Exhibit - History of Boxing at MSU
As history has shown, things come and go with the times. Things appear, leave, and reappear again. While some sports have staying power, such as baseball and football, others do not. That was the case with the now forgotten sport of boxing at Michigan State University (MSU).
Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.) (now known as MSU) students first competed in boxing not on this campus, but at Albion College during Field Day on June 4 and 5, 1886. Boxers competed in lightweight and heavyweight classes with M.A.C. student Bailey B. Smith (with the class of 1888) winning in the lightweight class (he also won the lightweight wrestler competition.) A year later on June 3 and 4, 1887, boxing appeared for the first time on campus during M.A.C.’s Field Day competition held between Olivet, Albion, and Hillsdale Colleges. Bailey Smith once again participated in lightweight boxing against Moore of Hillsdale. Unfortunately, the points went in favor of Hillsdale winning, 46 to 45.5. In 1888, M.A.C., Olivet, Hillsdale, and Albion colleges formed the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (M.I.A.A.) with M.A.C. hosting the first M.I.A.A. Field Day. Boxing was included as a field day event from 1888 to 1892 with the M.A.C. students unanimously voting to keep boxing as an event in 1892. Sadly, boxing was eliminated by the M.I.A.A. board of directors during their spring meeting in 1893. With that, interest in boxing faded until the end of World War I.
Boxing reemerged on M.A.C.’s campus with the arrival of the Student Army Training Corps (S.A.T.C.) in October 1918. The idea was that men who met the requirements to be college students would study subjects that would be useful in the military. Along with their studies, the men also participated in a robust athletic program. They could participate in group sports such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, and indoor baseball or they could specialize in individual sports, such as boxing and wrestling. It was programmed that every day of the week competitions between the companies would be held focusing on a different sport. Ultimately, all the schedules were dropped except boxing and wrestling, which were held on Wednesday nights, starting October 23. The competitions took place in Sleepy Hollow on a well-lit platform but when it got too cold, the matches were moved into IM Circle. The championship bouts were held on December 11. Due to the outbreak of the Spanish Influenza and the war ending in November, the S.A.T.C. program concluded and most of the men were gone from campus by the start of the New Year.
Even though the S.A.T.C. men vacated campus, boxing had gained some traction. In the fall of 1919, Coach Grover offered a boxing class that met twice a week that had over fifty students enrolled. By the end of the year, there were almost 100 participants. Due to its popularity, discussion was held about making boxing into a major sport at M.A.C., but it only rose to the position of an intramural sport. A change in status for boxing wouldn’t be considered until 1934.
At the Athletic Council meeting on December 15, 1934, a motion was made by Athletic Director Ralph Young to “allow members to our intramural groups to compete as an informal boxing team with no expense to the College in contests with other institutions and to accept in particular an invitation to box at the University of Wisconsin this winter.” Under the guidance of Coach Leon D. Burhans, the boxing team traveled to Madison, Wisconsin for their first intercollegiate meet against the University of Wisconsin. Michigan State College (MSC) was defeated, winning only two out of the eight bouts. The only MSC athletes to win their bouts were Wendell Denson (115lbs, weight class) and Jack Vecoerelle (175lbs). This was the only competition that the MSC boxing team faced in 1935.
The 1936 season didn’t fare better than the previous. MSC was supposed to hold their first home match against Loyola of Chicago on March 13, 1936, but a telegram was sent the day before to Ralph Young that Loyola would not be coming because most of their players were sick with the flu, resulting in the match being cancelled. The only other match that year was against the University of Wisconsin in Madison on April 14. MSC once again lost with only one bout won going to Randolph Saari (145lbs). Finally, things got better in 1937. MSC held its first home match on February 26 against Toledo University and won 6.5 of the bouts played. They won against Toledo two weeks later on Toledo’s home turf and finished the season with a 4-4 draw against St. Norbert’s DePere, Wisconsin on March 11.
On June 8, 1937, it was voted at the Athletic Council meeting that boxing be recognized as a minor sport, starting with the college year 1937-1938. This meant that Coach Burhans was elevated to full-time status, but MSC would need to conform to the NCAA policy that freshmen could not compete on the varsity team. The first MSC varsity boxing match held on campus was against the University of Florida on February 28, 1938. That season saw zero wins, as would 1940. In 1939, they placed 12th in the NCAA boxing championship. Coach Burhans ended his career as the boxing coach in 1941 with 4 wins, 2 losses, and 0 draws.
