Then after he passed and I inherited his boxing clippings and memorabilia, that would have been a great time to complete this project. At least then I could have interviewed the next best person—his best friend, sparring mate, and fellow Golden Gloves boxer Jerry Barnes. But with caring for my son, finishing college, working, and eventually moving to Oklahoma for my first “grown up” job, I just didn’t have the time I would have wanted to devote to it to make it great. Then there was buying a home, getting married, having another child, and everything in between in my way. Then my window to interview Barnes closed with his death in 2017.
Don Vaughan and Jerry Barnes, 1947.
Finally this year I decided to make the time to do this project as well as I could. It will never be as great as it could have been had I seized my opportunities to interview my grandfather and Barnes about their boxing careers at-length, but I want to make it as complete a project as I can with what resources I still have access to.
The newspapers for my grandpa’s hometown of McAlester, Oklahoma were only digitized in the last few months, but were (and still are) only available on-site at the McAlester Library. Knowing I would need hundreds of articles for this project, I could not ask someone else to comb through the pages for me. I finally had an opportunity to go myself, sit in the parking lot connected to the library Wifi, and downloaded over 200 articles.
After sitting down to compile all my information, I found my first major error. I had my grandfather’s scrapbook of article clippings about his boxing, football, debate team, and academic careers, but none of the articles had the date of publication or the paper they were published in. That’s why I needed to go and download the articles from the library in the first place.
However, at some point, some of the boxing articles were transplanted from the scrapbook and a process was begun to put them in a new scrapbook. It was barely started and I had those pages too, but I had them separated from the bulk of the articles. Because of this, I was under the mistaken belief that my grandfather’s boxing career debuted in late 1947 with the ’47-’48 McAlester Boxing Club. So when I went to the library, I started in the fall of 1947 and looked at every single sports page from then through the spring of 1950 looking for any and all articles referencing the city’s boxing club or residential pugilists.
Soon after completing my log of all these articles, I found an article showing my grandfather winning a match months earlier than I thought his career began, in April of 1947. After digging out and going through my grandpa’s possessions again, I found the articles that had been removed from the main part of the collection and realized, “Whoops, I guess he boxed for an entire year earlier than I thought!”
Now I am back in Michigan, over 1,000 miles away from the McAlester library. With the COVID-19 crisis in full force, it will be months if not next year before I can go back and sift through the newspapers from fall of 1946 through the summer of 1947 for any boxing articles about him I missed. Luckily, he had a few articles from that first year that I was able to gleam information from.
Also fortunately for me, it would appear his first season (’46-’47) was not a busy one. I don’t think he fought more than 10-15 matches total and I have the results of roughly half of them. He fought more than twice that many the following year, when his club’s matches doubled and his entries as an individual into tournaments increased. So while I am certain my final record for him is incomplete, I don’t think it is off by more than 10-15 matches.
I am confident that he was the victor in the vast majority of the matches I don’t have results for based on: a) my limited knowledge about the matches I don’t have results for, and b) the fact that he was the victor in the vast majority of his matches anyway. With the matches I know of, he had a career winning percentage of .889. He may have lost 2-5 of the matches I don’t know about, but he would have won the rest of them, meaning his winning percentage will stay roughly the same when they day comes that I am certain I have ALL of his boxing match results.
But while admitting that these results are incomplete, I am unwilling to sit on this project for another indefinite period until I can collect the remaining results I need. So I am going to present everything I have, and while it is an incomplete picture, I believe it is about 85-90% complete and is still a great tribute to a great person and athlete.
My hopes are that if I can acquire complete results for his boxing career in Oklahoma next year, at that time I will submit him for consideration for recognition of his athletic feats. I would like to nominate him for the McAlester Athletic Hall of Fame; though his boxing club was not a school team, he was a McAlester High School student throughout his career and I think his accomplishments should be recognized on a local level at a bare minimum. I would also like to submit him as a candidate for the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. While his odds of getting in there are long, I am hoping that by submitting his fantastic win-loss record and proof of his three (and practically four) state championships that they will at least give him some serious consideration.
