Streaks Scrapbook- Bumpy Nixon

The stories of Bumpy Nixon are probably the most intriguing stories of Galesburg basketball. If you are a Streaks fan, you have probably heard many stories about Bumpy. Some legends are true, some are false, and some we are uncertain about. 

The one thing everyone can agree about- Bumpy Nixon was one of the all-time best basketball players in Galesburg and Illinois history!

I have put some basic information together based on old newspaper clippings, records that still exist, conversations with some of his teammates, and unpublished interviews.  

Quincy Star

Quincy and Galesburg were both three year high schools in the 1950’s and beyond, so Bumpy did not play for Quincy High School until his sophomore year. As a sophomore, Bumpy started and led the Blue Devils in scoring with 16.1ppg. As a sophomore, Bumpy was described as an athletic 6’5” post player. The Devils had a very good year, going 20-10. They lost to Springfield HS in the Super-Sectional 46-37.

As one can imagine, Quincy was very excited about the prospects. They made it to the Sweet Sixteen and were led by an athletic sophomore post player. The future seemed bright. 

“My Mom Is Moving to East Moline or Galesburg”

The first anyone in Galesburg became aware that the Nixon family might be moving, was when Jimmie Carr and Otis Cowan ran into Bumpy at a teen club in the Quad Cities. Bumpy told them that their mom was thinking about moving to either Galesburg or East Moline. 

When the family decided to move in June of 1958, one of the first to find out was Rodney Bunch. Legend has it that Rodney was going up the steps in Steele Gym and ran into Coach John Thiel. Rodney blurted out,”Nixon is coming to Galesburg.” Supposedly Thiel’s reply to Rodney was,”Is Eisenhower coming too?” 

Whether Nixon had transferred or not, Galesburg expected to be very good in 1959. They returned a solid core of Jimmie Carr, Otis Cowan, and Dave Cox. 

Quincy’s Version 

In 1958 and today, basketball fans in Quincy are convinced that Galesburg recruited and paid to get Bumpy Nixon to move to Galesburg. Their version of the story would say that the motivation of Galesburg was that they had come close in 1956 and in 1957 to winning State but had always lacked a strong big man. The 1959 Galesburg team was going to be strong but needed a good big man. Thus, according to Quincy, Galesburg had reached out to recruit Bumpy Nixon. 

In the fall of 1958, Quincy protested the transfer to the IHSA. At the heart of the Quincy claim of recruitment was a “Separation Report” from a Quincy business. Bumpy had worked for the company. When he let them know he was quitting the job, they had an exit interview. 

On this “Separation Report”, in a handwritten explanation (not in Nixon’s handwriting), the company employee wrote,”Moving to Galesburg, IL. Has job working in the Police Dept. 20 hours a week. If they would move up there, they will furnish mother with a house and him a job.”

The document was signed by Lawrence Nixon (Bumpy), but there were four major concerns- 1) Did his signature come before or after the notes were written? 2) Scribbling on the document made it appear to have information added and subtracted. 3) If there was a “they”, who was this? 4) Bumpy Nixon never worked for the Galesburg Police Dept. 

Quincy’s argument to the IHSA was that Nixon should be ruled ineligible to play at Galesburg HS because he was illegally recruited.

Galesburg’s Version

Lost to people in Quincy and to many people in Galesburg, the Nixon’s had family in Galesburg. Bumpy’s mother, Lois, had a sister and a brother who lived in Galesburg. Bumpy’s uncle was Harold Ewing Sr. He indeed was a big Silver Streak fan. His son, Harold Ewing Jr had been on the Streaks team in the early ‘50’s with Pete Thierry. Pete and Harold Jr were only the 3rd and 4th African-American players to play for Galesburg HS. 

Harold Ewing Sr wanted his sister Lois to move to Galesburg. The “they” that was recruiting the Nixon’s to Galesburg was their uncle. Harold thought the move would be good for her family, and she would be good for Harold as he had health issues.

In an interview with Jay Redfern in the early 1990’s, Lincoln Nixon said the following,”They tried to say that we were getting paid, and couldn’t prove that. None of the rumors were true, although I wish some of them were. We moved to Galesburg because of my mother’s brother, Harold Ewing. He had lived in Galesburg for years and worked at Gale Products. I never did receive no money and I never seen my mom or my brother receive no money.” 

The Decision

It was ruled that the Nixon’s were not recruited to play at Galesburg. The conclusion was that the transfer was motivated by a sister moving her family to be close to her brother and sister in Galesburg. 

Unfortunately, despite being cleared of wrong doing, the combination of Bumpy’s tremendous skills and the 1959 team’s huge success caused many in the state to be critical of Galesburg and Bumpy Nixon. 

#1 in Illinois

The 1959 Galesburg team was ranked #1 in State from begin to end of the season except for a week in the season after they lost to Pekin. Bumpy was now 6’6” and led the Streaks in scoring. The combination of Bumpy and Dave Cox inside made it nearly impossible for other teams to defend both big men. Plus the quick guard tandem of Jimmie Carr and Otis Cowan gave them an outside punch. The Streaks beat Herrin 73-69 in the Elite 8 game that many labeled as the “State Championship Game.” This close game was the last game of the night on Friday. Galesburg turned around lost to West Aurora the next afternoon 74-61. The ‘59 Streaks settled for 3rd place.

