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By Amanda Mardis
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection contains material related to Paul McBrayer's career as head basketball coach of Eastern Kentucky State College and years after, ca. 1940-2001. The majority of the collection contains correspondence from players who kept in touch with McBrayer over the decades. The collection also contains a variety of photographs of individual players, teams, and former players' families. Concerning McBrayer, there are newspaper articles, photographs, awards, correspondence, and memorabilia from him or relating to him.
Collection Historical Note
Paul McBrayer was born October 12, 1909 in Kavanaugh, KY. He attended Kavanaugh High School where he played basketball. In 1926 he started playing for the University of Kentucky where he was selected as an All-American in 1930.
His first coaching job was at Morton Junior High School; and the following year he went to Kavanaugh High School to coach for two years. In 1934, he became the assistant coach under Adolph Rupp at U.K. During WWII McBrayer left U.K. and served as a staff sergeant in the Army. Afterwards, when McBrayer went back to U.K., Rupp informed him there were no available staff positions. Soon afterwards, President O'Donnell of Eastern State College offered McBrayer the head coaching job.
At Eastern he accomplished more than any other coach before or for decades afterward. He brought the basketball team from the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to Division I basketball. He was the most winning basketball coach in Eastern history, with a 219 win, 144 loss record.
After retirement, both UK and EKU former players annually gathered for McBrayer Appreciation Days. A scholarship was named in his honor for Anderson County students, and in January 1989, the McBrayer Arena at Eastern's Alumni Coliseum was named in his honor.
In 1999, McBrayer died of cancer in Lexington, KY. (Information taken from a Lexington Herald-Leader article by John Clay and an article from The Anderson News by Rick Bailey, both can be found in the Paul McBrayer Newspaper Articles folder).
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Donation from Kathryn McBrayer, wife of Paul McBrayer
Other Note:
Photographs were initially numbered with the accession number; however, a decision was made to change to collection number. The database was changed, but the numbers written on the images were not changed.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
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Box 1],
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Box 2],
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Box 3],
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Box 4],
[Box 5],
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Box 6],
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Box 7],
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Box 8: Awards and Memorabilia],
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Box 9: Oversize],
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Item 1: Framed UK Photograph, 1996],
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All]
- Box 5
- Barcode: 31234014045429
- Folder 1: Mayer, Ronald
- Contains photos 2009A001-173-177.
- Folder 2: McGee, Delmar
- Contains two letters from McBrayer concerning basketball and term reports.
- Folder 3: Miller, Sherrill
- Letters from McBrayer, topics include Eastern applications and basketball scholarships. A class schedule for an unidentified semester. Basketball publicity information sheet. Photo of Miller (2009A001-179).
- Folder 4: Mitchell, Jimmy, 1956-1960
- Correspondence from Mitchell and McBrayer; topics include personal news and job recommendations. Class schedule and book list for unidentified semester. Career summary sheets, data for players card, basketball publicity information sheet, and Tip-Off Club sheet. University of Cincinnati basketball booklet, 1974-75 season. Newspaper clippings of Mitchell. Photos include 2009A001-011; 2009A001-180-181.
- Folder 5: Moberly, Harold, 1947-1951
- Basketball statistics for the 1947-48 and 1950-51 seasons. Tip-Off Club sheet.
- Folder 6: Moore, Bobby
- Letter from McBrayer concerning grades and the draft board. Newspaper clipping of Moore. Photo of Moore (2009A001-182).
- Folder 7: Moore, Dale
- Correspondence from Moore and McBrayer, topics include term reports, invitation to Moore's wedding, and request for a job recommendation. Two class schedules and book list for unidentified semesters. Summary sheet, basketball statistics, and basketball publicity information sheet. Newspaper article on Moore. Photos include 2009A001-183-189.
- Folder 8: Mrazovich, Chuck, 1952-1958
- Correspondence from Mrazovich and McBrayer; topics include prospective players, job recommendations, personal news, and basketball. National American-Serbian Basketball Tournament booklet, Franklin County High School booklet, and Russell County High School reunion program. Basketball statistics from 1946-1950. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-190-192.
- Folder 9: Mulcahy, Bob, 1955-1966
- Correspondence from Mulcahy and McBrayer; topics include prospective, current, and former players, and personal news. Two basketball publicity information sheets and a Tip-Off Club sheet. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-009-010; 2009A001-193-194.
- Folder 10: Osborne, Gerald
- A class schedule for an unidentified semester and a basketball publicity information sheet.
- Folder 11: Parks, Larry, 1960-1961
- Letters from McBrayer concerning awards and basketball. Index cards with Parks addresses. Three class schedules for the school year of 1960-61. Statistics and basketball publicity information sheet. Newspaper clippings.
