Washburn University Institutional Repository

Sherman, Saralena

Topeka Daily Capital

FA TI-1ER IS A TAILBACK··An Fletcher 
star Washburn grid ctwier. iuured yestet· 
day as he posed with his prcuy wife and 1.hdr 
four sniall youngsters, it takes a suong b4Ck: 
to halfback on this team. A few seconds after 
the camera clicked, one·year-old Paul (left), 
Arthur Jr., 2, and daughters Phyllis, 6,(right} 
and Sylvia, 4, tackled "daddy" and gave a 
demonstration of 1he·ldr.d of "work-cut" they 
give hill\ at ·l·ome with strangling holds and 
overpowering hugs. Washburn's '49 grelt 
and undoubtedly one of its all-time greats. 
will pl:iy his last grid game here Saturday 
night. th e season's final home game, when 
Washburn U plays Ft. Hays. 
Playing Days Soon Over, but W.H. Halfback Busy 'Cause-
Fletch Has Own Team 
DY SARA LENA SHERMAN 
A pigskin is something f4·year-old Washburn 
senior An Fletcher alread01as well in hand. It's a 
sheep skin that he's really out to c:ipture. And the 
day he is scheduled to gee it is just three months 
away. 
When 1ha1 late day in Janu:iry arrives and re is 
graduated, the giant-sized :fopd::a lad can look back 
on his four years of co ll ege: nd recall without boc st 
that his university 2~complishmen ts were giant in 
size as well . 
Married when he finishe<l at Junction City iiigh, 
the good-natured popular big Negro lad served in 
World War 11 for two years and six months, includ-
ing a year and a ha! f ove~as in the European theater 
serving as a comba t truck driver. 
Alth oug h he got a Late start in coll ege as a result, 
as did most young men his age, Art had a hC.'.ld start 
on a family. In addi tion to his pretty wife, Mary, to 
provide for, he h:id two bright-eyed little daughters 
tha t wanted him to re.:id "The Three Big Bears" to 
them inste:id of his history books and English lit 
lex ts. 
That was in 1946, when Art enrolled at Woshbum 
shortly after his di~harge in service. Latc in his 
sophomore year, his family hod grown to five and by 
last year it was a touc hdown of six--two little girls, 
two little boys and Mama and Papa Fletcher. 
It took more than a GI allotment check and re:id· 
ing history, so it sounded like fairy tale to keep all 
the Flctchc:rs laughing, he.Jlthy and happy. Papa 
Fletcher worked during the fall and spring months 
for the Highway Commission and during the sum· 
rners. Along with continuing college studie3 in his 
social work major, he held down nn eight· hour-a-day 
job with John Morrell and Company plus six·hour-
a·day job with L11e highway. 
With all this, Art Fletcher somehow managed to 
star on the Washburn grid team. A (ullbad:: that 
could gel a football scoring up points so that every 
member of l1is family could figure a portion as : 
daddy's sh?r. for them, Art Fletcher would be wel·: 
I 
corned to work for a sheep sic.in at any Big Nine 
school, if he'd just carry the pig skin for them. · 
Folks around here will ha 1e their last opportunity 
to see Washburn College's giant grid grindiog 
fu llbac k: Fletcher on the foot°&ill field here Saturchy 
night, when Washburn plays its last home game of 
the season r.gainsl FL Hays State College. · 
f!'.orn then on until January 'his big fellow will be 
concentrating on his social wcirlc studies, finals and 
particularly graduat.ion day. 
He's nol the only one looking forward to tlut cay. 
Mrs. Fletcher dre.arns of the lime when her husband 
will only have one job, school will be something the 
youngsters attend and football will be a game &ddy 
c:in take them to aocl explain uch play to the whole 
family. 
I clon 't know whether j. rt will eat any 1C1l then or 
not, Mrs. Flett:her wonderu:' ye5terday. "But he 
could hardly e;it any more tha 1 he does now," she 
declared. "We have three big ~Is ll day, there's 
never an}!Jhing 'ike a lunch or a snack: or light 
bre:il::fast around here.. 
"And th:11's just one of my jobs, too," reminded 
a1traclive Mary Fletcher. 
... 


English

Fletch Has Own Team

Unknown

Photograph

Birth Certificate for Phyllis Fletcher. Lists AF residence as “PVT, 521 QM Trk Regt (a).

State of Kansas

Birth Certificate for Phyllis Fletcher

Photograph of Art Fletcher

Not a member yet

Fletch Has Own Team

Photograph

Photograph

Birth Certificate for Phyllis Fletcher

Photograph of Art Fletcher

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