Not Just Good- Great

Bumpy Nixon at 6’6” had the ability to post up, step out and shoot, and handle the ball vs. pressure. Jimmie Carr described him as a man playing with boys. 

In a 1988 interview Coach John Thiel said,”The best player that ever played at GHS, in my tenure, was Bumpy Nixon. If I had one super ball player to pick out, it would be Bumpy Nixon.”

Jimmie Carr said,”He was an unselfish player. He could have scored many, many more points than he did.”

Bumpy Nixon was selected as a high school All-American.

Bumpy Nixon Rule

In the fall of 1959, the IHSA changed their by-laws regarding age and eligibity. The rule change said that an athlete lost eligibility when they turned 19 years old. It was widely known that Bumpy would turn 19 in late winter. He turned 19 the day after the Regional Championship, and no longer eligible to play. By most in the state, this was referred to as the “Bumpy Nixon Rule.” It was believed this was in effect a compromise by the IHSA to appease Quincy. 

If indeed it was a rule passed to impact Bumpy Nixon, it also effected hundred of Illinois athletes. Imagine the feelings of parents who years before may have been convinced by grade school teachers it would be in the best interest of their son to be retained in a grade for a year. Because of the “Bumpy Nixon Rule,” about 3/4 of students who were held back in grade school could not play all or part of their senior years. 

By the 1970’s, the eligibility rule had been changed so an athlete could finish a sports season if they started it as an 18 year old. Today the eligibility rule says that an athlete who starts a school year at 18 can complete the entire school year in sports. 

Bumpy’s Farewell

The 1960 Silver Streaks had been ranked as high as #1 in the State. Bumpy was to be eligible to play in the Regionals but not in the Sectional or beyond. Obviously the adjustment for the Streaks was going to be huge- losing your 6’6” leading scorer. 

Although he was still eligible to play in the Regionals, Coach Thiel chose not to play him in the first two games to allow the team to adjust to what was going to be their new situation. 

The Regional was held at Galesburg. In the Regional Championship game, Thiel inserted Bumpy into the game in the second half. When he entered the game, the Galesburg crowd rose to its feet to give him a loud and long standing ovation. Minutes later, Bumpy was taken out of the game to an even louder and longer standing ovation from the Galesburg crowd. Streaks old-timers say this was the loudest and longest ovation for a player in GHS history. 

The Other Nixon

Lost in the legend of Bumpy Nixon is the story of little brother Lincoln Nixon. When Bumpy was ruled ineligible for the 1960 Sectional, it was Lincoln who stepped up and carried the Streaks. 

With Bumpy ineligible, the Moline Sectional had Savanna, Erie, Sherrard, and Galesburg. Despite having been ranked in the top ten all year, without Bumpy, Galesburg was NOT picked to win the Sectional. Erie had won the Quad Cities Regional upsetting three QC schools. Erie was picked to win the Regional. Galesburg won the Sectional, largely due to the scoring of Lincoln Nixon. 

In the Super-Sectional, the 6’4” Lincoln Nixon was the star that led an unbelievable come from behind over DeKalb. Lincoln hit two ft’s with 7 seconds left to send it to OT and an eventual win. Lincoln finished with 27 points. The Streaks eventually lost to West Frankfort in the Elite 8. 

What If

We will never know what would have happened if Bumpy had been eligible. Coach John Thiel later said,”With Bumpy eligible at State, we win it. No question.”

Legends and Myths 

One of the legends connected with the Bumpy Nixon story has to do with the Quincy vs. Galesburg rivalry. The legend is that after the transfer, Galesburg and Quincy were either ordered to stop playing or chose to stop playing until after Bumpy graduated. 

In looking thru old yearbooks, there is no record of Galesburg HS and Quincy HS ever playing each other in basketball until the 1962 Sectional. If Galesburg and Quincy had ever played before 1962, it had to be in the 1930’s or 1940’s in the State series. Galesburg and Quincy did not play any games from 1950 to 1962. 

The first regular season game ever played between Galesburg and Quincy was in 1963. 

It is interesting that before 1962, Galesburg had always gone north to the Quad Cities for Sectionals and then starting in 1962 Galesburg went south and met Quincy. This did not change until the iHSA went to two-classes in 1972. Why the IHSA changed in 1962 to send Galesburg thru Quincy is anyone’s guess- maybe it was the IHSA’s way of saying- you two settle things on the court. 

Revenge

Joey Range in JH had played on travel teams and gone to 3 on 3 tourneys many places. Joey noticed that a couple guys would come to watch him play. Over time, they had talked to him and complimented him after games. 

In the Spring of 1994, Joey had finished 8th grade and was scheduled to start at Galesburg HS in the Fall of 1994. After a set of games at one tourney, the men who had become Joey’s “fans,” asked to talk to him. The two men outlined a proposal for Joey to move to their community where a home would be provided and his mom would not need to work. They later called Joey’s mom and her response was,”We are Silver Streaks.”