African Americans have been a part of the UNI athletic heritage for nearly 90 years. As Black History Month comes to a close, let’s look at some milestones achieved by African Americans participating in athletics for UNI and Iowa State Teacher’s College.
Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive history, but a snapshot into the lives of African Americans in UNI Athletics history.
1933 - Russell Bell: The First African American at ISTC Russell Bell came to play football in 1933, but his career was short-lived because eligibility issues because of summer work.