Leading history
Black History Month person of the day
George Washington Bush was a free black man
living in the South in the mid-1800s. Bush and his
family left Missouri in 1844 with a wagon train
headed for the Oregon Trail. Along the way, he told
fellow traveler John Minto that he hoped blacks
would be treated better in the new territory than
they were in the South,
The party stopped in what is now The Dalles,
and they discovered that the provisional govern
ment in the area had recently passed a law ex
cluding blacks. Bush stayed the winter, but then
headed north across the Columbia River, where
the British still had control and he hoped for less
discrimination.
In 1845, the pioneers landed in the Puget Sound.
The land Bush and his family settled became known
as Bush Prairie, and Bush’s success in trading and his
generosity to other settlers led the way for more
Americans to settle in the area. Historians write that
when Britain and the United States signed a treaty
in 1846 establishing the border between the two
countries, Bush’s presence helped make what is now
Washington part of America.
—Michael J. Kleckner
Recruit
continued from page 1
and marijuana were readily avail
able, and the football star said he
was also put in a situation where a
female offered him sex.
It wasn’t the first time such things
had crept into the recruitment
process. In fact, the report said,
Hamilton claimed such goodies
were available at each location —
Oregon just happened to be
the worst.
“Every trip I went on — sex,
drinking, drugs — they were all
available to me,” Hamilton told The
Record. “I didn’t do it because that’s
not who I am. Tm a Christian. God
was with me on those trips.”
At Friday’s press conference, Bel
lotti would not confirm whether
Smith did indeed host Hamilton,
but he did say that recruits are usu
ally matched to players who play
the same position. Bellotti also said
that recruits, whose visits are most
ly filled by meetings and tours, are
usually given free time at night to
spend with their host. The content
of that free time, he added, is up to
thetecruit.
“We want the recruit to be the
most important person,” Bellotti said.
After the trip, according to The
Record, Hamilton went home and
told his parents about the fringe
benefits he was offered. They told
the paper they weren’t mad at their
son, but they began to question the
Athletic Department.
“You’ve got to pick a host who has
better judgment,” Hamilton’s father,
Leo, told The Record. “It’s your re
sponsibility as a school to make sure
things don’t happen.”
Soon after, the report said, Hamil
ton’s father called Bellotti to com
plain of the allegations. Bellotti said
he would conduct an investigation
and get back to the father, but the
elder Hamilton said that never hap
pened, according to the paper.
On Friday, Bellotti would not say
whether he received such a phone
call from Hamilton’s father, but he
did say he has received one phone
call like it during his tenure. Bellotti
also confirmed that an investigation
was conducted during the fall about
certain allegations, but he would not
say what the investigation was
about or what the results of the in
vestigation were.
Moos said University President
Dave Frohnmayer and Vice Presi
dent for Administration Dan
Williams were all contacted about
the situation.
Little more was said Friday, al
though Bellotti indicated he would
like to clear both his and the Univer
sity’s name of any wrongdoing. But
because of NCAA regulations, Bel
lotti couldn’t comment on an ath
lete signed by another school. Fur
thermore, he could not discuss the
allegations because doing so would
violate student privacy laws, per
haps of current athletes.
“I think the people in this program
right now are committed to doing
things the right way,” Bellotti said.
Bellotti did not sign a tailback in
the 2003 recruiting class. According
to The Record, Hamilton very much
wanted to join the program.
In the end, however, Hamilton’s
parents chose for him and against
the University.
“I was upset that I couldn’t make
the decision for myself,” Hamilton
told The Record. “But I’m OK with
it now. I’m 100 percent committed
to San Diego State.”
Contact the news editor
at bradschmidt@dailyemerald.com.
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