The next six years saw two different assistant football coaches take the helm as head coach and a break in all sports due to the war. Albert Kawal replaced Leon Burhans as the head boxing coach for 1942 and 1943. The 1942 season ended with 3 wins, 3 losses, and 0 draws and MSC placed 7th in the NCAA championship. Due to a shortage of men because of the war effort, the NCAA declared that freshmen would be eligible for varsity teams on March 1, 1943. This change allowed for one of the best collegiate boxers to make his appearance at the last bout of the season, Charles “Chuck” Davey. At only 17 years old, Davey won his bout and attended the NCAA championship later that month and won (127lbs), along with Captain William Zurakowski (120lbs). MSC placed 2nd in the NCAA championship that year. Later that year, MSC President John Hannah announced on August 11, 1943 the suspension of all intercollegiate competition for the “duration” (the war). The 1943-1944 season was cancelled with intramural competitions taking place, such as the campus football league teams: Off Campus Engineers, Veterinarians, ROTC, Civilians, and On Campus Engineers. This “duration” only lasted until July 1, 1944 when intercollegiate sports were reinstated, except for boxing and polo. Reasons for not allowing boxing that season was due in part to the war time economy, which impacted traveling to far away schools. Also, many boxers had enlisted.
By 1946, the boxing team was back in action! But alas, under leadership of the new head coach, Louis Zarza, the boxing team didn’t win any matches and tied one. The team vastly improved in 1947 with a season record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 0 draws. At the NCAA championship, MSC placed 3rd and the returning Chuck Davey was once again the champion (135lbs). Louis Zarza resigned to accept a line coach position at the University of Santa Clara at the end of June 1947. With that, George Makris became the new head boxing coach.
From 1948 until 1955, the boxing team (and select teammates) entered their glory years at MSC. Chuck Davey (136lbs) and Ernie Charboneau (112lbs) won their weight classes at the NCAA championship in 1948. The team had their only undefeated season in 1950 with 6 wins. From 1947 to 1950, MSC ranked 3rd (1947), 2nd (1948), 2nd (1949), and 3rd (1950) at the NCAA championships. Finally, in 1951, MSC placed 1st at the NCAA championship and once again in 1955. After serving as the head boxing coach for eight years, Markis resigned to become the athletic director and head football coach at Bolling Air Force base in Washington, D.C.
John Brotzmann, who was the assistant boxing coach under Markis, was hired as the new head coach. Even though the team was coming off a high from winning the NCAA championship the previous year, the 1956 season ended with no wins. However, boxer Choken Maekawa won the NCAA championship (119lbs) and the John S. LaRowe trophy for outstanding boxer of the tournament. 1957 was a better year in terms of more matches won, but there was gossip of boxing being cut as a varsity sport. Sadly, that came to pass on April 29, 1957 at the Athletic Council meeting because scheduling the matches between competing schools was difficult and too costly. The Athletic Council decided that intercollegiate boxing be terminated at the end of the 1958 season, the intramural program of boxing be expanded, and students who appear qualified be permitted to compete in the NCAA tournament after 1958.
The final season of MSU boxing ended with 0 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws but the story doesn’t end there. In the last NCAA championship that MSU attended as a collegiate team, sophomore John Horne won the NCAA championship (178lbs). Horne continued his training for the next two years, and despite having no coach or bouts to compete in, he defended his NCAA championship in 1959 and 1960.
For the twenty-three years that boxing was a sport at MSU from 1935 to 1958, the team had an overall score of 53 wins, 47 losses, and 19 draws. For a brief period of time, the MSU boxers showed they could fall down and get back up again to be two-time NCAA champions and showcased some of the best boxers in the sport.
Below are some notable MSU boxers
Chuck Davey
Charles “Chuck” Davey has been called the greatest college boxer of all time and the only collegiate boxer to win 4 NCAA championships. At the age of 17, with only one boxing match under his belt, he won his first NCAA championship in 1943 (127lbs). His college career was interrupted by World War II where Davey enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant and was a Navigator. When the war ended, Davey came back to MSC to continue his education and his boxing achievements continued like he never left. He won three more NCAA championships: 1947 (135lbs), 1948 (136lbs), and 1949 (145lbs) and was awarded the John S. LaRowe trophy all three years. This award was given “to the ‘athlete whose sportsmanship, skill and conduct perpetuate the finest attributes in collegiate boxing’ during this tournament will go collegiate boxing’s greatest individual honor.” Davey was a member of the U.S. boxing team for the 1948 London Summer Olympics in the lightweight class but did not compete.
