Interview with Lyman T. Johnson, January 5, 1995

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Mr. Lyman T. Johnson made on the 5th of January nineteen and ninety-five at his home--the J.B. Blanton House, in Louisville.

Segment Synopsis: There is a lengthy introduction included in this segment. Johnson describes his knowledge of William Kean's educational background as well as his athletic ability. He also talks about Kean's job as head coach at Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky and the championships that Kean won when he held this position.

Keywords: Baseball; Basketball; Central High School; Coaches; Fisk University; Football; Howard University; Kentucky High School Athletic Association; Negro championship; State championships; Tennis; Track; Umpires; William Lee Kean

Subjects: African American coaches (Athletics); Athletics; Louisville (Ky.); Nashville (Tenn.); Negro Baseball League; Sports

Partial Transcript: That was in the, uh, days of, uh, segregation.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson describes the different schools that Central High School played against in sports during segregation. He also tells a story of the athletic director at Atherton High School (a white school) attempting to get the principal of his school to allow his team to play Central High School.

Keywords: Aggregation; Atherton High School; Athletic directors; Basketball; Bishop Shields; Catholic schools; Central High School; City schools; Courts; Intramural; Kentucky State University; Letters; National championships; Newton Thomas; Principals; Social studies; State championships; Teachers

Subjects: African American athletes; African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Cow Creek (Ky.); Discrimination in sports; Elizabeth Town (Ky.); Hindman (Ky.); Hopkinsville (Ky.); Horse Cave (Ky.); Indiana; Louisville (Ky.); Segregation.; Sports; Sports triumphs

Partial Transcript: Alright, I'd like for us to talk for a, a minute, if we can, about the state basketball championships and the Black Athletic League.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about the teams involved in the Black Athletic League. He also talks about the state championships between those teams and one of Central High School's biggest competitors.

Keywords: Aggregation; Basketball; Black Athletic League; Central High School; Coaches; Dunbar High School; Football; Norman Passmore; S. T. Roach; State championships

Subjects: African Americans--Sports; Ashland (Ky.); Athletics; Bowling Green (Ky.); Elizabethtown (Ky.); Henderson (Ky.); Hopkinsville (Ky.); Lexington (Ky.); Owensboro (Ky.); Paducah (Ky.); Sports triumphs

Partial Transcript: According to the archives at Kentucky State, six schools won two or more state championships.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about some of the smaller schools that he assisted in winning championships. He also tells the story of how the Lincoln Institute was founded as a result of the Day Law.

Keywords: Aggregation; Basketball; Berea College; Central High School; Day Law; Lincoln Institute; State championships; Supreme Court

Subjects: African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Horse Cave (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.; Richmond (Ky.); Segregation; Sports triumphs

Partial Transcript: Tell us about the facilities you had for Kean to work with in football and basketball or baseball or track.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the availability of sports facilities to the Central High School athletic department and how they managed to find places to hold their games.

Keywords: Baseball; Basketball; Board of Education; Buildings; Central High School; Cinders; Civil War; Cruelty; Dunbar High School; Fields; Fire marshals; Football; Fredrick Douglass High School; Gym; Hospital; Manual Stadium; Maxwell Field; Superintendents; Track; William Lee Kean

Subjects: African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Discrimination in sports; Lexington (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); Segregation; Sports facilities.

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's--in your mind, I'd like you to tell me about how you would plan a trip from here to Horse Cave.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson goes through the process of planning a trip from Central High School to Horse Cave, Kentucky to play a basketball game together. He also comments on his knowledge about how tournaments were financed. He also tells a story about games that were played at Kentucky State University and how the university handled reaching maximum capacity in their gymnasium.

Keywords: Admissions; Basketball; Cars; Central High School; Crowds; Finances; Fire marshals; Games; Greyhound buses; Gymnasium; Kentucky State University; Tournaments; Vans

Subjects: African American athletes; African American coaches (Athletics); African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Horse Cave (Ky.); Travel

Partial Transcript: How important were athletics in the Black high schools?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the influence coaches had over their players in all aspects of their high school career. He talks about how Kean would set his players straight if they tried to fuss with teachers. He also comments about the Kentucky Black Athletic League.

Keywords: Black high schools; Central High School; Constitution; Drop out; Kentucky Black Athletic League; Principals; Rules; Students; William Lee Kean

Subjects: African American athletes; African American coaches (Athletics); African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Discipline.

Partial Transcript: When did, when did Kean stop coaching Central?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the last days of Kean's career at Central High School and how his illness was severely affecting his ability to coach his teams. After Kean left Central High School he had several successors, but none as great as him.

Keywords: Central High School; Fluids; Health; Hotels; Pain; Tournaments; Ulcers; William Lee Kean

Subjects: African American coaches (Athletics); African Americans--Sports; Ashland (Ky.); Athletics; Death

Partial Transcript: Uh, did--while Mr. Kean was there and while you were in this position that you held, uh, did you give--did you award l, letters--

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the restricted availability of high school football teams for Central High School to play during their football season. He also talks about the extent he had to go to in order to get teams from different states to come play Central. He also names the schools.

Keywords: Austin High School; Basketball; Crowds; DuSable High School; Dunbar High School; Football; Letters; Lodging; Manual Stadium; Meals; Parker High School; Swimming; Teams; Tennis; Track; Wendell Phillips High School

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Birmingham (Ala.); Chicago (Ill.); Dayton (Ohio); Discrimination in sports; Knoxville (Tenn.); Memphis (Tenn.); Segregation; St. Louis (Mo.); Transportation; Travel

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's talk for a minute now about some of the great coaches you remember, Black coaches, Black players, and Black officials.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the most memorable athletes, coaches, and officials that he recalls from his days at Central High School. One of the interviewers tells a story about Dan White, a coach at Central High School.

Keywords: Banneker High School; Basketball; Central High School; Contracts; Dan White; Football; Integration; James Way; Newton Thomas; Signature; Victor Perry; William Lee Kean

Subjects: African American athletes; African American coaches (Athletics); Cynthiana (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, now, now, you, you, you, you bring up that recruiting thing.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about the recruiting that went on after the schools were desegregated. He comments on how white coaches would promise African American players that they would be stars if they went to their school and not to the mostly-Black school, Central High School. He also comments on the fact that coaches at Central were not allowed to try to recruit or they would be fired.

Keywords: Central High School; Cheerleaders; Fathers; Foster Sanders; Manual High School; Mothers; Principals; Recruitment; State championships; Superintendents

Subjects: African American athletes; African Americans--Sports; Athletics; Coaches (Athletics); Discrimination in sports; Louisville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Let's ask you now.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about the classes that Kean taught while at Central High School. There is a portion of this segment with loud emergency vehicle sirens and it includes Johnson signing the consent forms to release this interview.

Keywords: Central High School; Classes; Subjects; Teachers; William Lee Kean

Subjects: Louisville (Ky.); Physical education teachers