Oral Histories

Interview of Elvin C. Drake

UCLA track and field coach.
Subtitle:
Coaching and Training at Home and Abroad
Series:
Interviews not in a series, part one
Topic:
Sports
UCLA and University of California History
UCLA Intercollegiate Athletics Staff
Biographical Note:
UCLA track and field coach.
Interviewer:
Gardner, Joel
Interviewee:
Drake, Elvin C.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Abstract:
Growing up in Friend, Nebraska, farming community; high school athletics, Fort Morgan, Colorado; life at University of Colorado; move to California, 1922; work in Beverly Hills lumberyard; living in West Los Angeles; attending University of California, Southern Branch; fraternity life; physical education department on Vermont Avenue campus; sports activities; William Spaulding's arrival; Fred Cozens; Harry Trotter; teaching at Horace Mann Junior High School; assistant track coach, UCLA, 1929; William C. Ackerman; UCLA Olympic Games athletes; other UCLA track and field athletes: Thomas Bradley, Ray Vejar, Jimmy Miller, and Craig Dixon; affiliation with Big Bear Boys Camp; 1932 Olympics, Los Angeles; Olympic coach for Republic of Panama, London, 1948; Lloyd LaBeach; Cy Young; John R. Wooden and UCLA basketball; UCLA wins National Collegiate Athletic Association track title, 1956; Rafer Johnson, Bob Seaman, and Ron Drummond; 1956 Olympics, Melbourne; coaching for Republic of China, 1960 Olympics, Rome; C. K. Yang, Rafer Johnson, and decathlon competition; JD Morgan and UCLA athletes; Tommy Prothro, Henry "Red" Sanders, Larry Brown, and other UCLA coaches.