Swarthmore Athletics celebrates Black History Month by recognizing a few of the countless African Americans who have contributed to the rich history of our programs and made their marks on and off the playing fields. Each week in February, we will tell the stories of these remarkable individuals, past and present.

Although he probably did not know it at the time, Norman T. Matlock was likely the first African-American student-athlete in the history of Swarthmore College.

Matlock, nicknamed the "Akron Ace" in the 1946 edition of the Halcyon, appears in the yearbook with an intensely focused, proud look in his eyes. Throughout the pages of the Halcyon, he stands out as one of the only African Americans among a sea of white students and faculty.

"I'm sure he felt some isolation at the time, but he didn't really get stuck on that fact," said his son, Norman G. Matlock, in a telephone interview. "He wasn't the type to look back too much since he was more focused on going forward."

At the time, Swarthmore was behind its peers in the admission of black students. In the March 3, 1942 edition of The Phoenix, the Swarthmore Committee on Race Relations (SCRR) criticizes, "Swarthmore, a liberal college with a Quaker tradition, has never admitted a single Negro." The SCRR was active on campus and in the community, but disappeared from the pages of The Phoenix after 1943.

Matlock, a native of Akron, Ohio, was stationed at Swarthmore during the 1944-45 academic year as part of the Navy's V-12 College Training Program, which prepared junior officers for the ongoing war effort. After serving in the Navy, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in philosophy.

"My father was very proud of his education, both at Penn and Swarthmore," recalled his son. "When he would tell folks back home of his educational background, there was a significant number of people who didn't believe him. It irked him to no end!"

The elder Matlock represented the Garnet in tennis, basketball and track & field. The Phoenix noted that he displayed "all-around good form" at meets through his versatility in events like the discus and low hurdles. He won the gold medal in the 220-yard low hurdles at the 1945 MAC Championship.

Matlock also displayed his versatility as an actor, singer and playwright on some of the world's biggest stages. His most prominent acting credits included roles in "Taxi Driver", Ghostbusters" and the Spike Lee-directed "Crooklyn" and "Clockers". Matlock also performed on Broadway in "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and appeared alongside the famed Lena Horne in "Pal Joey '78".

The determined young man in the yearbook photo brought the same strong will to his creative endeavors. "My father always thought he knew better than a producer or director," his son laughed. "He was a craftsman who always had an opinion how this or that should be presented."

Matlock passed away on Sep. 30, 2015, and since he was not one to look back on his own legacy, others must do it for him. At the time of his departure from the College, significant steps toward integration were still years away, but Norman T. Matlock helped break down a barrier and pave the way for hundreds of black student-athletes to represent Swarthmore and express themselves through athletics.