I was also very fortunate to have the privilege of interviewing by phone three of the last surviving teammates of my grandfather and former members of the McAlester Boxing Club when he was there. Jerry Bob Troy (now of Edmond, Oklahoma), Tom McClenahan (now of Virginia Beach, Virginia), and Jim Coxsey (now of Quinton, Oklahoma) were kind enough to take some time in giving me supplemental details and inside information about the club and my grandfather. I was very touched by all the kind things they said about him and fascinated by the details they gave me that could have only been provided by people who were there for many of these events.
The other excellent resource I have for this project are the words of my grandfather himself. In his scrapbook with his boxing clippings, he wrote dozens of short thoughts and assessments of himself, his fights, his opponents, and other people and events. Sometimes they were 2-3 words, and other times 2-3 sentences. He wrote these for the 47-48 and 48-49 seasons, but not his first and last seasons. While I would rather have him here to interview in person, having his written thoughts is certainly the best substitute I could ask for.
So without further ado, here is my write-up on the amateur boxing career of my grandfather, Donald “Don” Vaughan of McAlester, Oklahoma. Please note that unless otherwise noted, all newspaper quotes come from the McAlester News-Capital. At the end of said quotes, the abbreviation MNC will appear in parenthesis. Most photographs come from the collection of Don Vaughan, now in possession of Nathan Vaughan Marks. Photos from outside the Vaughan collection are noted as such.
Early Career/The Spring of 1947 Season
McAlester Chief of Police Roy Anders and desk sergeant Tom Holleman founded the McAlester Boxing Club in the spring of 1947, and Don Vaughan was one of its earliest members. It is then that his boxing career began. The club was started as a way to keep local boys occupied and keep them out of trouble. Former club member Jim Coxsey says, “The club was a great thing to do. It kept us off the streets and kept us really busy.”
Coach Jim W. Crabtree
Once a lot of boys started signing up, Anders and Holleman realized they would need some help juggling their law enforcement duties with the needs of the club. They were able to pull established coach J. W. “Jim” Crabtree from Eufaula, where he had built a very successful program with multiple champion boxers. He was previously president of the Oklahoma AAU in 1945 in addition to his coaching and teaching experience in Eufaula. The rising McAlester Boxing Club caught the attention of the Daily Oklahoman, which published an extensive article on the club’s beginnings on 24 Apr 1947, just a few weeks after its formation:
“McAlester’s Juvenile Boxing Program is Given Kayo Rating, by Pete Rice of Daily Oklahoman.
Larger cities of our nation facing an upsurge in juvenile delinquency could do well to follow in the footsteps of this so-called “capitol of Little Dixie,” population 22,709. Here in the shadows of the state penitentiary, one of the best amateur boxing programs in the country is being put in motion by the joint sponsorship of the local police department and American Legion post No. 79.
The swat-for-smiles movement is just six weeks old but already 340 teenagers have become regulars at the daily workouts in the Legion hut and this week the organization took on a full-time coach and director. He is Jim Crabtree, veteran handler and coach of some of the state’s best amateurs, who resigned his position as a high school instructor at Eufaula to become a file clerk for the McAlester police department and handle details of the boxing club.
Crabtree had been commercial instructor at Eufaula for 18 years and had always been busy with amateur boxing there. He has produced several state champions and tutored Washie Stover, this season’s bantam runner-up in the Chicago Tournament of Champions.
The boxing club was dreamed up by chief of police Roy Anders and desk sergeant Tom Holleman as a means of combating juvenile delinquency. Gymnasium equipment was purchased, space was acquired in the Legion hut for a club room, and John McCurtain, a local high school boy who had learned a few of the tactics of self-defense at Chilocco, became the coach. McAlester had never been a boxing town before and the club’s sponsors didn’t know at first whether the idea would hit home or not. But it did.
Every week since there has been a show on Tuesday night and every show has been a sellout. Usually the chief has to call all his helpers to shoot the people away who came too late. The town is eagerly awaiting construction of a new $200,000 city auditorium. Crabtree took over the leadership this week and has scheduled daily workouts from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Already Crabtree has lined up a series of spring and summer boxing shows and plans to hold outdoor performances in the local baseball park during June, July, and August.
May 6 will be the date of the club’s first big show. The Oklahoma City Boxing club will match blows the local swatsmiths and Herschel Acton and Stover, both of whom will be members of the United States Golden Gloves team which meets the European champs in Chicago May 28, will be on the card. Friday night a group of Crabtree’s charges will go to Goodland Indian school for a match and Monday night the Muskogee team will be here to battle it out.”
