"Kid" Durning, the Armory's Fighting Demon

My dad was a big boxing fan. One of the earliest thing I recall was going on Friday nights to watch the fights on a television in the window of the local power company.  Later, before we finally got our own television, we went some Fridays to watch especially important boxing matches on a television at Wayne Stout's house on South College, a few blocks south of Jefferson Elementary.

With this introduction to boxing, I became a fan and wanted to be a boxer myself. So, the Christmas when I was in the third grade (1955), I got a new pair of boxing gloves. With those gloves, a swim suit, and dirty socks, I was ready for battle (see picture above).

In the third grade -- I had spent the second grade at Robert E Lee Elementary in Springdale --  I started going up the College Avenue hill from Jefferson Elementary to the gym of the National Armory to take part in the sports there, including boxing. I know it was the third grade because I occasionally got Mr. Trahan, my 3rd grade teacher, to give me a ride there.

I am not sure if the Armory gym served as a Boy's Club or whether the after-school program was  city-financed.  I just remember there were lots of boys there every day. One of them, I remember, was an older guy (probably a teenager) who wanted to be a boxer, and he would jog around the edges of the gym holding a stool in one arm that was extended to his front. It did not look like fun and I wondered why they would do that.

One of the activities at the gym for smaller kids like me -- one of its attractions -- was boxing instructions. So, I got a chance to learn the basics of pugilism and, after a while, thought I was pretty good. I was usually beating the boys I fought with ease. Then one day, Coach Joe Holt, who was working there, pulled me over and put me in the ring to fight a scrawny Black kid who was quite a bit smaller than me. I had never seen before (interesting that in 1955 the Armory sports programs were integrated but the grade schools were not).

About 30 seconds into the first round, I realized that I was outmatched. My opponent was must quicker than me and he hit harder than anyone I had ever boxed. When he popped me hard a couple of times, I started wondering when the round would be over.

By the end of the first round, I had had enough of this foolishness, but Coach Holt told me it was a two-round match and that I would continue. I guess he had seen me rough up some lesser opponents and wanted to let me experience such treatment myself. Or maybe it was a lesson in not quitting. I spent a miserable three minutes in the second round backpedaling, trying to minimize the damage to my body. When the fight was over, I was very happy that I still had all of my teeth, even though my dignity was badly bruised.

After that day I put my boxing gloves in the back of the closet and starting spending much more time in the Armory playing ping-pong.  

Cousins Jerry and Kay Durning, 1953

Cousins Kay and Jerry Durning

I enjoy this old picture of my cousins Kay Durning and Jerry Durning. Kay was quite a bit older than me, and I did not know her well. Jerry was about three years older, and I saw much more of him through various non-school playground activities and the sports that he played.

Their dad, Bill or Willy as my dad called him, owned a garage on East Huntsville Road, not too far out of town. He made his living for decades fixing cars. The garage was decidedly utilitarian. It was heated by an old wood stove, and was pretty dark when the doors were closed. Plus it had strange smells. I determined at a very young age, after spending a few minutes in the garage, that I had no interest in fixing cars. Fortunately, Bill was very good at what he did and we could depend on him to take care of our auto problems.

Jerry is a good soul: I don't remember seeing him without the smile you see in this picture, though with more teeth. In his younger years, he was a very good catcher who hit for a high average in Fayetteville's Babe Ruth and American Legion Leagues. Also, he played football for Hillcrest anf FHS.

He married Shirley Eans, who was a classmate of mine from the third grade through high school. She was one of the smartest students around.

Fayetteville Cub Scouts, 1956-57

Thanks to volunteers such as Eugene Snow, Philip Snow's father, boys at Jefferson Elementary School had their own Cub Scout Pack, No. 40, with eighteen members. The adults who led the Pack 40 were Eugene Snow, Cubmaster; Arlie Silvis, assistant cubmaster; plus committee members Lee R. Ballard, Robert Mhoon and D.R. Yarberry, chairman. William Combs was the Institutional representative and Mrs. Keith Robbins was a den mother.

