 Byrd as President of the University of Maryland | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1889 Crisfield, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 1970 (aged 81) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1905–1907 | Maryland |
| 1908 | George Washington |
| 1909 | Georgetown |
| Baseball | |
| 1912 | San Francisco Seals |
| Position(s) |
|
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1911–1934 | Maryland |
| Baseball | |
| 1913–1923 | Maryland |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1915–1935 | Maryland (AD) |
| 1918–1932 | Maryland (asst. president) |
| 1932–1936 | Maryland (vice president) |
| 1936–1954 | Maryland (president) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 119–82–15 (football) 88–73–4 (baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 2 Maryland state (1913–1914) | |
Harry Clifton "Curley" Byrd (February 12, 1889 – October 2, 1970) was an American university administrator, educator, athlete, coach, and politician. Byrd began a long association with the University of Maryland as an undergraduate in 1905, and eventually rose to the position of university president from 1936 to 1954.[1]
In the interim, he had also served as the university's athletic director and head coach for the football and baseball teams. Byrd amassed a 119–82–15 record in football from 1911 to 1934 and 88–73–4 record in baseball from 1913 to 1923. In graduate school at Georgetown University, he became one of football's early users of the newly legalized forward pass, and he had a brief baseball career including one season as pitcher for the San Francisco Seals.
Byrd resigned as university president in order to enter politics in 1954. He ran an unsuccessful campaign as the Democratic candidate for Maryland governor against Theodore McKeldin. Byrd later received appointments to state offices with responsibilities in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. In the 1960s, he made unsuccessful bids for seats in each chamber of the United States Congress. Byrd was a proponent of a "separate but equal" status of racial segregation in his roles as both university administrator and political candidate.[2]
In 2015, the Student Government Association agreed to a resolution in support of changing the name of Byrd Stadium because they noted that Byrd was "a racist and a segregationist" who "barred blacks from participating in sports and enrolling into the University until 1951".[3][4] On September 28, 2015, University of Maryland President Wallace Loh appointed a task force to develop viewpoints and options. The University President then made a recommendation to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents — the governing body of Maryland state universities — to change the name to "Maryland Stadium". The ultimate decision on any name change rests with the Board of Regents.[5] On December 11, 2015, the Board of Regents voted 12–5 to remove the "Byrd" from the stadium's name, renaming it Maryland Stadium for the time being.[6]
- ^ "Collection: Harry Clifton Byrd papers | Archival Collections". archives.lib.umd.edu. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Kuebler, Edward J. (May 25, 1935). "Desegregation of the University of Maryland". Maryland Historical Magazine 71: 42–43.
- ^ Svrluga, Susan (April 8, 2015). "U-Md. student government endorses demand that Byrd stadium be renamed, citing racist legacy". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ Burris, Joe (April 9, 2015). "Student coalition seeks to get 'Byrd' off University of Maryland's stadium". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Working group considering name change for Byrd Stadium". September 28, 2015.
- ^ Wenger, Yvonne (December 11, 2015). "Byrd Stadium to become Maryland Stadium after regents vote". BaltimoreSun.com. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 11, 2015.