The Morgan State University Lacrosse Bears was the only lacrosse

Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

 team established to play NCAA-level lacrosse at a historically black institution

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....

. The team, from Baltimore, Maryland, defeated schools like Harvard

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 and Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

 and upset a #1 ranked team in 1975. The team's exploits are recounted in the book Ten Bears, and the story is in production for a major motion picture.

Background

Morgan State University

Morgan State University

Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...

 was founded and chartered in 1867 as the Centenary Biblical Institute. It was built on its present site, in northeast Baltimore, in 1890 and was known as Morgan College from 1890 to 1938. It became a public college in 1939, as Morgan State College. In the 1950s and 1960s, enrollment swelled as African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s of the baby boom

Baby boom

A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...

 generation sought post high school degrees but were limited by segregation

Racial segregation in the United States

Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...

 to black colleges and universities like Morgan, Howard

Howard University

Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...

, Grambling

Grambling State University

Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...

 or Morehouse

Morehouse College

Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....

. (In 1975, the college was renamed Morgan State University by the state legislature to reflect its expanded mission and scope.) By the 1960s, Morgan and Grambling

Black college football national championship

The black college football national championship is a mythical national championship won by the best black college football team in the United States of America. There has been some criticism of this title on the grounds that the schools in the various polls compete in different levels of...

 had reached the pinnacle of college football, African-American athletes were still unable to attend most white schools, thus concentrating their numbers and talents at a handful of black schools. Several dozen notable NFL players and Hall of Famers

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

 hailed from these schools.

The late 1960s were turbulent years with regard to race relations in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Riots had broken out in major cities across the country, with at least three in Maryland

Cambridge riot 1963

The Cambridge riot of 1963, occurred on June 14, 1963 in Cambridge, Maryland, a small town on the Eastern Shore....

, Dr. Martin Luther King had been assassinated and formerly all white universities and colleges were opening their doors to African-Americans for the first time. But the major lacrosse powers like Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...

, Navy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 and Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 still fielded mostly white teams.

Ironically, by 1975 Morgan became noted for its lacrosse team because black high school lacrosse players from Maryland and New York still had trouble getting into the major white lacrosse colleges and universities. Morgan was the first (and until the turn of the 21st century) the only historically black university to field a lacrosse team.

The team was formed in 1970 when a former Baltimore highschool lacrosse player and Morgan grad student, Howard "Chip" Silverman, realized that many of black Baltimore's high school lacrosse players were at Morgan, but were not playing lacrosse. Silverman had never coached before, but, he put up flyers around campus, and 30 athletes showed up for a meeting. Two-thirds were football players. Some would later star in the NFL, such as Stan Cherry. Silverman started the lacrosse club and two years later petitioned the NCAA for full membership as a college team. At that time, the NCAA had its best 40 teams in Division I and another 80 teams in Division II. It was Division II that Morgan would soon dominate.

Accomplishments

From 1970 to 1975, the Bears were ranked in the top 25, four out of five years. They made the championship tournament twice, and in 1975, were involved in the greatest upset in intercollegiate sports history, when Morgan defeated Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...

, the number one lacrosse team in NCAA Division II. Washington & Lee had not lost a regular season or home game in three years. After the 1975 season, Silverman retired as the Bears lacrosse coach, and Morgan never again had a winning season.

By 1981 Title IX

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...

 funding priorities required university athletic funds be equally distributed among women's programs and the school dropped lacrosse in 1981.

The 1981 Bear's Team featured some of the most talented players in the nation. Gene White, who would later coach the newly formed club team in 2005, and Lou Carter where NCAA Top 25 scoring leaders while goalie Cedric White was in the NCAA Top 10 in goals blocked during the season. In addition, there were a core of freshmen and sophomores who had played the game at early ages that gave the team even more potential for the next seasons that would not be. As a testament to the Bear's legacy, the 1981 team coached by 'Lacrosse Hall of Famer'

Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame

The US Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame, located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the campus of Johns Hopkins University, is operated by US Lacrosse...

  Sheldon Freed, defeated Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

, Villanova

Villanova University

Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...

, Michigan State

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

 and Georgetown

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 in the span of a five day schedule during the middle of the season and lost to Loyola in the NCAA Division II Championship Semi-Finals to end an era.

