Today, April 4th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize Clinton’s Fred “Duke” Slater.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the legacy of a glass-shattering athlete from Iowa’s Second District.
Frederick “Duke” Slater’s passion for football began when his family moved to Clinton, Iowa, where Duke started playing football at Clinton High.
Duke went on to receive his education at the University of Iowa, where he won a national championship in 1921 and was named an All-American. An incredible athlete, Duke also competed for the Hawkeye’s Track and Field team, placing third in the hammer throw and fourth in the discus while helping Iowa win the 1921 national title.
When Duke joined the NFL’s Rock Island Independents, he became the first black lineman in NFL history. He went on to become a five-time First-team All-Pro selection, retiring after ten great years.
Following his retirement, Duke was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and was posthumously selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Last year, the University of Iowa announced that the field at Kinnick Stadium would now be known as Slater Field in honor of Duke.
I am pleased to hear that a local committee is planning to erect a statue of Duke at Clinton High School. Duke is the embodiment of hard work and overcoming obstacles and I cannot wait to see the statue in person.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
Original source can be found here