Tom McClenahan, a member of the club from the beginning, says Anders and Holleman gave Crabtree an office and job at the police station, but his main job was working on the boxing club. He didn’t make much money at first, but once the club began to gain traction and garner attention from all its success, the city loosened its purse strings and began to pay Crabtree a proper salary. Eufaula and Haileyville had had well-established clubs for a number of years, and finally McAlester had its own club and larger pool of boys from which to bring in talent. McClenahan says that Crabtree was “the nicest guy” and that he “really knew the boxing business.” Vaughan writes that Crabtree was “an outstanding boxing coach.”
Coach Jim Crabtree and Don Vaughan, 1947.
Coach Jim Crabtree and Don Vaughan, 1947.
The date of Vaughan’s boxing debut is not known. McClenahan says that in the beginning, the members of the club would just fight each other for the experience. He says that his and Vaughan’s very first fights were against one another. It was the American Legion Hall in McAlester was the first boxing match that had ever occurred in McAlester as far as he is aware. They did not know each other beforehand, they were just thrust in the ring together. They quickly became friends and training partners, along with Vaughan’s best friend Jerry Barnes.
Vaughan was small for his age, but quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Below average in height and with a slight frame (some might have called him “scrawny”), it is unlikely he intimidated many of his foes, at least early on. In his first year his listed weight fluctuated between 105-110 lbs., placing him in the light flyweight (also called fleaweight at the time) class. Sometimes opposing teams had someone his size for him to fight, and sometimes they did not. Other times when he was scheduled for a fight that did not come to fruition, it could because he or his competitor did not make weight or were a no-show for the bout.
Don Vaughan, 1947.
Access to newspaper articles from Vaughan’s first year of boxing have been limited. Vaughan himself kept a scrapbook of clippings that included mentions of him, his team, or his friends—Jerry Barnes prominent among them. A year older than Vaughan, the two were best friends and sparring partners for the club. Roughly the same size, the two consciously avoided being in the same weight class as often as possible to avoid fighting one another. Whether they did this by fudging their weigh-ins or simply electing to box up or down from their weight class is unclear, but their reported weights were always within just a few pounds of one another, and while they had documented exhibition matches, they never fought one another in a true bout that counted against either of their official records.
Jerry Barnes, left, and Don Vaughan, 1947.
Don Vaughan, left, and Jerry Barnes, 1947.
A story within the Barnes family, originating with Jerry’s mother, Mrs. Lucy Barnes, further illuminates the boys’ weight management program. The pair would apparently eat very little in their efforts to stay in their favored weight classes. Then once their match would pass, they would consume all they could. The Barnes family ran a boarding house for railroad workers, and one afternoon Mrs. Barnes had concocted a massive chocolate cake intended for the workers.
Unfortunately, her timeline in making this aligned with the boys having completed their most recent bouts. Upon returning home from an errand, she found that her son and Vaughan had eaten the entire thing themselves. She affectionately referred to Vaughan as “The Chocolate Cake Thief” from then on.
Jerry Barnes, left, and Don Vaughan, 1947.
McClenahan says he can understand why this incident occurred. “We [he, Vaughan, and Barnes] trained a lot and used weights regularly, trying to go up or down to our desired weight. We took weigh-ins very seriously. We would chew gum and spit constantly for days to dry ourselves and lose extra weight that way. After weigh-ins, we just pig out, even if we were just about to fight. We’d been starving ourselves for days at that point.” He suspects that the “cake incident” likely occurred after one of their “dry outs”.
1948 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves weigh-in. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
In addition to Coach Crabtree, another seminal figure of the earliest incarnations of the McAlester Boxing Club was Washie Stover. Older than the other boys in the club, Vaughan still forged a friendship with him. He too was smaller for his age and was typically listed in the same weight classes as Barnes and Vaughan. A protégé of Crabtree, Stover assumed the role of player-coach.
According to Troy, most people who came to the early club matches came to see Stover, who was a national Golden Gloves runner-up in 1947 and was part of the American squad that took on the European champions that year.
