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Features
Last Of Dupree Siblings Succumbs To Massive Heart Attack
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Ravenell Dupree was a member of what has been termed as the ‘baddest’ backfield to come out of Middleton High School
Ravenell Dupree passed away Monday morning after suffering a massive heart at- tack. He was 76 years old.
He was the last of 12 chil- dren born to Willie and Lola Dupree.
Known to family and friends as “Ralph,” Coach Billy Reed said he was a member of the “baddest” back- field to ever play football at Middleton High School. He re- calls it being the 1958 season when the team nearly won the State Championship. “They lost the game to Carver out of Miami,” he said.
Dupree was not only a star football player (running- back), but he also played base- ball, Andre White recalled. “He played for the Palm Dinette Dodgers, a restaurant owned by my dad (Moses White).” Andre’s wife is married to Ravenell’s cousin, Joyce.
Andre and Coach Reed recalled Coaches Bill Bethel and Abraham Brown as the coaches of that team. The team was made up of Dwight Weaver, Nathaniel “Golden Boy” Davis, Alton “Turkey Red” White, Ravenell “Silver Boy” Dupree and Samuel “Pud- den” Childs was the quarter-
RAVANELL ‘RALPH’ DUPREE ...At 75-years-old
back.
According to Coach
Reed, all 4 of those guys went on to FAMU and made up the backfield there.
Dupree’s nephew, Ruben Dupree, wrote in a facebook message: “He was my closest uncle. When I was a kid he came to all of my games. On my 12th birthday, he bought me a pair of all-white Spot-Bilt football cleats....Only Joe Na- math wore white cleats. All my teammates said, ‘who the hell do u thing u are, Joe Na-
math!’ He would always tell me, in football and baseball that he ‘never lost to Blake High School’!”
Dupree worked for the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, being hired on as a Meat Inspector, and retiring 11 years ago as a Food Safety Inspector after 41 years.
According to his former wife and long-time friend, Juanita (Karl) Couba, Dupree played semi-pro foot- ball in New York for several years. He was a volunteer coach at Middleton, Plant and several other high schools, she recalled.
She added that he was an avid gardener, who loved trees, especially banana trees, and had more than 100 trees in his yard.
In addition to numerous nieces and nephews, Dupree is survived by a daughter, Tametria (Tami) and many other family members and friends.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday, Sept. 9th, 1 p. m. at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church.
Library To Present Award To Tampa Chapter Of ASALH
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Monday, September 12th, the Robert W. Saunders Library Foundation, in con- junction with Hillsborough County, will pay tribute to the Tampa Chapter of the Associ- ation for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The presentations take place at the Robert W. Saunders Public Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Avenue, who co-sponsors the event.
The presentation will take place from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Fred Hearns, Black His- tory Experience Coordinator of the Robert W. Saunders Li- brary Foundation said this week, the Lamp Of Knowl- edge Award will be presented to ASALH. Ms. Tyne Mid- dleton is the president of the Tampa Chapter of the organ- ization.
“The Program honoring ASALH is part of the Black History Experience series. The organization is being rec- ognized for its long history of preserving African American History.
“It has chapters all over the world and they celebrated its centennial anniversary last fall.”
ASALH was founded in Chicago, Illinois, on Septem- ber 9, 1915, as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Its co-founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, is known as the father of Black
MS. TYNA MIDDLETON President of ASALH
History.
Dr. Woodson Jesse E. Moorland is the other co- founder.
The organization came into existence as a vehicle to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate in- formation about Black life, history and culture to the global community. It was re- named Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History in 1973.
He further said family members, friends, and sup- porters of the organization are invited to attend the cele- bration and to visit one of the few African American Public Libraries and Cultural Arts Centers in the Southeastern United States.
Dr. Aaron Smith is the president of the Robert W. Saunders Library Founda- tion, Inc. Fred Hearns is the foundation’s President Emeritus. Ms. Carrie Hurst is the Principal Li- brarian at the Robert W. Saunders Public Library.
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