“The Enduring Legacy of Lou Montgomery”
By Matthew K. Campbell
Coordinator of Recreation and Extracurricular Activities
Community Schools of Brockton
Brockton Public Schools
On the national level any discussion of race and sports deservedly centers around luminous figures like Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson. Their struggles and triumphs have spurred documentaries, feature films, and in Robinson’s case, a place in the national consciousness that can never and should never be forgotten.
Growing up in Massachusetts, we were obviously aware of these legendary figures. Of a more local variety, Bruins fans of a certain age could recall Willie O’Ree, and even casual Red Sox fans knew that the “Olde Towne Team” was the last Major League team to integrate with the 1959 arrival of Pumpsie Green. The Celtics of course were celebrated as the first team to have a black starting five, and the great Bill Russell remains at the forefront of NBA and basketball discussions regarding race and society. Somehow the amazing story of Lou Montgomery of Boston College, and the City of Brockton, has been forgotten, and only recently brought into the light.
If you are reading this, you are probably aware that Lou Montgomery was the first black varsity athlete at Boston College; today his number hangs on the back wall of Alumni Stadium. You may also be aware that during the 1930s Boston College left him at home when they journeyed South for the end of the year’s Bowl Games. These injustices have been written about, documentary films have been made, but as an educator in Brockton, it strikes me as somewhat sad that this man’s legacy is not better known in the city.
Brockton, Massachusetts is the “City of Champions;” a mid-sized Gateway city with a rich athletic history. Boxers Rocky Marciano, “The Brockton Blockbuster” and “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, along with legendary football coach, Armond Colombo, and former New Patriot, Red Sox draftee, and Michigan Wolverine, Greg McMurtrey, are probably the most recognizable sports figures in the city’s history. Lou Montgomery definitely deserves to be listed alongside these exceptional athletes.
Lou Montgomery, a dominant football and baseball player and a strong student, earned his way into Boston College. Unfortunately, in the era before scholarships, even great athletes had to pay for school. Thanks to the support of the people of Brockton, Lou Montgomery was able to achieve his dream of attending BC. The Brockton community, at that time in the 1930s, largely white and working class, with a large immigrant population, showed strong support and respect for Lou Montgomery and his family, by holding fundraisers to help cover half of his college tuition.
In the polarized culture of 2025, Lou Montgomery stands out as a lesson in unity. A great man, a great athlete, a future educator and coach who was denied the chance to compete in what was, in the 1930’s, football’s biggest stage. Jim Crowe laws and the culture of segregation in the country led to Boston College’s decision to bench its top ball carrier. The City of Brockton played no part in that decision, because the city loved its athletes, and loved Lou Montgomery.