One of my favorite Detroit Catholic Central pictures. Certainly from a by-gone era. I don't know if there is currently a high school in Michigan that sponsors a boxing team. From the logo on the trunks of a couple of the boys, it looks like the Detroit Catholic Youth Organization ran the competitions at the time. Vic Michaels, the Director of the Detroit Catholic High School League confirms the CYO sponsorship, but cannot find records indicating the dates boxing was a CYO sport. Vic indicates that Emanual Steward, the legendary Detroit boxer and manager, who died earlier this year, credited the Catholic Youth Organization for getting him started in boxing.
This picture does seem to be 40s-50s vintage, a time when priests at CC coached many of the athletic teams. On the left is Fr. Gerard French, CSB, a CC legend.
I will continue to hunt for the picture of CC alum, John Ward '59, in his Gold Gloves winning stance. John Ward later on became Fr. John Ward CSB, a long time teacher and track coach at CC.
My dad was a CC boxer, graduating in 1945 and he's not in the picture. This looks later. But Fr. French who was still teaching when I graduated in 79 looks young.
Posted by: bruce hubbell | 03/15/2013 at 09:25 PM