Linwood Bookard "Lin" Sexton was born April 16, 1926 in Wichita, KS, the son of Edwin & Beatrice F. Sexton. During his high school career at East High in Wichita, he excelled in the track program and was instrumental in winning two state titles in track for the East High Aces. After graduating from East High with the class of 1944 he began his college career at Wichita University. Participating in football, basketball and track at WU, he was best known for his prowess on the gridiron. It was there that he was named to the Missouri Valley All Conference team as a running back, a first for an African-American. This was in 1945, 1946 & 1947 during the period when segregation was rampant. In games played to the south of Kansas he frequently wasn't allowed to participate and in many locations, was not allowed to dine with or stay in the same motels as the rest of his team. But his firsts were not only on the field because when he graduated from WU in 1948, he was the first African-American from the Missouri valley Conference to graduate with a bachelor's degree in education.
Linwood Bookard "Lin" Sexton was born April 16, 1926 in Wichita, KS, the son of Edwin & Beatrice F. Sexton. During his high school career at East High in Wichita, he excelled in the track program and was instrumental in winning two state titles in track for the East High Aces. After graduating from East High with the class of 1944 he began his college career at Wichita University. Participating in football, basketball and track at WU, he was best known for his prowess on the gridiron. It was there that he was named to the Missouri Valley All Conference team as a running back, a first for an African-American. This was in 1945, 1946 & 1947 during the period when segregation was rampant. In games played to the south of Kansas he frequently wasn't allowed to participate and in many locations, was not allowed to dine with or stay in the same motels as the rest of his team. But his firsts were not only on the field because when he graduated from WU in 1948, he was the first African-American from the Missouri valley Conference to graduate with a bachelor's degree in education.
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