It has been said that timing is everything. Fred Whitted certainly hopes so.
Whitted has a new book scheduled to be completed Thursday — "The Rams House," about the history of Winston-Salem State athletics.
The book includes a section on WSSU's winning its ninth CIAA football title earlier this month and is scheduled to be finished two days before the undefeated Rams play in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Whitted, a 1975 graduate of WSSU who lives in Fayetteville, already has written several books on black college history. He was so intent on finishing this book, which he has been working on since April, that he didn't attend Saturday's playoff victory against California (Pa.) at Bowman Gray Stadium.
"Our aim is to show America the glory that has been the theme of Winston-Salem State over the past year," Whitted said.
Whitted researched WSSU athletics back to the 1920s and 1930s and, of course, hits the Big House Gaines era in basketball and the Bill Hayes era in football. There's plenty about the Rams' Division II national championship basketball season in 1966-67 and about Hayes, now WSSU's athletics director, turning around the football program in the mid-1970s.
"We have gathered information on dozens of coaches and hundreds of athletes from all eras into a 240-page book," Whitted said. "There are hundreds of photos gathered from our digital sports library, along with some from the university and other resources."
Whitted also brings to light WSSU's storied past in track and field and golf. The Rams once won consecutive NAIA national championships in track and field, and they also won the first eight CIAA golf championships.
"We have one of the greatest untold stories when it comes to athletics," Whitted said. "While others boast, we now have our facts in print."
Whitted, who majored in political science and history, says one thing that makes WSSU special is its growth through the years.
"We have grown from a little teachers' college to a viable university," he said. "And a major component of that growth was athletics. Many of our greatest alumni came to Winston-Salem State for athletics. Now, they are making their marks in many other areas."
Whitted said he decided to complete the book when WSSU abandoned its transition to Division I and returned to its roots in the CIAA after a four-year absence. Since returning in the fall of 2010, the Rams have won eight CIAA titles.
Whitted said he hopes to have the books available for sale by mid-December. The cost is $36, including shipping and handling. For information, go to http://www.blackheritagereview.com/
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