In the 1930s, there were three high schools in Columbia. My brother and I attended University High, which was laid to rest several years ago. Douglass High School on Providence Road enrolled only black students, and Columbia High School -- later to move and be called Hickman -- accepted only non-black students. Douglass and Columbia High were often champions of their respective athletic leagues, and they sometimes met in friendly competition after their schedules were completed.

Douglass was a much smaller school than Columbia High. The town’s population was about 18,000, including about 600 blacks. Surprisingly, in those friendly ball games, Douglass teams almost always won!

Harold Warren made such a remarkable record at Douglass that he earned national praise in Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not” column. For four years, Warren played every minute of every Douglass basketball game -- without ever committing a personal foul! He owns Warren Funeral Chapel and was the first black elected to the city council.

Warren was not the first young black athlete to earn national attention.

In the 1800s, a young boy distinguished himself in the “white, elitist” sport of bicycle racing. Marshall Taylor, a custodian at an Indianapolis bicycle shop, borrowed a high-wheel bicycle, rode it in a local race and easily crossed the finish line first. He kept winning races until the cycling club voted to bar black riders. That didn’t end his racing career.

A Caucasian friend finagled an entry for Taylor in a 60-mile race from Indianapolis to Mathews, Ind. On race day, Taylor stayed out of sight at the starting gun and took off after the others had cycled several miles ahead. He caught up, passed all of the others and finished the course a full hour ahead of the pack. His prize? A house and lot!

Years later, Jesse Owens also accomplished the impossible. On May 25, 1935, he set world records in the 220-yard dash, the 220-yard hurdles and the broad jump. To top off that day, he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash. This Alabama-born athlete brought glory to Ohio State University and to his country. Marshall Taylor, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson and Harold Warren all made history with their outstanding performances.

I never made history -- or even headlines -- with my athletic ability. We played for fun and the joy of winning. At MU, I was on interclass and intramural teams in basketball, softball, volleyball, archery, rifle and swimming. Because I was only 5 feet 3 inches tall, I had to be scrappy and quick. All of these activities took place on campus.

Intercollegiate swimming was possible because our race times were certified by at least three people with stopwatches on each lane, and the results were telegraphed to dozens of schools across the country. Rifle scores were telegraphed around on a weekly basis. I scored highest in my freshman year and was lucky to earn four white wool sweaters with a black-and-gold M and gold stripes on the sleeves before graduating in 1936. And I was the first third-year student to earn the 1,000 points required to be initiated into the M Women’s Club.

I’m no Marshall Taylor on a bicycle, but I did win second in two bicycle races -- after age 50! Each time, the winner was far enough ahead to have had a nap before I crossed the finish line and the third-place cyclist was hot on my heels. So what? If there’s a winner, there’ll always be a loser. We losers lick our wounds and try again.