According to the annals of Wayne State Athletic Department, athletics in Detroit Junior College were organized during the winter of 1917-18, the first year of the existence of the college.  In October, David L. Holmes, who had charge of athletics in Cass Technical High School at that time, came to the college to take up the same line of work.  The enrollment of the college was about 150.

An Athletic Association was organized and season basketball tickets were sold.  The A.A. membership fee was placed temporarily at 50 cents for the year; the basketball season ticket at $1.00.  Adoption of Constitution was left until the fall of 1918.

A basketball schedule was started at once.  In the beginning, great difficulty was encountered in scheduling games with the college teams of the state, as the D.J.C. was an entirely unknown quantity.

Later, as soon as the season was underway and the D.J.C. had shown worthy of consideration on the basketball floor, games were easily arranged.  Lack of finances prevented the scheduling of several good teams which, otherwise, would have been on our schedule.

Student Council adopted official school colors for D.J.C.  Mr. Holmes brought to the meeting many pieces of ribbon of different colors.  Old Gold and Kelly Green were adopted as the official colors.

Under coach David L. Holmes and captain Fred Sullivan, D.J.C. compiled a 9-1 record.

The first game was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 12 vs. Michigan State's Freshman team in Detroit, but the contest was postponed due to a storm.  The following Saturday, D.J.C. defeated Detroit College of Law 24-18 in a game played at Central High School.

D.J.C. would also play Ypsilanti State Normal (which became Eastern Michigan) on Jan. 26 in Detroit and Feb. 20 in Ypsilanti, as well as two more contests against Detroit College of Law on Feb. 2 and Feb. 14.  There was a practice game on Feb. 9 vs. the Carlisle Indians along with two games vs. Michigan State's (M.A.C. All-Frosh team) on Feb. 23 at Central High School and March 9 in Lansing.  The Feb. 23 match was the only setback, 16-13.

Three other games in March were against Adrian College (March 1 at Central High School) and a home-and-home series with Assumption (March 6 in Sandwich, Ont. and March 13 at Central High School).

Letters were awarded to Fred Sullivan (Captain), Nat. Winkleman, Lawrence Atliviack (Atler), George Phister, Howard Rowse, Willard Beattie, James Beattie and Walter Wesbrook.

A Theatre Party and "feed" was given to the team at the close of the season.

The one-sided victory (41-5) over Adrian, champions of the MIAA showed the real caliber of the team.  The score at the end of the first five minutes of play was 17-0.

Editor's Notes:

WSU was known as Detroit Junior College from 1917-1923, before becoming CCD [College of the City of Detroit] from 1923-34, then Wayne University in 1934, and Wayne State in 1956.

Now in its 95th year of basketball, WSU has had only nine men's coaches - David Holmes (1917-29), Newman Ertell (1929-48), Joel Mason (1948-66), Frank Gompert (1966-73), Robert Samaras (1973-77), Vernon Payne (1977-82), Charlie Parker (1982-88), Ron Hammye (1988-2001) and David Greer (2001-present).

WSU HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1917 - The Detroit Junior College, offering a two-year program in general education, was established in 'Old Main' and later developed into the College of Liberal Arts.

1923 - The Detroit Normal Training School became a four-year degree-granting institution under the name of the Detroit Teachers College. The first degrees were granted in 1924. The Detroit Junior College became the College of the City of Detroit with four-year degree programs. The first degrees were conferred in 1925.

1933 - The Colleges of Liberal Arts, Education, Engineering, Medicine and Pharmacy and the Graduate School were united by action of the Detroit Board of Education into a university organization, temporarily called the Colleges of the City of Detroit.

1934 - The name Wayne University was adopted, taken from Wayne County and, ultimately, from General Anthony Wayne.

1956 - Wayne University became Wayne State University by Act 183 of Michigan Public Acts of 1956.