[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 59 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H4132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF FREDERICK ``DUKE'' SLATER

  (Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the memory 
and legacy of a glass-shattering athlete from Iowa's Second 
Congressional District.
  Frederick ``Duke'' Slater's passion for football began when his 
family moved to Clinton, Iowa, where Duke started playing football at 
Clinton High.
  Duke went on to receive his education at the University of Iowa, 
where he won a national championship in 1921 and was named an All-
American. An incredible athlete, Duke also competed for the Hawkeyes' 
track and field team, placing third in the hammer throw and fourth in 
the discus while helping Iowa win the 1921 national title.
  When Duke joined the NFL's Rock Island Independents, he became the 
first Black lineman in NFL history. He went on to become a five-time 
first-team All-Pro selection, retiring after 10 great years.
  Following his retirement, Duke was inducted into the College Football 
Hall of Fame in 1951 and was posthumously selected to the Pro Football 
Hall of Fame in 2020. Last year, the University of Iowa announced that 
the field at Kinnick Stadium would now be known as Slater Field in 
honor of Duke.
  I am pleased to hear that the local community is planning to erect a 
statue of Duke at Clinton High School. Duke is the embodiment of hard 
work and overcoming obstacles, and I cannot wait to see that statue in 
person.

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