The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 4, 1999

NACDA creates minority scholarship program

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has initiated a new postgraduate scholarship program -- the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards -- that will be presented to minority senior students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration.

Each of the 10 annual recipients will receive a $5,000 grant. The program will be administered by the NACDA Foundation.

Nominations will be solicited for the inaugural year of the program (1999-2000) and the first recipients will be honored at the NACDA convention in June 2000.

Among the criteria will be: (1) full-time status as a senior at the time of nomination; (2) minimum grade-point average of 3.000 (4.000 scale); (3) official classification as a minority as defined by federal guidelines; (4) intention to attend graduate school to earn a degree in athletics administration; and (5) involvement on the college/university or community level.

Top athletics administrators will pick the finalists, while a panel of leaders in the fields of business, sports, entertainment and politics will select the overall winners.

In addition to the scholarships, one annual recipient will be offered a nine-month internship in the NACDA office.

John McLendon, 83, was the first black coach hired by a predominately white institution when he was selected at Cleveland State University in 1966. During McLendon's three years there, three more black coaches were hired at similar institutions. Today, there are more than 250 black coaches at predominantly white institutions.

Many believe McLendon is the person responsible for the integration of college basketball. He served as the head basketball coach at North Carolina Central College (1940-52), Hampton Institute (1952-54), Tennessee State University (1954-59), Kentucky State University (1963-66) and Cleveland State (1966-69).

"The NACDA Postgraduate Scholarship Award program in my name is of special significance to me because it is an ongoing recognition with continuous opportunity for youth involved in the pursuit of a graduate degree," McLendon said.

"To be in a position to contribute to bringing forward minority candidates of academic achievement prepared to add graduate studies to their development is as honorable an assignment as any ever bestowed upon me."

The John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards Committee will be chaired by Charles Harris, commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Initial funding ($250,000) will be generated from proceeds from NACDA's two preseason football games, the Kickoff and Pigskin Classics.