Interview with Reggie Warford, October 19, 2018

Interview Summary

Reggie Warford was the second African American player to integrate the University of Kentucky basketball team and the first African American basketball player to graduate from UK. In this interview, he discusses his family background, playing basketball in high school, and his high school coach. He talks about being recruited by UK and talks about his impressions of coaches Adolph Rupp and Joe Hall. He talks about why he initially committed to Austin Peay State University and how he ended up coming to the University of Kentucky instead. He discusses each season at UK in detail, describing teammates, wins and losses, and the results of each season. He describes particular games, including the game against Indiana University during which Coach Bobby Knight hit Coach Joe B. Hall, and the Final Four game against UCLA immediately after Coach John Wooden announced his retirement. He also talks about being diagnosed with a heart condition during his time at UK.

He discusses his experience as one of the first African American players on the UK basketball team. He talks about how the team changed quickly, from a situation where he was a minority of one, to having many African American teammates. He tells a story about sitting down during the singing of the racist lines of "My Old Kentucky Home" and how his protest led to the changing of the lyrics. He talks about how attitudes about race changed during his time on the team.

Interview Keyword

Austin Peay State University Drakesboro High School Joe B. Hall University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Adolph Rupp African American families

Interview LC Subject

University of Kentucky African American college students. African Americans--Conduct of life. African Americans--Education (Higher) African Americans--Education. African Americans--Segregation African Americans--Social conditions. Discrimination in education. Education, Higher--Kentucky Integration Lexington (Ky.)--Race relations. Race discrimination. Race relations--Kentucky Racism Segregation in education--Kentucky African American basketball players African Americans--Sports College athletes Discrimination in sports University of Kentucky--Basketball Hall, Joe B. (Joe Beasman) Basketball coaches--Kentucky Basketball--Coaching Basketball players Basketball players--Kentucky Coaches (Athletics) Coaching (Athletics). Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.