Cub scouts included Billy Bradley, Jimmy Hawkins, Danny Whitehouse, Michael Wilson, Michael Yarberry, Danny Durning, Philip Snow, Chester Shipman, and Eugene Tucker.

I remember meeting sometimes at Philip Agee's garage on 6th Street, but cannot remember much else about the meetings. Somewhere I still have a cub scout knife.

Fayetteville City Housing, End of First Grade, 1954

Dan D and Candy on the steps of City Housing, 1954

Dan D and Billy Schader at
Fayetteville City Housing, 1954

Sometime during or right after the 1st grade, my family moved into city housing for a few months. Our unit was in a building near the intersection of W. South Street and Block Avenue. Archibald Yale Blvd was in our back yard.

Several kids lived in the neighborhood, including Billy Schader, whose family had a place in the city housing and Becky Thrasher, who lived across the street. There were enough kids to have good games of "kick the can" and "capture the flag" on long summer evenings.

At city housing, I got my second job. My first job had been selling my parent's used paperbacks door to door on College Avenue, where we lived during most of the time I was in the 1st grade. The second job, at city housing, was more substantial. I contracted with Randall Castleman, who delivered the Northwest Arkansas Times in the neighborhood, to take newspapers to the city housing units at which renters had subscribed to the paper. I got one cent for each delivery; Randall earned two cents for each delivery, so we split his pay. It seemed fair.

The other things I remember about the short stay in city housing, besides how hot it was inside the units, are (1) having my tonsils removed, pacified by the promise of ice cream afterwards; (2) coming home hoarse several times after preaching prolonged, loud sermons in the style of the preachers I had been hearing on Sunday.

Another City Housing Picture, Pretending to Play the Guitar
(I seem to be missing some front teeth but at least I had a stylish hat)

We moved from city housing to a new house on Highland Avenue in Springdale in time for me to start the second grade at Robert E. Lee Elementary.

Mr. Hankins, 5th Grade Teacher, Jefferson Elementary School

The picture is taken behind the Jefferson Elementary School. Probably, it was snapped at the end of a recess.  The man in the picture is Mr. Hankins, the sixth grade teacher. Behind him are Judy Schnofner and Melba Henderson. The blur of a boy may be Larry Moore. the girl nearest to the camera on Mr. Hankin's left is, I think, Loretta Lane. I am not sure who the girl with the hula hoop and the most distance girl are.

Touch Football on Lower Field of Jefferson Grade School

Jefferson School Lower Field with Larry Stout (carrying ball),
Jimmy Hawkins ("tackling") and Mike Yarboroough (walking toward the camera)

During the time I was in elementary school, the lower field of Jefferson was a busy place place for recess, after school, and weekend recreation. It had a backstop and infield for baseball, wide expanses for touch football, plus ample room for marbles and generally running around. The upper playground had paved areas with playground equipment on south end of the school  (nearest Hanna's Grocery Store) and shortened basketball goals on the other end.

The picture above shows Larry Stout (with the ball), Jimmy Hawkins (with arms stretched for the tackle), and Mike Yarborough in the near background facing the camera.

During baseball season in the late 50's, the lower field was used for pickup baseball games. The Washington Street area had some good athletes who were several years older than me, including Justin Daniel, Winston Wheeler, Jerry Durning, Kenny Terry, and several others. They were the best players for these games, while younger kids like me and my cousin Morris Daniel would be allowed to play but were not to get in the way.

When I knew a game was coming, I tried to escape going to church, or at least to leave after Sunday school, to make it to the game on time. The games were a highlight of the week.

As I recall, the main concern was that some of the big hitter, such as Justin or Winston, would hit a ball that would go through the trees in left and center fields over the fence into the big picture window of the auto repair shop at the corner of 5th and Washington. That would have been expensive.