From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)
Interracial College Basketball Game, Grayson, KY, 1956
(start date: 1956)One of the early interracial college basketball games in Kentucky took place in Grayson, KY, in 1956. The game was between Kentucky Christian College [now Kentucky Christian University], a white school in Grayson, KY, and the College of the Scriptures, an African American school in Louisville, KY.
The College of the Scriptures basketball program was new. Kentucky Christian College [KCC] had just resumed its basketball program after a five-year hiatus. The KCC team was named the Rockets and Bill Nash was the coach. The College of the Scriptures was the second team on the Rockets' 25-game schedule and would be the first home game. The Rockets had lost their previous game, the season opener, an away game against Sue Bennett. News about the next KCC game was printed in a few Kentucky newspapers. The game took place on a Monday night, November 19, 1956. Kentucky Christian College defeated the College of the Scriptures, 80-69. The game occurred without any major or minor headlines; only the score was given on the sports page of the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The two teams played again in February of 1957. College of the Scriptures defeated Kentucky Christian College, 104-78. The teams played each other again in February of 1958. The College of the Scriptures team had a 6-1 record coming off a win over Southeastern Christian College in Winchester, KY, 84-75. Ulysses Grant, playing center for College of the Scriptures, scored 42 points. The College of the Scriptures team finished its season with a win over the Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 83-69, and a season record of 10-2.
Sources: Read more about the College of the Scriptures at the History page; Read more about the history of Kentucky Christian College at About KCU: Our Heritage; "Interracial basketball game set at Grayson," Sunday Herald-Leader, 11/18/1956, p.10; "Kentucky Christian resumes basketball," Messenger and Inquirer, 10/28/1956, p.14; "Cage Scores: Colleges," The Courier-Journal, 11/20/1956, Section 2, p.16; "Basketball Scores: Kentucky colleges," The Courier-Journal, 02/09/1957, p.17; "Kentucky Christian College opens cage season Monday," Messenger and Inquirer, 11/17/1957, p.14; "Scriptures five wins," The Courier-Journal, 01/26/1958, Section2, p.2; "College of Scriptures beats Cincy quintet," Louisville Courier-Journal, 03/02/1958, Section 2, p.2.