Stover was a native of Eufaula, and being close with Crabtree, came with him when he took the McAlester job. While Crabtree was a good coach from an organizational standpoint, Stover was the trainer and taught all the club boys how to fight. McClenahan says he fought when needed but mainly spent his time training the younger guys. Called “Mousie” by the club members, McClenahan calls him a “fantastic fighter. He was our mentor and as good a fighter as anyone.”
Coxsey remembers Stover as nice guy who took an interest in helping the less experienced fighters. Troy remarks that Stover “could have gone pro. He was a real trainer, and showed us how to do everything. We watched and emulated him as best we could. You never see boxers like him anymore. He was a thing of beauty, so light on his feet.”
Young Washie Stover. 30 Jan 1941 issue of the Indian Journal (Eufaula, OK). Page 7.
Washie Stover, 1947.
Stover began boxing at age 9 in Eufaula when he weighed only 90 pounds. He became progressively more successful until joining the Navy in 1945. He continued fighting there, and upon his return to Eufaula, quickly rose to the state’s highest ranks and became State Golden Glove champion at 118 pounds. McClenahan describes him as an “older, louder, tough guy. We all wanted to fight like him and we all looked up to him.”
Vaughan held Stover in very high esteem, and in his scrapbook wrote, “This boy has fought the best.” McClenahan recalls that Stover took his 1947 Golden Gloves Champion robe with him on trips, and would let the younger fighters wear it into the ring for their matches in order to intimidate their opponents. “Mousie, Jerry, and Don were the Big 3 of our club. They were the heart and soul of our group,” says Troy.
The club had a history of having a handful (around a dozen) of regular fighters and a revolving door of other guys, who would come in for a couple of matches or even just once and never return. When asked how these “regulars” stood out from the pack of dozens of casual fighters, McClenahan states that their black club jackets identified them as the truly dedicated city fighters. “Everyone in town or at school knew who the real fighters were. We were the guys who were at the gym training nearly every day,” McClenahan says. “Me, Jerry, Don, [Richard] Ramozetti, the Troy brothers, Hal [Savage], Frank Crank, Jon Bert [Williams], Sampson Holden, and a couple others I might be forgetting were always there in my time, always working with Stover or Crabtree.”
While the results of Vaughan’s very first official amateur match are unclear, we do have the results of several of the match-ups from his inaugural season. By late May of 1947, the McAlester team’s record stood at 4-2-1. They primarily sparred against schools and clubs in their vicinity, including teams from Muskogee, Ada, Stuart, Eufaula, and Hugo. An article in Feb 1948 in the McAlester News-Capital reported that on 4/16 of the previous year over Stuart, the club had won its first-ever major victory, which dates that match.
Of the 7 matches the club had fought by this point, Vaughan’s results for three of those matches are known:
1. 4/16: In 10-7 club win over Stuart, Vaughan (108) TKO’d Bill Hickerson (109) of Stuart. (First club match of the season.) (1-0, 1-0)
2. In 10-4 club loss to Goodland Indian School, Vaughan (105) TKO’d David Impson of Goodland. (Third club match of the season.) (2-0, 2-0)
3. In 10-3 club win over Goodland Indian School of Hugo, Vaughan (107) TKO’d Ben Bohannan (113) of Goodland. (Fourth club match of the season.) (3-0, 3-0)
Vaughan’s win-loss record is tracked in parenthesis; current season record followed by overall career record.
Three TKO’s [Technical Knock Outs] in the three known matches indicates he was probably successful in the majority of his bouts that year. It is unknown how he fared or if he even boxed in the clubs loss to Muskogee (club match no. 2), their draw against Stuart (no. 5), or their victories over Ada (no. 6) and Eufaula (no. 7).
In addition to these club meets, Vaughan participated in at least one tournament and one special event:
4. In cancer fundraiser, Vaughan (106) TKO’d Bill Brantley of McAlester. (4-0, 4-0)
5. In first round of three-day McAlester City Tournament, Vaughan (105) wins a TKO over James Owens of Krebs. (5-0, 5-0)
“In bout number 12, Don Vaughan [sic], fighting in the 105-pound class, was out of the ring and in the judges’ laps in the first round and down on the canvas once when James Owens of Krebs unleashed a whirlwind of right jabs and haymakers. Although Owens lead [sic] by a small margin, Vaughan rallied in the last round to win by a TKO.” (MNC)
A picture of the McAlester Tournament champions and a later reference to Vaughan having been champion of the said tournament indicates Vaughan won at least one if not two additional matches in the three-day tournament, but the results of the nights other than the first one are not available at this time. Another undated article states that champions were crowned on June 4th.