Amirajadid 19:22, 2 February 2011 (UTC)
Several members of the team now coach lacrosse in local high schools. Stan Cherry, after playing for the Baltimore Colts and New York Jets became a correctional officer, he died in 1993. Tony Fulton

Tony Fulton (Maryland politician)

Tony Edward Fulton was an American politician who represented the 40th legislative district, which lies in the central, northwest section of Baltimore City.-Background:...

 and Curt Anderson

Curt Anderson

Curtis Stovall Anderson is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. After serving 12...

 were elected to the Maryland House of Delegates

Maryland House of Delegates

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

, Fulton died in 2005. Three time all-American Joe Fowlkes is a security consultant and George Kelley is in his 30 year law enforcement veteran. Dr. Miles Harrison and Coach Silverman collaborated on the book, Ten Bears, which is being made into a movie. Silverman died in March 2008. Dr. Harrison's son, Kyle Harrison

Kyle Harrison

Kyle Harrison is a lacrosse player from Baltimore, Maryland born to Wanda and Miles Harrison,M.D.. He matriculated to the Friends School of Baltimore, and later played in college at Johns Hopkins. While playing for the Blue Jays, he led the team to the 2005 NCAA Division I National Championship.His...

, was the #1 draft pick

Major League Lacrosse first overall collegiate draft choice

This is a list of Major League Lacrosse college draft first overall picks, by year:...

 of Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...

 in 2005, after leading Johns Hopkins to a national championship the same year and winning the Tewaaraton trophy. Two documentaries have been shot on the team, one, produced by Jeremy Schaap

Jeremy Schaap

Jeremy Schaap is an American sportswriter, television reporter, and author. Schaap is a six-time Emmy Award winner for his work on ESPN's E:60, SportsCenter, and Outside the Lines.-Biography:...

, aired on ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 in 2006 and the second, produced by Luke David, airs on PBS in early April, 2008.

21st-century comeback

More than 20 years after the original team was shut down, Morgan has started all over again. In 2005 a lacrosse club team was formed on campus and is awaiting acceptance into the NCAA. Past player, Gene White, commented, "I think it is the greatest thing that has happened since I played for Morgan in '81...". "Meanwhile, the team plays in the National College Lacrosse League. The team is now coached by Bill Krehnbrink who volunteers his services for Coppin State University.

Date	Time	Opponent	W/L	Score	Site	City
02/24/08	2:00pm	UMBC	ppd	rain	UMBC field	Catonsville, MD
03/01/08	3:00pm	Maryland	L	1-13	Recreration Field 1	College Park
03/18/08	6:00pm	Navy	L	1-15	Rip Miller Field	Annapolis
03/29/08	1:00pm	Towson			Burdick Field	Towson
03/30/08	2:30pm	Loyola	L	0-1	Herring Run Park	Baltimore
4/05/08	2:00pm	NYU	L	3-16	UMBC Turf	Baltimore
4/06/08	2:00pm	UMBC	L	6-8	UMBC Turf	Baltimore
4/10/08	4:00pm	Delaware	L	0-1	Rollo Stadium	Delaware
4/26/08	3:00pm	George Washington			GW-Mount Vernon Athletic Complex	Washington, DC

Date	Time	Opponent	W/L	Score	Site	City
03/03/07	12:00pm	Maryland	L	3-14	Recreration Field 1	College Park
03/03/07	2:00pm	Washington College	L	3-13	Recreration Field 1	College Park
03/07/07	5:00pm	Johns Hopkins	L	1-13	Homewood Field	Baltimore
03/10/07	4:00pm	Salisbury	L	4-13	Intramural Fields	Salisbury, MD
03/11/07	2:15pm	Mt. St. Mary's	W	6-4	Mt. St. Mary's	Emmitsburg, MD
03/11/07	3:00pm	Frostburg	L	8-9	Mt. St. Mary's	Emmitsburg, MD
3/30/07	7:00pm	Navy	L	1-8	Rip Miller Field	Annaoplis
3/31/07	4:00pm	UMBC	W	9-8	UMBC Club Fields	Catonsville, MD
4/01/07	2:00pm	Loyola	L	2-15	Geppi-Aikens Field	Baltimore, MD
4/07/07	2:00pm	Delaware	L	5-17	Frazier Field	Newark, De.
4/14/07	4:00pm	Howard	W	9-4	Herring Run Park	Baltimore, MD
4/15/07	6:00pm	Johns Hopkins	L	8-9	Homewood Field	Baltimore, MD
4/28/07	2:00pm	University of Baltimore	L	3-14	Mt. Washington Field	Baltimore, MD

Date	Time	Opponent	W/L	Score	Site	City
02/28/06	5:00pm	UMBC	L	3-9	UMBC Stadium	Catonsville, MD
02/25/06	3:00pm	George Washington	L	2-8	GW-Mount Vernon Athletic Complex	Washington, DC
03/11/06	2:00pm	Johns Hopkins	L	5-8	Homewood Field	Baltimore, MD
03/11/06	3:00pm	Towson	L	2-14	Homewood Field	Baltimore, MD
3/16/06	6:00pmpm	Loyola	L	2-9	Geppi-Aikens Field	Baltimore, MD
4/09/06	3:00pm	Howard	L	8-9	Greene Stadium	Washington, DC
4/15/06	4:15pm	Washington College	L	0-1	Shriver Field	Chestertown, MD