Except for one match where Davey had to settle for a draw because he suffered a cut above his eye, he was an undefeated collegiate champion. He graduated in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in Physical Education, Health and Recreation for Men. Davey turned pro, but continued his schooling and received a Master of Arts degree in Education. From October 1949 until December 1953, he was undefeated in his bouts but on February 11, 1953, he suffered his first technical knockout against Kid Gavilan. His professional record was 40 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws. He stopped boxing in 1955 and in 1965, served as the Michigan Boxing Commissioner for the State of Michigan and the president of the U.S. Boxing Association.
Davey was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
(Below in the related objects, a film titled, "Invitation to Learning, circa 1949," includes a short clip of the MSU boxing team featuring Chuck Davey and coach George Makris. Start the film at the 25:35 mark.)
Chuck Spieser
Charles “Chuck” William Spieser attended MSC from 1948 and graduated in 1952 by completing his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) training in the Military Police Corps. As a freshman, he also competed for the U.S. boxing team at the 1948 London Summer Olympics in the light-heavyweight class, winning one match. Spieser was a two-time NCAA champion in 1951 (175lbs) and 1952 (178lbs). He again made the U.S. boxing team in the light-heavyweight class for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics but was an alternate, so he did not compete. Like Davey, Spieser also went undefeated in his collegiate boxing career.
In 1953, Spieser enlisted in the Army and fought in the Korean War as a First Lieutenant. He was discharged in 1955. He turned pro in boxing with a career record of 21 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw.
Herb Odom
Herbert D. Odom, DDS, attended MSC from 1952 and graduated in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He was also a four-year member of ROTC who obtained the rank of captain, and was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. He came to MSC after being awarded a boxing scholarship, and box he did! In 1952, Odom was a NCAA quarterfinalist and reached the semifinals in the Olympic trails. He was also a NCAA semifinalist in 1953. Finally, he won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1954 (147lbs) and 1955 (147lbs). Odom also helped to propel the MSC boxing team to victory and win the 1955 NCAA championship. Different sources give different stats for Odom’s collegiate boxing career, but a MSU article said his record was 32 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws.
After MSU, Odom continued his education by earning a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Meharry Medical College in 1960. He then moved to Chicago and established his dental practice. Not slowing down, he went back to school at the University of Chicago and received a Master of Business Administration degree in 1977, the first dentist to do so.
At the age of 46, Odom decided to get back into boxing, making him the oldest fighter to be given a license in Illinois. He claimed that he told his opponents that he would “knock’em out” (their teeth) and put’em back in again!” He fought in his last bout at the age of 49. His professional boxing career record was 6 wins, 0 losses, including 3 knockouts.
Odom was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Choken Maekawa
Choken “Mike” Maekawa attended MSC in 1953 and graduated in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He came from the territory of Kohala, Hawaii on an academic scholarship. Maekawa started boxing at the age of 15 and boxed under the Kohala Athletic Association. He later won the Territorial AAU featherweight championship in 1951 and 1952.
In 1956, Maekawa won the NCAA championship (119lbs) and the John S. LaRowe trophy. When he graduated MSU in 1956, his record was 18 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Like previous MSU boxers, Maekawa made it onto the U.S. boxing team for the Melbourne 1956 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, he was disqualified from competing because he weighed in just over one ounce of the bantamweight limit.
After the Olympics, Maekawa returned to Hawaii and was a teacher at the Waiakea Intermediate School for over 40 years.
John Horne
After graduating from Tech High School in Omaha, Nebraska, John Marvin Horne joined the Air Force and served for four years. Horne’s time in the Air Force took him to Scott Field and Bolling Air Force Base and he held the rank of airman, first class. During that time, Horne boxed and toured. After leaving the Air Force, he attended MSU in 1957 and graduated in 1960 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science. When Horne joined the boxing team in 1957, there were rumors that the team would be abandoned as a varsity sport which sadly came to pass in 1958. For Horne, this was his first NCAA championship (178lbs). Despite having no coach or dual-meet competitions, Horne continued to train and successfully defended his NCAA Championship in 1959 and 1960!