1947 McAlester City Tournament Champions. Front row: Roy Anders, Jerry Barnes, Don Vaughan, Washie Stover, Richard Ramozetti. Back row: Coach J. W. Crabtree, unknown, unknown, unknown, Tom Hollman.
1947 McAlester City Tournament Champions. Front to back: Richard Ramozetti, Don Vaughan, Washie Stover, Jerry Barnes, unknown, unknown, unknown. Courtesy of Joel and Leslie Barnes.
Don Vaughan was born 3 Jan 1932, and the McAlester tournament likely occurred in the latter half of the ’46-’47 season, so he would have been 15 years old when he won the first tournament of many in his career.
At times, McAlester fighters would also supplement the squads of other area clubs in need of additional fighters, or likewise the McAlester club would supplement their own ranks (especially in the higher weight classes) with fighters from other clubs. Tom McClenahan states, “We didn’t have many decent fighters above welter or middle weight (147 or 160) on our team usually so Coach Crabtree would sometimes bring guys in from out of town.”
In early May of 1947, for a match against the Oklahoma City club, McAlester brought in fighters from Eufaula, Haileyville, Wilburton, and Muskogee to support their boys, including Wayne Jaggers (Haileyville), Guy Luker (Haileyville), and J. W. Matoy (Eufaula). And in late June, the Stuart club recruited unnamed McAlester fighters for their match against Wagoner, per the Wagoner Tribuner.
Vaughan’s undated clippings collections include the results for three additional matches for this season, two official matches and one exhibition. Exhibition matches occurred fairly often, and were usually fought by members of the same club who were in the same weight class but didn’t have any other opponents to face. Exhibitions could also be bouts held for tryouts and other special events.
Exhibition wins and losses did not count toward a boxer’s official win-loss column, but Vaughan’s known exhibition results have been tracked as well. They will also be tracked in parenthesis after each listed exhibition match, but as their own separate record and with all career-spanning exhibition matches counted together since there are relatively few of them.
6. In 6-3 club win over Ardmore (1 of 2), Vaughan (112) was TKO’d in an exhibition match by teammate Tom McClenahan. (0-1, Exhibitions)
7. 6/24: In 10-3 club win over Ardmore (2 of 2), Vaughan (110) TKO’d J. W. Haynes of Ardmore. (6-0, 6-0)
8. Mixed card of boxers from various area clubs held at the McAlester American Legion. Vaughan (110) decisioned Gene Guinn of Eufaula. (7-0, 7-0)
According to McClenahan, his TKO over Vaughan was the pair’s second-ever match. He says that he “lucky-punched” Vaughan. “It was downright comical,” McClenahan contends. “It was purely a lucky punch. He was knocked out for a few seconds, came to, and got back up, and the ref called a TKO.” After he’d gotten up, the referee briefly let the fight continue, but Vaughan was unsteady and his eyes were rolling, according to McClenahan. He was concerned for his friend and told the ref to look at him, who then called the fight.
Tom McClenahan, 1947.
A TKO (technical knockout) is when a referee declares the match concluded due to one participant’s inability to continue, usually due to a significant blow or injury. It could also be called due to excessive bleeding, and that was considered a referee’s decision. Often a boxer was nearly knocked out but gets up in an attempt to continue the fight, but the referee declares them unfit, leading to the declaration of a TKO rather than a knock out (KO) which occurs after a fighter sustains a blow they are unable to recover from within a few seconds of receiving it. Boys who got back up would often try to fake that they were okay, according to McClenahan, but an observant referee would be able to tell.
This fight was witnessed by Jerry Bob Troy, another original McAlester Boxing Club member. He recalls, “The punch got him right on the chin. It landed just right. That hit had no business landing like that. It was a gaffe, and Tom knew it too. The hall was packed and everyone was in awe. No one could believe it. It was the last match of the night and it caught everyone off guard. That haymaker was just nuts.” McClenahan, too, was surprised to see Vaughan collapse like he did.
