Preface
Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–1970)
Sidney “Beau Jack” Walker was no ordinary person—much less an ordinary boxer. Born in 1921 south of Augusta, Georgia, he faced adversity with every step he took. From being abandoned by his parents to being beaten up by a gang of white boys who stole his pocket change earned from shining shoes, life was demanding for Sidney.
It was challenging for a black boy growing up in the South. The 13th Amendment banning slavery was adopted in 1865, but sadly it did little to curb tensions between whites and blacks. The “separate but equal” doctrine declared by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) reinforced separation of races as a way of life. In the 1930s and 1940s, segregation and racial tensions permeated American culture. Jim Crow laws and discrimination prevailed in the South. Schools were segregated, as were passenger trains and busses. Blacks and whites drank from different water fountains, ate at separate restaurants, worshipped in separate churches, and lived in separate neighborhoods. Public cemeteries, parks, streetcars, entertainment venues, barbershops, and restaurants were all segregated.
The mean annual income for a black male was less than half of that for a white male. Blacks were also often the first to be laid off from their jobs, and they suffered from an unemployment rate two to three times that of their white counterparts. Blacks were incessantly subject to animosity and racial slurs. Moreover, in the South, blacks were threatened with lynching or being held as peons by xenophobic white landowners.
Segregation permeated all aspects of society, including the world of sports. Black people were not allowed to compete in major league sports. It was 1946 before the first black athlete, Kenny Washington, was allowed to participate in the National Football League, and 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier in Major League baseball.
In boxing, progress was somewhat quicker, setting the stage for Jackie Robinson and Kenny Washington to break the “color” barrier in their respective sports. In 1902, Joe Gans became the first African American to win the world lightweight title. In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first black world heavyweight championship, setting off race riots across the country. Johnson’s accomplishment was a victory for the black community, but his disdain for the constraints of white society made him a poor ambassador for integration.
Then there was Joe Louis, world heavyweight champion from 1937 until 1949. No one can underestimate his impact. He was not only a civil rights pioneer but also a national hero. After debuting on July 4, 1934, the “Brown Bomber” went on a tear, winning his first 24 bouts. His first loss came against former heavyweight champion Max Schmeling of Brandenburg, Germany, on June 19, 1936. Schmeling knocked Louis out in the 12th round. Two years later, on June 22, 1938, Louis avenged his loss in a rematch with Schmeling. The bout was veiled with nationalistic and racial implications, as Adolf Hitler upheld Schmeling as a specimen of Aryan supremacy. Louis inflicted immediate and brutal vengeance, knocking Schmeling out in the first round. Overnight, Louis became a hero to Americans, black and white. His popularity transcended racial boundaries.
Beau Jack built on the advancements established by those before him becoming one of the most exciting and popular boxers among both blacks and whites during the forties. On his journey to two lightweight titles, he set amazing records that still stand today. Outside the ring, Beau was humble and polite, but he was a furious mass of flying punches inside the ring. Fans loved his unorthodox style. Listeners anxiously gathered around the radio on Friday nights to hear the aggressive and colorful Beau Jack in action at Madison Square Garden.
Beau started out life in rags but through his incredible heart and determination, made it to the top of the ladder. Ironically, Jack rose out of the wealthy opulent world of the southern white man, receiving financing for his boxing career from Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts, and other founders of the Augusta National Golf Club. When his boxing days were finally over, he went back to where he started, shining shoes. He didn’t complain, but counted his blessings. Jack enjoyed his final days shining shoes, working with youngsters in the gym, and visiting with the many improbable friends he made throughout the years.
Sadly, not many people in Beau Jack’s hometown would even recognize his name, much less what he accomplished. A deeply religious man with gritty fortitude and integrity, he was and still is an upstanding role model. His story is inspiring.
