On this date in 1916, Paul Robeson was excluded from the Rutgers football team. Robeson was one of their best players, but Washington and Lee University refused to play against a Black player.
Regretting the decision, Coach G. Foster Sanford a staunch defender of Robeson, stood by Robeson (a sophomore tackle) when the demand was again made by West Virginia.
Reference:
Rutgers University
The State University of New Jersey
Camden, NJ 08102
(856) 225-1766