McClenahan and Barnes gave Vaughan a hard time about the knockout for a long time. They would drop references to his “glass jaw” just to bug him. He remembers that after the fight, the three of them went out to dinner. Vaughan was “still loopy,” laughing, and acting silly for quite a while afterward. In his writings, Vaughan contends that this was the first time he was ever knocked out, and it also ended up being the only time it happened in his career. McClenahan says, “I can’t believe our parents let us go out there like that. We had eight ounce gloves and nothing but a mouthpiece.” He contends they were lucky that they didn’t get hurt worse or more often than they did.
These post-fight dinners became a regular tradition for the fighters. In December of 1947, the McAlester News-Capital reported that the price of admission to McAlester Boxing Club matches was 10 cents for those age 15 and under, and 50 cents for all others. McClenahan says “they [the club organizers] made a lot of money off of us.” They were only paid enough to get some food afterward. Club funds were used to pay for travel expenses, buy club jackets for the regular fighters, provide some supplies and training equipment, and to fund other club activities.
The article concerning fight no. 8 above stated it was the final match of the McAlester club’s season. Apparently after the conclusion of the regular season, a shorter summer season or set of off-season bouts occurred, because another of Vaughan’s undated clippings bills itself as the final bout of the summer season, though that particular match did not include results for Vaughan himself. He not only clipped articles that mentioned, but ones that mentioned his friends, especially Jerry Barnes and Washie Stover.
According to an article among his clippings, at one point in the season Vaughan faced Bobby Chitwood, a champion of the Dundee Golden Gloves tournament. “Chitwood is known as a vicious boxer and is considered outstanding in state boxing circles. Vaughan is improving with every fight, however, and will be in top shape when the two meet in the ring next Tuesday night at the American Legion building.” (MNC) Unfortunately, this is one of the matches of which the results are not known at this time. But it wouldn’t be long before Vaughan faced Chitwood again and when it mattered most, he would come out on top.
Unfortunately, at this time (Apr 2020) this is all the information known about Vaughan’s inaugural boxing season. A known 7-0 record, including 6 TKOs, while incomplete, is a strong indicator of the promise Vaughan was beginning to show as a boxer and of his success still to come.
An Outstanding Prospect/The 1947-48 Season
In addition to his boxing, Vaughan was a passionate football player for the McAlester High School Buffaloes football team. He enjoyed football as much as he did boxing, despite being quite undersized for high school football and typically relegated to a top reserve role than a starting spot. He did not want his attention and focus split between the two pursuits, so each year, he elected to wait for the conclusion of his football season before re-entering the boxing ring. This decision was much to the frustration of his boxing coach, who was afraid he would get hurt playing football and be unable to box, but fortunately that never happened.
The ’47-’48 season for the McAlester Boxing Club began in November of 1947. Interestingly, a very similarly-named fighter to Vaughan had joined the club—Don Faughn. Faughn was usually listed 2-3 weight classes below Vaughan, but it certainly seemed to cause some confusion to the local sportswriters at first. This season Don Vaughan would move up to the Bantamweight (118-122 lb.) class, making him easier to distinguish from the 88-90 lb. Don Faughn.
McAlester opened the season with two wins over Jones Indian Academy from Hartshorne (12-6 and 11-5, respectively) without Vaughan among their ranks. They were to take on the Eufaula club on December 2nd, where Vaughan (120) was to make his season debut against Jimmy Flores (120).
While McAlester drubbed Eufaula 12-1, Vaughan’s first match of the year did not occur. But he did not have to wait long for his next chance, as the club then sent 10 boys to Dallas to fight members of the Dallas Boxing Club. Vaughan wrote, “I had just started the season and was just going along for the trip but fought and won [my] first fight of the 47-48 season.”
9. 12/7: In 5-3 club loss to Dallas, Vaughan (118) decisioned Charlie Worrell. (1-0, 8-0)
10. 12/12: In 10-9 club win over Eufaula, Vaughan (118) is decisioned in an exhibition match by teammate Washie Stover. (0-2, Exhibitions)
11. 12/18: In non-club, mixed card match in Muskogee against team from Northeastern State College of Tahlequah, Vaughan (118) decisioned Laverne Crittenden. (2-0, 9-0)
Washie Stover. 3 Dec 1947 issue of the St. Louis Star and Times (St. Louis, MO). Page 58.
