“K-State Integrating the Conference”

In the fall of 1949, K-State football players Harold Robinson and Hoyt Givens broke the Big 7 (now Big 12) Conference’s color barrier, competing at and against segregated schools in direct defiance of conference norms. Their courage marked one of the earliest integrations in collegiate athletics.

Led by the university president Milton Eisenhower, who championed the integration of all campus facilities. While it took three years and ten athletes across five sports before another school followed, Kansas State had already set a powerful precedent.

Today, this moment stands as one of the greatest accomplishments in school history. A testament to bold leadership and coming together for a shared purpose in pursuit of equality. 

Join us to hear firsthand account from Ken about this pivotal milestone both in collegiate athletics and civil rights history.

• $3 admission, free to members and open to the public

• Coffee and pastries provided