Mississippi St. star who fought segregation dies

Mon., March 24, 2008

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

JACKSON, Miss. – W.D. “Red” Stroud, a former Mississippi State basketball star and member of the state’s Sports Hall of Fame, has died after battling leukemia. He was 66.

Stroud was a member of the 1963 Bulldogs team that left Starkville against the wishes of Mississippi leaders to play in the NCAA tournament against an integrated Loyola team.

During those turbulent years, Mississippi’s universities were pressured not to participate in games against teams that had been integrated.

Stroud played for the Bulldogs from 1961-63 and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Stroud averaged 15.1 points during his Bulldogs career.

He was also one of the best three-throw shooters in school history, ranking fourth on the university’s career list at 82.5 percent.

Stroud played briefly in the old ABA.

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Mississippi St. star who fought segregation dies

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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