Oak Grove Cooperative
Beckoned by the bonds of friendship and excellence in intramurals a group of UT alumni gathered for a reunion in an Austin hotel ballroom during a football weekend in 1993. Members of the Oak Grove Co-op, a room and board residence for UT men that closed in 1962, were reuniting 31 years after leaving the University.
The Beginning
A historical account written by Oak Grove alumni William “Bulldog’” Kennedy (’50,’51), states that the Grove started in the late 1930s. When Kennedy arrived in 1941, members lived in two houses on the hill where the university’s School of Law is now located. “We had about 70 members and a house mother. It cost us $17 a month for room and board,” Bill recalled. After World War II, Oak Grove moved to 1903 ½ Wichita Street. When that property was sold, a new house at 1916 Speedway–directly across the street from the intramural fields–became home.
In the fall of 1946, the Grove started an 18-year winning streak, which earned them the trophy for most points in the MICA (later Club) Division. In 1947–48, in addition to scoring more points than any other organization on campus, including the fraternities, the Grove had the highest scholastic average of any of the 33 men’s houses on campus and ranked seventh among all campus organizations. During this time the Grove started a legacy of intramural excellence that carried over to the 50s thanks to the talents of so many members including Warren Crain, Frank Evans, Ted Britton, the Lee brothers (Carroll, Rupert and Robert), Lee Carter, Medford McCoy, Bob Dunn, Johnston Marsden, Corky Howard, Sid Kacir, Roger Tolar, Winston Manry and Don Smith.
Oak Grove in the 1950s
Kyle Read (’58), describes the legacy of Oak Grove as “being the best on and off the playing fields.” He says it was something all Grovers expected and demanded. “Most of the guys were excellent students and superb athletes but it really just comes down to the fact that they were sort of mavericks, in a good way, not joiners of organizations or clubs, but independent types. That made them fiercely loyal to each other and committed to the Grove... THEIR group,” he notes. Jackie Boston (’60), a three-time Best Athlete for the Grove, says, “The tradition had been set by our forerunners and we embraced it and wanted to continue that legacy.”
Jim Cole (’60), notes that continuing the tradition of intramural excellence did not just happen. He says, “Oak Grove actively recruited high school athletes. We also had great leadership–men like Joe Ed Smith and Dave Henderson–and it didn’t hurt that our house was directly across the street from the intramural fields.” Max Smith adds, “Part of our success on the athletic stage was because we almost always had more people on the sidelines than the other team, cheering us on to victory.” Intramural success in the 50s was the result of everyone’s hard work including such notables as Jim Upchurch, Bill Hudel, Gus Hrncir, Joe Minor, Lynn Halamicek, Jerry Tomsu, Jack Tolar, Max Smith, John Knaggs, Kyle Read, Jackie Boston, Jim Cole, George Petrus, Glenn Appelt, Dick Rodenback, Robert Willson, Jon Gibson and Fred Pfieffer.
More Than Intramurals
What motivated these men to get together after 30 years? Max Smith explains, “There was feeling of family at the Grove. If we had a problem, personal or otherwise, someone was available to help.” Lynn Halamicek, says of life in the Grove, “What struck me most was the way the older members guided the new members around. We all had a job in the house. We had prayers before our meals, house meetings with everyone present to iron out any problems and study time when the house had to be quiet. We were a good band of brothers that took care of each other.” Even after 30 years, this band of brotherhood remained strong enough to bring them back together.
Supporting RecSports
After that first reunion, the members were determined to do something positive for The University of Texas in memory of Oak Grove Co-op. To that end, a permanently endowed general scholarship was established from donations by Oak Grove alumni. To date, over 20 UT students have received an Oak Grove endowed scholarship. More recently, in 2009, the Oak Grove alumni stepped up to the plate again with over $10,000 in contributions to help the Division of Recreational Sports establish a permanent endowment for the Intramural Sports Program.