He ended his collegiate boxing career undefeated and was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.
Sources
Albion College field day. (1886, June 1). The College Speculum, 5(4), 13. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Speculum/speculumv5n4.pdf
Athletics. (1887, June 1). The College Speculum, 6(4), 15. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Speculum/speculumv6n4.pdf
Boxing and Wrestling. (1919). In Wolverine Yearbook (p. 159). Michigan State University and Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
Boxing may become major sport. (1919, December 19). The M.A.C. Record, 25(13), 6. https://onthebanks.msu.edu/recordFiles/162-565-5921/19191219sm.pdf
Charles Pierce (Chuck) Davey. Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. https://michigansportshof.org/inductee/chuck-davey/
Charles Pierce Dave. American Air Museum in Britain. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/charles-pierce-davey
Chuck Davey. https://msuspartans.com/honors/hall-of-fame/chuck-davey/37
Chuck Davey. Olympedia. https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/1005489
Chuck Spieser. Olympedia. https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/8777
Dr. Herbert Donnell Odom. (2005, February 11). The Flint Journal, https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/flint/name/herbert-odom-obituary?id=14428037
Early Athletic Records of MAC-Various Sports, 1871-1912, Box 325, Volume 8, Sports Information records UA 8.1.3, Michigan State University and Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
Frimodig, L. and Stabley, F. (1971). Spartan saga: A history of Michigan State Athletics. Michigan State University, (East Lansing, Mich.)
Herb Odom. https://msuspartans.com/honors/hall-of-fame?hof=78
Herbert (Doc) Odom. (2017, June 18). BoxRec. https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Herbert_(Doc)_Odom
Hoyes, L. (1993, December 4). “Herb Odom: Every time life put him down, Odom got up,” The 14th Annual Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, p. 13. https://gfashof.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1993_GFASHF_low_res.pdf#page=14
John Horne. https://msuspartans.com/honors/hall-of-fame/john-horne/120
Johnson, A. (2005, October 25.) A look at Herb Odom. https://msuspartans.com/news/2005/10/25/A_Look_At_Herb_Odom
Kedzie, R. (1892, April 14). [Boxing and field day]. The Eagle, 3(10), 2. https://onthebanks.msu.edu/recordFiles/162-565-5945/TheEagle_v03_n10.pdf
Many Sports at East Lansing. (1918, October 26). Lansing State Journal, 51(102), 9. Newspapers.com
May, J. (2002, December 6). “Chuck Davey: Boxing champ, devoted dad to 9”. Detroit Free Press, p 101. Newspapers.com
Meeting Minutes, 1927-1950, Box 5682, Volume 1, Athletic Council records UA 4.4, Michigan State University and Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
MSU Varsity S Club [@MSU_VarsityS]. (2022, May 4). #HallofFameWednesday differs this week. We honor Asian Pacific Island Desi American month #APIDA, with an all-time [Tweet; images included]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/MSU_VarsityS/status/1521838544792088577
NCAA Discontinued Championships Records. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Discontinued.pdf
Odom leads State team with 3 wins. (1955, April 4). Michigan State News, 46(164), 1. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/state_news/1955/state_news_19550404.pdf
Seibold, J., Kincaide, R. and Nelson A. (2003). Spartan sports encyclopedia: A history of Michigan State Men’s athletic program. Sports Publishing, (New York, NY.)
Slobodnik, E. (1954, February 24). “Makes predictions come true: Maekawa starts fast.” The State News, 45(149), 6. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/state_news/1954/state_news_19540224.pdf
Sports at State. (1945, July). The M.A.C. Record, 50(3), 10. https://onthebanks.msu.edu/recordFiles/162-565-775/19450701sm.pdf
Swimming, 1922-1964; Tennis, 1921-1963 Boxing, 1935-1958, Wrestling, 1922-1964, Box 325, Volume 5, Sports Information records UA 8.1.3, Michigan State University and Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
Wallenfeldt, E.C. (2023). Intercollegiate Boxing, Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/sports/boxing/Styles
Young, R.H. (1946, April). Report on Intercollegiate Athletics. In Eighty-Four Annual Report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of the State of Michigan and Fifty-Eighth Annual Report of the Experiment State from July 1, 1944 to June 30, 1945 (p. 182). Michigan State College.
Written by Jennie Rankin, August 2023
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