Oral History interview with Tyrone Byrd '73
Title
Oral History interview with Tyrone Byrd '73
Narrator (written)
Tyrone Byrd
Narrator First Name
Tyrone
Narrator Last Name
Byrd
Interviewer
Stefan Bradley
Abstract
Tyrone Byrd was interviewed by Stefan Bradley in front of an audience of Dartmouth students in fall 2021. Born in San Antonio, TX, Tyrone Byrd grew up in a multiracial neighborhood and attended predominantly Hispanic elementary and middle schools. Byrd was recruited by a Black alumnus to play football at Dartmouth, and began his studies in the fall of 1969. In a class with a total of 95 Black students, Byrd discusses finding community in the Afro-American Society (AAM), where he met Black classmates from various backgrounds and experiences. Byrd reflects on the political climate and student activism on campus in the late ‘60s, shaped by the Vietnam War and draft. He also recounts the social transition and campus attitudes shifting from an all-male institution to coeducation, and the impact of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X on the Black community. During his time on the football team, Byrd was a three-time Ivy League champion, and won the Lambert Trophy, awarded to the best team in the East. Upon graduating with a history degree, Byrd transitioned into semi-professional football in Boston before playing briefly with the Green Bay Packers. Two years later, he attended University of Chicago Booth School of Business and earned a Masters of Business Administration in 1977. Byrd highlights his study abroad in Sierra Leone—through the Black Studies department—as an opportunity for dialogue between his classmates and the global community. Byrd also recalls participating in a student protest his freshman year against Professor William Shockley’s campus visit to discuss the genetic inferiority of Black people. At the end of the interview, Byrd reflects on finding support from Black alumni who supported the community, and encourages the art of networking and building relationships.
Date of Interview
October 8, 2021
Subject
Afro-American Society
coeducation
Conservative Vice Lords
Dartmouth alumni
Dartmouth football
Malcolm X
Martin Luther King Jr.
protest/activism
study abroad
Vietnam War
William Shockley
Rights
Interview Audio Source (MP3)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byrd_tyrone/byrd_tyrone.mp3
Interview Transcript Source (PDF)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byrd_tyrone/byrd_tyrone_transcript_final.pdf
HTML
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DartmouthBlackLives/histories/byrd_tyrone/byrd_tyrone_transcript_final.html