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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:
[Box 1],
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Box 2],
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Box 3],
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Box 4],
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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 1
- Barcode: 31234014045601
- Folder 1: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1949-1950
- Contains correspondence on well wishes received for Eastern's wins in the 1948-1949, and 1949-1950, seasons, especially for their wins against Western and University of Louisville to win the OVC Championship. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 2: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1949-1950
- Contains correspondence on general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include information on prospective students and former students, thank you notes, basketball schedules and regulations, and available positions for hire. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 3: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer as Recipient, 1949-1950
- Contains 7 letters and 3 cards from various senders. Topics include officiating, thank you letters, well wishes, and a letter written by a player requesting deferment from military service. Also includes a note from Governor Bert Combs with newspaper clipping of McBrayer.
- Folder 4: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1952-1953
- Contains correspondence for success with the Eastern basketball team, specifically getting a bid for the N.C.A.A. tournament. All letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 5: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1952-1953
- Contains correspondence on general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include prospective students, correspondence with other coaches (Ed Diddle), officiating, players with military obligations, tickets, and schedules. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 6: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1952-1953
- Contains correspondence on personal news. Topics include golf, Kentucky Derby tickets, payment on bus tour, and athletic career opportunities. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 7: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1953-1954
- Contains correspondence for the success of the Eastern basketball team, specifically on the win over Western in February 1954. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 8: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1953-1954
- Contains correspondence on general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include prospective students, tournaments, banquets, O.V.C., jobs, schedules, and professional players for the New York Knickerbockers and Baltimore Bullets. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back, and some of the replies to McBrayer's letters are also included.
- Folder 9: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer As Recipient, 1953-1954
- Contains correspondence from various senders. Topics includes the fishing clubs, thank you letters, jobs, prospective students, invitations, and players who joined the military.
- Folder 10: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1953-1954
- Contains five letters from WHAS Inc. concerning stamps.
- Folder 11: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1954-1955
- Contains correspondence for the success of the Eastern basketball team, specifically winning the O.V.C. championship and the F.C.B.O.A. banquet. All letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 12: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1954-1955
- Contains correspondence concerning general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics includes information of players, advice for coaching, schedules, jobs, banquets, and officiating. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 13: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer As Recipient, 1954-1955
- Contains letters from various senders. Topics includes players in the military, advice for coaching and games, invitations to speak, and job availability.
- Folder 14: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1954-1955
- Contains correspondence concerning personal news. Topics include WHAS Radio programs, stamp series, reservations, honors, news of friends, clothing orders, and condolences on the death of his mother.
- Folder 15: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1955-1956
- Contains correspondence for the success of the Eastern basketball team, specifically for the win over the University of Louisville. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 16: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1955-1956
- Contains correspondence concerning general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include a magazine of the
- Folder 17: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer As Recipient, 1955-1956
- Contains 12 letters from various senders. Topics include players in the military, United Press Board of Coaches, tickets, jobs, KY vs. W. VA. All-Start Game, Jim Baechtold, and dog training.
- Folder 18: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1955-1956
- Contains correspondence concerning personal news. Topics include speaking appearances, news of friends, newspaper clippings, fishing trips, and a card of rental from the post office. Also includes an envelope that could not be matched with a letter.
- Folder 19: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1956-1957
- Contains correspondence on general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include prospective students, tickets, current players and former players, and the addition of Jim Baechtold as assistant coach.
- Folder 20: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer As Recipient, 1956-1957
- Contains 19 letters and 3 cards from various senders. Topics include prospective players, tickets, former players, scouting, invitations to speak, and surveys. There are several letters at the end with no date.
- Folder 21: Personal Correspondence, Social Security and Teachers' Retirement Forms, 1956-1957
- Contains forms on benefits of social security coverage for Eastern faculty and teachers' retirements. Also contains a small booklet on information for social security, and a letter from McBrayer regarding insurance on the Teachers' Retirement System.
- Folder 22: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1956-1957
- Contains 4 letters and a roster sheet. Topics include invitations to non-basketball events, fishing, boy scouts, and a roster sheet for P.E. 360. All letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 23: Personal Correspondence, Well Wishes, 1958-1959
- Contains correspondence for the success of the Eastern basketball team, specifically with the wins over Western and N.C. State, and the O.V.C. championship. Nine cards and notes have no dates.
- Folder 24: Personal Correspondence, Basketball General Business, 1958-1959
- Contains correspondence concerning general business in the Eastern basketball program. Topics include a basketball scholarship contract for Clyde Eads, prospective players, scholarship availability, information on players, schedules, scouting reports, and receipts from Eastern Kentucky State College. Most letters have McBrayer's reply attached to the back.
- Folder 25: Personal Correspondence, McBrayer As Recipient, 1958-1959
- Contains 41 letters and notes from various senders. Topics include invitations to speak, credit card offers, meetings, fishing, magazine subscriptions, conference information, scouting, tickets, job availability, and professional basketball. There are notes at the end with no dates.
- Folder 26: Personal Correspondence, General Correspondence, 1958-1959
- Contains correspondence concerning personal news. Topics include the death of McBrayer's wife, friends, clubs, invitations, fishing, a list of books and authors, and insurance.
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]
