Earnel Durden Oral History Interview

Durden discusses his high school years in Los Angeles as an African American and rising football player; recruitment and experiences as a student, African American, and athlete at Oregon State University; his relationship with Tommy Prothro as a player and assistant coach; his various coaching experiences at Compton Junior College, Long Beach State University, UCLA, and for the Rams; and a brief description of his children's sports careers.

Earnel Durden (b. 1937) attended OSU from 1955-1959 as a football player and a student studying physical education and science education. He played on the 1957 Rose Bowl team under Coach Tommy Prothro, and in his sophomore year, he was selected as "Joe College." Durden was among the first African American students to attend OSU.