The Special season of the 1956-57 Bulldogs

By: Ron Bailey

The start of the 1956-57 school year in Maysville Kentucky
was unlike any other in the 92-year history of the Maysville
school system. The U.S. Supreme court
in the 1954 case of Brown vs. The Board of Education of
Topeka had ruled that segregation was unconstitutional and
decreed that public schools be integrated. In Clinton,
Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas integration was met
with violence. In Sturgis, Kentucky ten black students
attempted to attend an all-white school. Turned back by a
jeering mob, they appealed to Governor A.B. “Happy
“Chandler who called out the National Guard. The Guard
held back the crowd the next morning as the students
entered the school.

It was quite different in Maysville, Kentucky. Maysville had
two school systems. The Maysville public school system for
whites and the John G. Fee school for blacks. Fee High was
named for the Reverend John G. Fee (1816 – 1901) founder
of Berea College who was an abolitionist and started the
first racially integrated school in Kentucky.

The spring and summer of 1956 was a period of uncertainty
in Maysville as school officials, parents, children and the
community in general, of both races, wrestled with years of
bigotry and prejudice that had permeated the community.

There was common ground. Basketball!

For years both schools had excelled in high school
basketball despite the small number of students at both
schools. The black high schools were not allowed to
participate in the Kentucky High School Athletic

Association’s (KHSAA) tournament. The KHSAA, established
in 1917, only allowed white schools. Consequently in 1932
leading African-American educators formed the Kentucky
High School Athletic League. John G. Fee High School was
state runner-up in 1932, 1933 and 1952. Maysville High
School played in the KHSAA tournament finishing as state
runner ups in 1938 and 1948 and winning the state title in

  1. The Maysville’s girls’ basketball team won the state
    title in 1926.

In 1955-1956 Fee High had had a successful season and
some quality players would be returning. Maysville High
School (MHS), under legendary coach Woodrow “Woodie
“Crum, had won the 10th region and participated in the State
Tournament. Most of that team would be returning for the
1956-1957 season. Anticipation of combining the two teams
ran high throughout the community.
Fee High School dropped varsity basketball after the
1955-1956 season. All the returning players would be
allowed to play on the MHS team while only the seniors
would go to school at Maysville High. The Fee High players
were: Seniors Bobby Jones and Gene Peters; Sophomores
Charley Stewart, Harry Jones and Ulysses Green. The
returning MHS players were: Seniors Dickie Breeze, Kenny
Downing and David Curtis; Juniors Allen Smith, Jackie
Allison, Bobby Reetz, Chuck Hayslip and Bobby Hutchison;
Sophomores Roy Gilbert and Philip Hutchison.

This group of Maysville Bulldogs would have one of the most
successful seasons in Maysville High School history. They
won 34 games and lost only 2.
They were 16 and 0 at home and 18 and 2 on the road.

The two losses were 80-79 to the Ashland Tomcats in the
finals of the Ashland Invitational tournament. Fourteen days
later Ashland would travel to Maysville where the Bulldogs
prevailed 74 to 55. The second loss was to Nicholas County
in the finals of the 10th region tournament by the score of
62-60. The two teams played 2 other times during the year
with the Bulldogs winning 58 to 53 at home and 63 to 53 at
Nicholas County.

Bobby Jones ( 6 ft 3 in & 215 lbs ) led the team in scoring
with a 24.2 average. He was the first African-American high
school player to be named to the KHSAA All State team.
Allen Smith ( deceased ) averaged 12.8 points. In 1958 Smith
would pitch MHS to the Kentucky high school baseball
championship. He would go on and later enjoy an All
American baseball career at LSU. Gene Peters averaged 9.5
points per game; Jackie Allison averaged 9.1; Charlie
Stewart averaged 7.6; Dickie Breeze averaged 7.2; Kenny
Downing averaged 6.5

Following are the Maysville High School records established
by this group
Most Wins In A Season = 34
Fewest Losses in A Season = 2
Highest Winning Percentage = 94.4
Longest Winning Streak = 23
Most Points In A Season = 2,680
Highest Average Per Game = 74.4
Highest Winning Margin = 20.7