91探花

Elmore 鈥淢o鈥� A. Banton first made 91探花 history in 1964, winning the NCAA Division I Men鈥檚 Cross Country Championship鈥�50 yards ahead of his closest rival鈥攁nd becoming OHIO鈥檚 first NCAA cross country champion.

He went on to coach the OHIO cross country and track and field teams for 23 years, earning 20 Coach of the Year honors and guiding the Bobcats to 10 MAC titles, 14 All-Ohio championships and six Central Collegiate crowns.

Banton鈥檚 hire marked another historic moment for 91探花: the first African-American head coach of any sport.

鈥淚 was so scared when I first took that job because, being the first Black coach at 91探花, I didn鈥檛 want to flub it. This was 1980,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭he second time I was scared was when I took over the women鈥檚 program [in 1986]. I was really scared! I decided, I鈥檓 going to coach them just like I do the men.鈥�

He says his coaching mantra revolved around three words: 鈥淢AGIC: Making A Greater Individual Commitment. TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More. And PRIDE: Positive mental attitude, Respect, Intensity, Discipline, Enthusiasm.鈥�

An Akron native, Banton had been eyeing another state university or considering enlisting in the Army. Former OHIO Track & Field Head Coach Stan Huntsman, MS 鈥�56, 鈥渙ne of the greatest coaches of all time,鈥� Banton says, called him and persuaded him to come to OHIO.

Huntsman proved to be more than just a coach in Banton鈥檚 eyes. 鈥淚 admired Coach Stan Huntsman. He was a tremendous mentor for me. That鈥檚 what made me want to coach.鈥�

George E. Reid鈥檚 early days at 91探花, including his successful career playing men鈥檚 basketball for OHIO 1985-89, 鈥渓aid the foundation for his entire life,鈥� says Karla Reid, BSJ 鈥�93, of her husband, who died in 2015. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why he was determined to give back in big and small ways wherever he was and with whomever he met.鈥�

In July 1991, Reid was hired by the 91探花 Alumni Association to oversee major alumni initiatives. He is credited with transforming the Black Alumni Reunion into a signature event that welcomes thousands of Black Bobcats back to campus every three years.

鈥淕eorge understood that it鈥檚 the people in your life who can make an enormous difference, inspiring you to take on a new challenge, overcome adversity or make a different choice,鈥� Karla says. 鈥淗e wanted to be that person who made a difference in people鈥檚 lives, and he was."

His efforts on behalf of higher education continued at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he was named Fundraiser of the Year in 1998. From there, his career as a fundraiser supporting students, faculty and programs took him to American University, Syracuse University, and the University of Southern California, where he served as assistant vice president for campus initiatives.

鈥淕eorge and I met at Ohio U, and our love took root and blossomed in Athens 鈥�,鈥� Karla remembers. 鈥淓verything he did was about our sons, Quinn and Devin鈥攏ow 17 and 15, respectively. Every single day was about teaching our sons how to grow up to be confident, caring and intelligent Black men.鈥