Duke (Frederick) Slater
1898-1966. Iowa football legend as a player (1918-21), NFL black pioneer during a 10-year pro career, opened doors for blacks in college and professional spheres. A Methodist minister’s son in Normal, Ill., the minister moved his family to Clinton where Duke’s football skill blossomed. All Big Ten four times, he became Iowa’s first black All-American in 1921. Enshrined in both Iowa and NFL halls of fame, he became a Chicago lawyer and judge, and often attended Iowa football games, being present to congratulate Alex Karris and the 1956 team when it clinched a Big Ten title.