From 'The Hill' to 'The Hall': An Anthology on Prairie View Sports
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 210
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 210
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From "The Hill" to "The Hall" chronicles the extraordinary contributions of Prairie View A&M University athletes and coaches. It spotlights those who have earned introduction into Halls of Fame at the state, regional, national, and international levels, and it situates Prairie View, a historically Black university founded in 1876, as a vessel of athletic excellence, tracing the trajectories of its sports figures from "The Hill" to "The Hall."
Dr. William T. Hoston Sr., is Professor of Political Science at Prairie View A&M University.
FOREWORD Dr. Shaun M. Anderson
PREFACE Preserving an HBCU Athletic Legacy
SECTION I Football: Legends of the Gridiron
CHAPTER 1 William “Billy” J. Nicks: An Architect of Champions
CHAPTER 2 The “Lufkin Legend”: The Story of Ken Houston
CHAPTER 3 One “Hall” Left to Conquer: The Life of Otis Taylor
CHAPTER 4 The Victory Is Perseverance: Ending the 80-Game Losing Streak
SECTION II Basketball: Prairie View Hoop Dreams
CHAPTER 5 Zelmo “Big Z” Beaty: A Hall of Fame Legacy
CHAPTER 6 The Championship Life of Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke
SECTION III Baseball: Contributions to the Negro League and Beyond
CHAPTER 7 Hilton Lee Smith: The Forgotten Star of the Negro Leagues
CHAPTER 8 Cecil C. Cooper: Master of Many Paths
SECTION IV Track: Speed and Olympic Glory
CHAPTER 9 The Extraordinary Journey of Beverly Day-Humphrey
CHAPTER 10 Barbara J. Jacket: Pioneering a Legacy
SECTION V Volleyball: Over the Net
CHAPTER 11 An Interview with Tamika R. Newman
CHAPTER 12 An Interview with TaCho Tyler
POSTSCRIPT Reimagining Prairie View Sports: A Blueprint for Cultural and Economic Revitalization
AFTERWORD Dr. Dwayne B. Thomas
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE EDITOR
INDEX
William T. Hoston, Ph.D., is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). He holds teaching and research interests in the areas of minority voting behavior, political behavior of Black politicians, race and minority group behavior, Black masculinity, sexualities and gender, race and crime, and theories and dynamics of racism and oppression. Dr. Hoston is the author or editor of eight academic books. For more information, please visit: WilliamHoston.com.
"Powerful, insightful, and triumphant, Dr. William T. Hoston's From "The Hill" to "The Hall" celebrates the extraordinary journey of Prairie View A&M University athletes and coaches. From the modest "Hill" of their historically Black campus, these individuals ascended to the highest echelons of sports, earning a place in the Halls of Fame worldwide."
Dr. Dwayne B. Thomas
Practitioner-Scholar-Leader in Sport Management Education
Founder & Chief Learning Strategist, Thomas Leadership Solutions, LLC