Ohio State Men’s Hoops Becomes Black & White: Cleo Vaughn

The following are excerpts from "The Integration of Ohio State Basketball" by historian Lee Caryer, noting the first and only season of the first African American to play varsity and letter for Ohio State men's basketball.

Cleo Vaughn had been a priority recruit for Ohio State and several other schools, having played three sports. He was end and defensive back on Lima Central football teams, a catcher in baseball and an all-state basketball player.

Today, Vaughn would be described as at least a four-star recruit. He was tough, at 6-2 a great leaper ("dunking was considered showing off," he commented), had an engaging personality, and was a qualified student with no off-court problems. After Vaughn scored 25 points in a state tournament game his junior year, Lou Berliner wrote: "Several of his shots were of the sensational type," in The Columbus Dispatch.

Vaughn's College Career

During their freshman year at Ohio State, 1952-53, Vaughn, Ray Tomlin and Robin Freeman practiced with the varsity, played the reserves before varsity games and tried to adjust to college life. All three earned freshman letters and were expected to be major factors on the varsity as sophomores.

In the fall of 1953, most of the attention of Ohio State sports fans was focused on the football team. To the extent that there was any interest in basketball, some hoped that the team could finish above .500, for the first time since the 1950 Big Ten title. A real basketball fan might have been curious to see if high scoring Paul Ebert would improve on his 21.7 ppg average from the previous year. There was only a brief mention of Cleo Vaughn being the first "negro basketball player on the Ohio State varsity."

Vaughn's Buckeye career began well. He started in the first game of the season, a 93-78 win at Butler December 5. All-American Paul Ebert led the team in scoring with 32 points, followed by Freeman's 22 and Vaughn's 13.

Three days later, Vaughn joined his four fellow starters in double figures as OSU won at St. Louis, 84-83. He finished with 11 points and six rebounds. In the home opener, Vaughn made only one of 11 shots, but the Bucks beat Oklahoma, 73-64. One week later, OSU traveled to Louisville.

"The hotel where we had reservations refused to give Cleo a room. Blacks did not get rooms in Louisville, but (Coach) Floyd Stahl did not know that. Finally they gave Cleo a cot in the basement. He had to eat his meals down there, too. The players on the team took turns eating with him."

Vaughn started, but missed both his shots and got only one rebound in the 85-76 loss to Louisville. If he was distracted, he had a valid reason. Then the Bucks checked into the Venetian Hotel in Miami, Florida. "Whites went in the front door, the black guy went in the back," recalled Vaughn. "I had to eat my meals in my room. But it was my best game at Ohio State," referring to his 12 points and five rebounds as the Bucks beat Miami (Fla.), 106-81. It was also his last effective game.

Cleo started three more games, but was 0-of-10 from the field in two losses and one win. An ankle injury kept him out of the Pittsburgh victory. He missed three games with the bad ankle, and fellow sophomore Don Kelley was effective in his absence. When Kelley struggled against Illinois, Vaughn got two quick baskets.

In the remaining 10 games, Vaughn saw spot duty in five, did not play in the other five. During his time as a starter, the last 14 games of the year, Kelley averaged more than eight points. In several of those games he rebounded effectively as well. The team finished 11-11, 5-9 in conference. Vaughn played 14 games, averaging 3.6 points. But Vaughn was not discouraged. "I didn't think of it like that," he says. "There are ups and downs. I intended to learn from what happened and play next year."

"The next fall I went back to Ohio State but it was a combination of academics and basketball – I just wasn't interested anymore."

Did the experience at Louisville and Miami of sleeping on a cot in the hotel basement crush his spirit? At 6-2, was he just too small for Big Ten play as a forward? Was Don Kelley, a starter and double figure scorer the next two years, merely better? Did Vaughn listen to the wrong people? Was his ankle a lingering problem?

An analysis of those questions would have provided a better explanation of why the first African-American to play varsity basketball at Ohio State did not play another year. However, his high school teammate Ron Bell, who earned three degrees at Ohio State, has an opinion.

"Cleo needed a mentor, someone to guide him, protect and support him. He never had that at the high school level or at Ohio State. He certainly didn't have it at home. It was a different time, but he had the potential to do something special. I was too young and immature to be of any real help and was pretty involved in my own goals. Makes me a little sad," sighs Bell.

Beyond Ohio State

After leaving Ohio State, Vaughn played football in the Army, and had a certificate with his name as an All-Army wide receiver. In 1957 he played 30 games in the New York Yankees minor league baseball system with Modesto and St. Petersburg, batting .221 with 21 hits in 95 at bats.

Vaughn decided to use his G.I. benefits to complete his education and went to Alabama A&M. He later moved to Detroit.

Chico "Cleo" Vaughn passed away June 29, 2010. Vaughn and his wife, Mildred, had four sons, Gregory, Mark, Thomas and Kenneth and special sons, Brian Franklin and Robert Henderson, and 12 grandchildren.