A TRIBUTE TO LARRY JAMES - page  2

 

                                     
Home
 
 

comments?
email us

 

 

A TRIBUTE TO LARRY JAMES - page 2

Evans, who was at San Jose State at the time, lost for the first to James in the 440y at the 1969 NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit’s Cobo Hall. “I let my guard down because I got to know (and like) him”, said a smiling Evans, who made a gesture that indicated a well-placed elbow early in the race might have changed the outcome. A rare admisson from one of the sport’s fiercest competitors, but also an indication of the admiration he had for James.

Evans had taken offense when his San Jose teammate, John Carlos, like James a veteran of the indoor tracks in the East, told him before the race, “You’ll never beat Larry in a quarter”. Carlos, the last athlete to speak, explained with feeling, “The boards were in our blood!”.

Speaking for many of the athletes who had flown in from all parts of the country for the occasion, Carlos said, “There is no distance too far, no height too high, to keep us from being here for one of our brothers”.

The most emotional part of the day came when James’s son, Larry B., got up to speak. The room fell silent as he fought back tears, but, with his father pumping his fist in encouragement, he finally said, "I want everyone to know that I love him”. Then, alluding to his father’s health,  he added, "Not while he is in a coma or a hospital. But while he is alive and kicking right there."

A video and slide show followed, showing James in action at the 1968 Penn Relays and Mexico Olympics, as well as a picture of him in uniform during his time in the United States Marine Corp Reserves. There were also clips of James participating in the staged relay races that were featured in the Bill Cosby show.

It was finally time to hear from the man himself. First in a video, where  his opening line was, "To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of my departure have been greatly exaggerated." Noting what day it was, he said, “December 1--the same day Rosa Parks sat down so we could stand up”.

Making light of the theme of the day, “Four Decades of Excellence”. he joked, “I can only think of 7 days”, mentioning, among other things, his marriage to Cynthia, his wife of 37 years. “And today makes 8”, he added with a smile.

To the sound of a standing ovation (one of many during the day), the 60-year old James then spoke “live”. Again showing his smile and sense of humor, he said, “I got the mike, I got the mike”, and then, “The PSAL is in the house!”, an acknowledgement of the many former runners who made the trip from NY City to show their support.

The festivities then moved outdoors for a ceremony that commemmorated Stockton’s naming of its stadium the G. Larry James Stadium(The “G” stands for George). The school also placed a stone at the stadium's entrance for Stockton athletes to touch as a tribute to James as they enter the playing field. James and the other 1968 relay members--Evans, Matthews and Freeman--were symbolically the first to touch it.

Donations were collected during the day to help establish the G. Larry James Legacy Fund, which will help endow scholarships at Stockton. "As much as I appreciate what happened today, I'm more enamored of the impact of the legacy fund," James said. "I'm honored by that. That's eternity. That will help people I don't even know about." (Contributions are still being accepted at:https://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=145&pageID=2&action=cdmain)

In addition to the athletes mentioned above, also in attendance were some more of his Villanova teammates, including Marty Liquori, Tom Donnelly, Dick Buerkle, Charlie Messenger,
Bill Heidelberger, Al McCafferty, Andy O'Reilly, Craig Nation, Jack O'Leary, Des McCormack, Bob Whitehead, Dave Fender, Bill McLaughlin, and the other members of that Penn mile relay--Hardge Davis, Hal Nichter, and Ken Prince. Former Wildcats Charlie Jenkins, the 2-time Olympic gold medalist in 1956(400,4x400), current Villanova coach Marcus O’Sullivan, John Marshall, Glen Bogue, Ed Collymore, Martin Booker, and Larry Livers, as well as Dave Coskey, the school’s  former Sports Information Director, were also there to pay tribute to one of their own.

The athlete list wasn’t confined to ex-Villanovans, with Josh Culbreath, the 1956 Olympic silver medalist in the 400-hurdles(and a participant in those Cosby “races”), Charlie Pratt, the former NCAA low hurdles(180y) and U.S. decathllon champion, Joetta Clark-Diggs, long/triple jumper Norm Tate, and John Moon, the coach at
Seton Hall, also joining in the celebration.

It was a day that will long be remembered by those who were lucky enough to be there. Dave Patrick said it best--”It was vintage Larry, giving more back than he gets. His inspiring video and talk will be engrained in my mind forever. I am sure the experience in some way will make us all better for it”.

to page 1

click here for other articles