A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
players, they didn’t provide shoes or helmets. Since his family could not af- ford to purchase both, Slater was forced to choose and stated, “Shoes were more essential than a helmet. Since I couldn’t see playing barefooted, I went without a headgear. I never could get used to wearing one after that.” He played his entire high school years and most of college without a football helmet. Slater developed into an imposing lineman at the tackle position. He led Clinton High School to two legendary state champion- ships in 1913 and 1914. Slater came to the University of Iowa in 1916. By this time, there had only been two dozen Blacks in the history of college football to play on their rosters, one of which was fellow Iowa Hawkeye, Archibald Alexander (three-time letter winner at tackle, 1909-1911). Alexander, like Slater, became a Gamma Chapter initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi. Alexander went on to serve as the fraternity’s 6 th Grand Polemarch. Slater made the Hawkeyes freshman football team in 1917, at a time when freshmen were prohibited from playing on the varsity team. He excelled on the football field
was unanimously named first-team All- Big Ten and a second-team All-Ameri- can. He was the first Black All-American at Iowa and the sixth Black in all of college football to earn that honor. In 1921, Slater was named to the Chicago Tribune's All-American Team, the first Black to receive that honor at Iowa. He also recruited many Black athletes to play sports at this alma mater. Slater Hall is the only residence hall named after a former athlete on the campus of the University of Iowa. Slater continued to play football for the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), Rock Island Independents (1922-1925), and Chicago Cardinals (1926-1931) early NFL teams, becoming one of thirteen Black players in the league at that time. In a game against the Chicago Bears, Slater played all 60 minutes of the game, alternating between the offensive and defensive lines, as well as participating on special teams. By the time he retired from football after ten seasons in 1931, Slater had achieved All-Pro status four times, second-team All-Pro, seven times, and third-team All-Pro once. During his NFL career, Slater never missed a game
Although the school provided jerseys to the players, they didn't provide shoes or helmets. Since his family could not afford to purchase both, Slater was forced to choose and stated,“Shoes were more essential than a helmet. Since I couldn't see playing barefooted, I went without headgear. I never could get used to wearing one after that.” as a standout tackle and lettered in that sport as a freshman. Due to the war, many of the varsity players were serving in the armed services, and freshmen were eligible for varsity play. Slater was then able to play for the varsity team begin- ning in 1918 and continued to play for his remaining college years.
During the 1919 football season, Slater
Fred "Duke" Slater with no helmet during the 1921 University of Iowa v. Notre Dame.
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