Remarkably, only bits and pieces of Beau’s life and accomplishments have been published. Many contain factual errors. It is my intent to change that. It is my hope that through Jack’s story, the reader will attain a better appreciation for the man who rose from poverty and discrimination into the limelight of Madison Square Garden. A black American hero, his story documents the tragedies he encountered and his steadfast ability to overcome such adversities. Beau’s story helps one comprehend the significant changes and progress toward unity that transpired during his life. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” Beau Jack did just that, earning well-deserved admiration. His perseverance and love for others inspires us to never give up, but to become the best we can be through honesty, integrity, and respect for each other.
Beau Jack holds the record for [the] most main events fought at the old Garden. And though he fought long before the age of millionaire athletes and multimillion-dollar TV revenues, no fight anywhere has ever matched his best in ticket-sale revenue.1
—Michael Hirsley, Chicago Tribune
As a young man, Sidney “Beau Jack” Walker took the nation by storm, boxing his way to two world lightweight titles during the forties. Born into poverty, Sidney was virtually orphaned by his parents and given to his grandmother for raising. As a young boy, he shined shoes on the streets of Augusta, Georgia, to help support his household. It was his grandmother that gave Sidney his notorious name, “Beau Jack,” after he stood up to a gang of toughs who earlier that day forcefully bullied him and stole his shoeshine money. Short in stature, Beau Jack only stood 5'5½" tall and weighed 135 pounds as an adult. Irrespective of his size, Beau realized that he could reap additional money fighting in battles royal, where he displayed an uncanny talent.
Growing up a black teenager in a segregated South, Beau found an inexplicable route out of poverty. With the assistance of golf legend, Bobby Jones, and other founders of the Augusta National Golf Club, the Georgia bootblack embarked on a tremendous record-setting boxing career. Boxing in five title bouts during the 1940s, Beau Jack won the world lightweight title twice. He earned his first title at the fledgling age of twenty-one. Boxing during boxing’s golden years, in 1943, Beau was the sole fighter to yield a $100,000 gate at boxing’s mecca, Madison Square Garden. Then, in March 1944, he became the only boxer to fight in three main events at the Garden in one month, producing a combined gate of $332,579.
Five months later, Jack set the record for the highest priced sports ticket—$100,000 for a ringside seat when he fought Bob Montgomery in the illustrious “War Bonds Fight” of 1944. Yes, that number is correct. Accounting for inflation and cost of living increases, $100,000 in 1944 has the equivalent buying power of $1,416,804.60 in 2018. The fight itself raised $35,864,900 in war bonds to aid the U.S. effort in World War II. Several months later, he was honored as “Fighter of the Year” by The Ring magazine, boxing’s foremost authority of the day.
During his 15-year professional career, Jack fought in a record 27 main events at the Garden and yielded gross gates exceeding $2.2 million. In 1944, he set the record for the largest non-heavyweight purse, producing a gate of $132,823. Then, he broke his own record in 1946, with fans paying $148,152 to witness his slugfest with Canadian Johnny Greco. Two years later, Jack also established the mark for the all-time high gate in Canada, generating $51,832.
In addition to those who had the pleasure of witnessing Beau’s prowess in person, millions gathered around the radio on fight night, listening to blow-by-blow commentary of his ring battles. He knew how to please the crowds, fighting with an exciting, unorthodox swarming “all out” style. Revered by both black and white fans, Beau was one of the best-known American athletes during the forties.
Jack’s story is one of perseverance, hard work, and humility. Bits and pieces of his narrative, accurate or inaccurate, are virtually forgotten. Mystery shrouds many events in his life. Most people in his hometown have never even heard of him. Cast from the grounds of the world’s most prestigious “whites only” golf club into the prime time of New York, Jack’s success came through sheer heart and gritty determination.
Respectful and polite, Beau Jack was a heartwarming ray of light and innocence in a sport infiltrated by the mob. Beau did not submit to the racket. His honor and soul could not be sold. The bull-shouldered battler, whether he won or lost, always gave his best. He rose from poverty to riches in a white man’s world and helped to break down the walls of segregation and hate. Regrettably, by the time he finished his ring career, ostensibly he was penniless, the money set aside for him by his handlers mysteriously depleted. He went back to shining shoes on his knees once again.
1. Michael Hirsley, “Beau Jack: Heroic, Dignified,” Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2000, 58.