Sportscenter Saturday - What Happened to the Trophy?

While standing in line at Seneca Indian school, the little girl passed the time by looking at the trophies in the trophy case. Suddenly, a boxing trophy caught her eye - Champion - Monkey Carey. "Hey, that's my uncle!" she exclaimed. Even though the other kids saw the name on the trophy was the same as the little girl's, they didn't believe her. But she knew it was her uncle and she was excited about it.

Monkey was the nickname of Millard Carey. In 1948, he was a student at Seneca Indian school and competed with them on their boxing team.  He was the champion in the 105 pound weight class of the Golden Gloves tournament held in Miami, Oklahoma. 

From the Miami Daily News Record; Miami, OK; Friday, January 23, 1948; p. 4.

The nine Miami champs, who received jackets with a Golden Gloves emblem as a prize, will go to the Northeast tournament in Tulsa Jan. 28, 29 and 30.

In the lightweights, the Seneca Indian school cleaned up with Monkey Carey taking the 105-pound title, March Wind the 112 and Jim Rogers the 118.

Carey started the fireworks early in the first round of the championship fights, when he tore into John James, Miami, with both hands. Carey, who packs dynamite in either glove for a 105-pounder, floored James in the first round with a solid left hook that landed well. James didn't take a count on the knockdown, but he could not get in the fight as Carey continued landing both rights and lefts. In the second round Carey found the range and laced James around the ring as he piled up a long margin.

James came back in the third but Carey again found the range and a savage right sent James down again. James' reach and height helped even the third round up but he couldn't close the gap. Carey took the decision by a wide margin.

 

Until she saw the trophy, the little girl, who later became my mother, never knew her uncle had been a boxing champion. It gave her a great sense of pride and she never forgot that moment she saw the trophy. Now, the Seneca Indian school no longer exists. We have no idea what happened to the trophy Uncle Monk earned for the school, but we sure would like to have a picture of it, if we could locate it. Now, like back then, it generates a great sense of pride in our family and we would all like to see it.

Those are my thoughts for today. 

Thanks for reading. 

CC 

The Granddaughter 

copyright 2011, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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