Black History Month Feature: Bill and Larry Howland '51

2/22/2024 4:37:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Larry Howland '51 and Bill Howland '51 starred for John Carroll in the late 1940's, and both have fascinating stories.

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, John Carroll Athletics remembers some of the trailblazers who made an impact in University Heights and beyond.

This week's features not one but two names of Blue Streaks of years past: Larry Howland and Bill Howland.

The brothers from Cleveland starred from 1946-50 for John Carroll before graduating in 1951.

The late 1940's are not known as a golden age of John Carroll Basketball, as the Blue Streaks experienced several losing seasons before getting back above .500 in 1953-54 under Fred George. But despite the overall record, the Howland brothers excelled.

Larry Howland especially was a key contributor to the Blue Streaks in his three seasons. Described by The Carrillon as a "lanky sharp-shooting center" and The Carroll News as a "clever pivot man", he often helmed the team's offensive efforts.

Bill Howland, the younger brother in the duo, played some minutes as a guard, and was described in The Carroll News as "one of the hardest playing members of Coach Norb Rascher's squad, has racked up fewer points, but his pressing defensive play has made him valuable."

Larry and Bill both played at Central High School, Larry in 1941 and 1942, while Bill starred in 1942 and 1943. The brothers were separated by World War II. Bill joined the Army in 1944 and served for two years, playing for the Camp Lee, Va. All-Stars both seasons. Larry enlisted in the Navy in August 1943 and served for three years. He played basketball at Pearl Harbor and Fort Island. Additionally, Larry played baseball for Pearl Harbor, holding down third base and hitting well over .300 in 1945.

The brothers first saw the court in 1946-47, a 9-11 season for the Blue Streaks. Larry Howland scored 17 points in an important 51-47 win over Western Reserve. In 1947-48, a 9-14 campaign for John Carroll, the Blue & Gold played plenty of big-name opponents, such as DePaul, Loyola of Chicago, Detroit, Bowling Green, and Marquette. Larry Howland finished third on the team in scoring with 210 points. The brothers accounted for about 25% of the team's point total, with Larry earning "Ohio-Conference honorable mention."

The 1948-49 season ended with a 7-16 record, but did not lack for primetime games. Again playing bigger schools, the Blue Streaks played in front of large crowds. JCU's home games were played at the Cleveland Arena at the invitation of Al Sutphin, owner-manager of the famed local icehouse. For the season, John Carroll drew over 79,000 fans, averaging 4,681 fans at home at the arena. Larry Howland scored 17 points in a huge 77-43 win over Gannon. Larry totaled 180 points, good for second on the team behind Bob Tedesky. Bill Howland played in 19 games, scoring 30 points.

The 1949-50 season featured plenty of highlights amidst another slate filled with big-time opponents. Notre Dame visited the Arena to play JCU, escaping with a 73-66 win over the Streaks. Defending NIT champions San Francisco, Marquette, Dayton, and Hawaii all were hosted by JCU in the Arena. One of the top highlights from the season was Larry Howland pouring in 17 points in a 68-54 win over Baldwin Wallace on February 28 in the season finale. It marked the first conquest of the Yellow Jackets since 1941.

Both Bill and Larry Howland graduated in 1951 from John Carroll with degrees in Business, Economics, and Government. In addition to his basketball letters, Bill participated in the "C" Club and Alpha Sigma Nu, a national honorary fraternity for Jesuit colleges and universities. As The Carrillon noted, only seven second-semester juniors in the upper 25% of their class were eligible with each honoree having "distinguished himself in loyalty, service, and scholarship."

The Carroll News described the brothers as "well liked and respected both on and off the court," noting both were "B-B students – capital B's for basketball and grades."

Larry Howland pictured in The Carrillon (JCU yearbook)

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