Who’s Who is named after the jockey who won the first Kentucky Derby, which debuted on May 17, 1875, at Churchill Downs.
Defensive back Emmett “Buzz” Burnam, from Winchester, joined the Wildcats in 1969. “They recruited six student-athletes to UK that year,” he said, “the most ever in the history of UK at that time.” The other freshmen recruits for new head coach John Ray were Cecil Bowens, Darryl Bishop, Arvel Carroll, Bill Denny and Carey Eaves, all of whom joined Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg on Stoll Field at McLean Stadium.
Oliver Lewis
by
another
African-American,
The University of Kentucky was the first sports program in the SEC to integrate. In December 1965 Nat Northington, from Louisville, signed a national letter of intent to play football at UK under coach Charlie Bradshaw. Greg Page, a defensive end from Middlesboro, signed shortly thereafter. Both of these scholarship athletes were freshmen Nat Northington
in the fall of 1966, but were ineligible to play varsity. (The NCAA changed that rule in 1972). In 1967 they were sophomores, but Page never played in a game. He suffered a paralyzing neck injury in practice, during a routine drill, on Aug. 22 and died Sept. 29. Northington played in the first four games of the ’67 season
34
www.topsinlex.com
Greg Page
Burnam went on to be a graduate assistant coach under Fran Curci, whose first year, 1973, was at the brand-new Commonwealth Stadium. After getting a master’s degree in educational psychology and counseling in 1974, Burnam got a job with the Urban League and soon returned to UK. “I’ve been at UK for 33 years,” he said.
Emmett “Buzz” Burnam
As the director for diversity undergraduate student recruitment, Burnam leads a series of diversity programs for high school students. “We bring students to UK’s campus and give them the Big Blue carpet treatment,” he said. “They find out about the admissions process, scholarship opportunities, academic programs, retention services, summer programs, student organizations and study abroad opportunities that are available for UK students. They also meet currently enrolled diversity students and faculty, the UK “Divine Nine” Greek organizations and, of course, tour the UK campus.” Health Care Dr. John E. Hunter had a 63-year medical career at Saint Joseph Hospital, beginning in 1889. One of his first surgeries was also the first successful bowel operation, on a patient with a gunshot wound. When Saint Joseph opened a new cafeteria at the hospital (then located on Second Street) on Sept. 3, 1951, it was integrated from day one.
New York Public Library
It was the feature race, one of four scheduled at the track that day — a Monday, by the way. With a field of 15 horses, 13 of the jockeys aboard were black, including Lewis, who was born in Fayette County. He is buried in African Cemetery No. 2 on Seventh Street. The inaugural Kentucky Derby winner, a 3-yearold chestnut colt named Aristides, was trained Ansel Williamson.
but transferred mid-semester to Western Kentucky University. In honor of Page, the university named a student housing complex after him. The Greg Page Apartments were built in 1979; today the units are assigned for graduate students and family housing.