Board recommendations for “I” letters in football, Nov. 28, 1928. Board in Control of Athletics Records [RG28.0003.005], University Archives.
From curator Dr. Jennifer Sterling:
I am familiar with Mayes McLain’s important role in Iowa football history thanks to the insightful research published by Sarah J. Eikleberry while she was a graduate student in Health and Sport Studies at Iowa. Her research utilized archives at the University of Iowa Libraries and The Daily Iowan and focused on how Haskell Institute transfer McLain’s Native American identity was (mis)appropriated during the 1928 season.
When researching items for the exhibit I came across a list of 1928 “I” letterwinners tucked inside the Board in Control of Athletics Records. The document recommends a large block letter “I” in football for McLain, indicating his major contribution to the team in 1928 as an unclassified, or transfer, student from Pryor, Oklahoma. The record is significant, as 1928 would be the only year that McLain would be allowed to play and letter at Iowa. Though Iowa football coach Burt Ingwerson recruited McLain to play a full three years, the conference interpreted his two years at Haskell as playing for a Big Ten athletic equivalent rather than a lower-level prep school and ruled that he had reached the maximum of his 3-year eligibility after the 1928 season.