- Folder 12: Patterson, Ralph, 1951-1958
- Correspondence from Patterson and McBrayer; topics include job recommendations and personal news. Terry Parker High School Orientation booklet and 1981 school report. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-195-200.
- Folder 13: Paulus, Carl
- A letter from McBrayer concerning a term report. Class schedule for unidentified semester. Career summary sheet, basketball cumulative scoring record, and basketball publicity information sheet. Newspaper clipping. Photos include 2009A001-201-202.
- Folder 14: Payne, James
- A letter from Payne concerning basketball. Basketball publicity information sheet. Class schedule for unidentified semester. Photo of Payne (2009A001-203).
- Folder 15: Pellegrinon, Ronnie, 1955-1957
- Correspondence from Pellegrinon and McBrayer; topics include the Army and personal news. Class schedule and book list for unidentified semester. Basketball publicity information sheet, data for players card, and Tip-Off Club sheet. Newspaper clipping of McBrayer. Photos include 2009A001-204-206.
- Folder 16: Pike, James, 1956-1961
- Correspondence from Pike and McBrayer; topics include personal news, term reports, well wishes, and basketball. Two class schedules for unidentified semesters. Basketball publicity information sheet. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-207-212.
- Folder 17: Profitt, Homer
- Eligibility certificate for the O.V.C.. Basketball publicity information sheet. Class schedule for unidentified semester. Index card with address. Photo of Profitt (2009A001-213).
- Folder 18: Quay, Tom
- Contains a basketball publicity information sheet and class schedule for unidentified semester.
- Folder 19: Ratliff, John, 1957-1958
- Correspondence from Ratliff and McBrayer; topics include prospective players and term reports. Two class schedules and a term report. Career summary sheets, basketball cumulative scoring record, and a basketball publicity information sheet. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-214-218.
- Folder 20: Redmond, Larry, 1960-1961
- Correspondence concerning job-related news. Index cards of term reports. Class schedules for the school year of 1960-61. Career summary sheet, basketball publicity information, and basketball cumulative scoring record. Photos include 2009A001-219-226.
- Folder 21: Redwine, Earl
- Contains two letters from Redwine and McBrayer concerning basketball, the military, and newspaper clippings.
- Folder 22: Reed, Linville
- Contains a job recommendation from McBrayer and an announcement of the birth of Reed's daughter.
- Folder 23: Reid, Walter
- Contains three letters from Reid and McBrayer concerning job recommendations and banquets.
- Folder 24: Rice, Fred
- Correspondence from Rice and McBrayer concerning basketball eligibility and job recommendations. Eligibility certificate for the O.V.C.. Basketball publicity information sheet.
- Folder 25: Richardson, Ralph, 1960-1961
- Three class schedules for the school year of 1960-61. Two copies of an affidavit explaining a situation that occurred at an Eastern vs. Western game. Basketball publicity information sheet. Photos include 2009A001-227-228.
- Folder 26: Ritter, Goebel, 1942-1947
- Two letters from Ritter and McBrayer concerning a banquet. Three sheets of statistics from 1942-43; 1945-47.
- Folder 27: Robbe, Elmer
- Contains a class schedule for unidentified semester and a basketball publicity information sheet.
- Folder 28: Roberts, Russell, 1953-1988
- Correspondence from Roberts and McBrayer; topics include personal news, the Army, basketball, and well wishes. Three Madison Central basketball rosters. Newspaper clippings.
- Folder 29: Robinson, James Carl, 1958-1973
- Correspondence from Robinson and McBrayer; topics include job recommendations, personal news, and basketball. Summary sheet of education. Photos include 2009A001-229-230.
- Folder 30: Sears, Paul
- Two letters from Sears and McBrayer concerning basketball. Class schedule and book list for unidentified semester. Basketball publicity information sheet. Photos include 2009A001-231-233.
- Folder 31: Seesholtz, Art, 1953-1986
- Correspondence from Seesholtz and McBrayer; topics include job recommendations, basketball, personal news, and well wishes. Northwest Alabama State Junior College basketball booklet from 1972-73 and a Varsity LM Booklet. Two copies of Florida Military School brochure. Newspaper clippings. Photos include 2009A001-234-237.
- Folder 32: Shemelya, Ed, 1951-1960
- Correspondence from Shemelya and McBrayer; topics include job recommendations and basketball. Tip-Off Club information sheet.
- Folder 33: Skaggs, Bill
- Contains two photos of Skaggs, 2009A001-238-239.
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Box 4],
[Box 5],
[
Box 6],
[
Box 7],
[
Box 8: Awards and Memorabilia],
[
Box 9: Oversize],
[
Item 1: Framed UK Photograph, 1996],
[
All]
