Coach Alonzo Jake Gaither Collection

Item set

Collection Title
Coach Alonzo Jake Gaither Collection
Alternate Title
Coach Alonzo Jake Gaither Collection
Collection ID
MS_0002
Creator
Alonzo Jake Gaither
Date
1900-1999
Abstract
Housed at the Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum at Florida A&M University, the Alonzo “Jake” Gaither Artifacts Collection documents the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of one of the most influential figures in HBCU and American collegiate football. As head coach of the Florida A&M Rattlers during the mid-twentieth century, Gaither built championship teams and cultivated generations of athletes and citizens; this collection preserves the tangible record of that achievement and its broader cultural impact.

The assemblage features a representative cross-section of objects associated with Gaither’s coaching career and public life, including—but not limited to—awards and commemorative plaques; game balls and sideline equipment; team apparel and textiles; framed photographs and team portraits; event programs, tickets, and ephemera from bowl games and championship seasons; and select personal effects connected to public appearances and community service. Complementary materials such as newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, correspondence, and publicity items contextualize the artifacts within the growth of FAMU athletics, the experience of HBCU sports in the segregation and civil-rights eras, and the university’s tradition of academic and athletic excellence.

Together, these materials illuminate Gaither’s coaching philosophy, institutional leadership, and national reputation, while also capturing the pageantry of Rattler football and its role in campus life. The collection supports research in sport history, Black higher education, leadership studies, and the social history of the Jim Crow and post-Jim Crow South. It is an essential resource for exhibitions, instruction, and community engagement at Meek-Eaton and beyond, offering visitors a material pathway to understand how Gaither’s disciplined vision shaped teams, transformed lives, and helped position Florida A&M University as a cultural and athletic powerhouse.
Subjects
Alonzo S. Gaither, Florida A&M University, FAMU Rattlers (Football team), Historically Black Colleges and Universities, College sports—Florida, African American football coaches, Athletics—Social aspects—United States, Rattlers football history, Mid-20th century college athletics, Segregation and sports, Civil rights and athletics, Black leadership in sports, Football championships, Black college football classics, Tallahassee (Fla.)—History, African American educators—Florida, Sports trophies and memorabilia, African American community life—Florida, FAMU athletics tradition, Coaching philosophy
Restrictions and Rights
All rights reserved. The use of any part of these objects and photographs transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of Meek-Eaton Black Archives is an infringement of the copyright law.
Spatial Coverage
In Holdings

Items

Advanced search