthon with boosting black athletics, Pat Pattison.

Tape 3, Side 2: Careers of ex-students traced, Football discussed.

Tape 4, Side 1: Black semi-professional baseball mentioned, Baseball in Lubbock, Attitude toward racial equality, Industrial arts workshop described, Contrast between black and white schools, Development of black community in Lubbock, Community use of old Dunbar High School.

Tape 4, Side 2: Formation of Dunbar Mothers Club (1947), Black churches in Lubbock (1937), Importance of churches, Black businesses and business leaders, Social clubs listed, Decreasing importance of June 19th (Juneteenth).

Tape 5, Side 1: Discussion of June 19th (continued), Comparison with July 4, Family members named.

Tape 5, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1937-1958

Bulk Dates: 1937-1947


Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:



Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.