Of his exhibition with Stover, Vaughan wrote, “Just fighting for experience.” Of Crittenden, Vaughan said, “This guy was about 24 years old. I really had to fight. My lips were really cut.”
When not fighting, Vaughan also worked as a referee for local matches on several occasions. The McAlester club was next scheduled to take on the Oklahoma City club on 12/23. In a special bout, Vaughan, who reportedly was “fast developing into a top-flight boxer” per the McAlester News-Capital, was scheduled to take on Shelby Barnes, a fighter from Eastern Oklahoma A&M College (Wilburton) who won an army boxing title in New Jersey in 1946. Barnes happened to be the oldest brother of Vaughan’s best friend and teammate, Jerry Barnes. Though five years younger than Barnes, Vaughan clearly had no qualms stepping into the ring with the older and more experienced fighter.
Fortunately for one or the other, the fight did not end up taking place, but McAlester, with support from boxers from Eufaula and Haileyville, took the win 5-0. They were then set to take on the undefeated Atoka squad (4-0 to McAlester’s 5-1) on 1/6, with Vaughan (118) scheduled to fight Doyle Yates, but only if a personal matter didn’t get in the way of it.
Don Vaughan came from a working class family. And with his older brother Lindy in the army and five younger sisters in the home, he was expected to pull his weight and help. He got his first job as a soda jerk at age 12, but may not have been able to continue working even part-time at this point between boxing and school. He was to turn 16 on 3 Jan 1948, and his parents made it clear to him that the expectation was for him to leave school at that point to work full-time and support the family, just as his older brother had done before he left for the army.
It is likely that if he was expected to leave school to work, he would also be expected to quit boxing as well. Dismayed at the prospect of leaving his academic and boxing careers behind him, Vaughan confided in a teacher at school. The teacher brought their concerns to the high school principal, and together the pair of them visited the Vaughan family home. They conveyed to his parents, Sampson and Lillian, that it would be a travesty for a boy as gifted and intelligent as their son to not complete his education. He had a bright future ahead of him, likely even college prospects, and to take him off that track would be a great disservice to him. Apparently, they were able to sway his parents into allowing him to remain in school, and so he was able to continue the path to success he had begun forging for himself.
Two more club matches awaited Vaughan before he entered the first major tournament of his career.
12. 1/6: In 10-2 club win over Atoka, Vaughan (120) TKO’d Gene Logan (124). (3-0, 10-0)
13. 1/12: In 12-1 club win over Tecumseh, Vaughan (116) TKO’d Franklin O’Dell. (4-0, 11-0)
Both of these TKO’s were notably impressive per published reports. Vaughan’s win over Logan was sealed 45 seconds into the 2nd round, and although Vaughan was four pounds lighter than his adversary, “a smashing left jab to the face early in the initial round promoted the TKO." (MNC) O’Dell was finished at just 47 seconds into the first round. These bouts were good warm-ups for what was ahead for Vaughan, as it was time for him to enter the Eastern region Golden Gloves tournament in Muskogee.
Possibly resting before his upcoming first round district Golden Gloves match, Vaughan did not fight in the club’s 11-4 win over Holdenville, who had just formed their first ever boxing club the week before, on 1/23. He may also have been working to shed weight. Though he’d fought all season up to this point as a bantamweight weighing between 116-120 lbs., he was entering the Golden Gloves tournament as a flyweight at around 112 lbs. Always rather skinny, he may have been struggling to keep his weight high enough for the bantamweight class and resigned himself to boxing in the class below. However, another explanation is possible.
Vaughan disclosed that in later years (not this particular season), he and his friend Jerry Barnes would work to weigh in at separate classes from one another so they would not have to compete against each other. For some reason Barnes did not enter this tournament, but Vaughan may have had the same idea in mind. His friends and teammates Tom McClenahan and Washie Stover were entering as bantamweights; Stover had won the State Golden Gloves title in that class the year before.
Jerry Barnes, left, and Don Vaughan, 1947.
The weight classes in the Golden Gloves tournaments were divided into two tiers: novice class and open class. Novice class was for less experienced fighters with fewer years and bouts to their name. Open class was for the more seasoned boxers. McClenahan entered as a novice and the more experienced Stover was in the open class. Vaughan too was placed in the novice class.
In a tournament like this, being on the same club did not matter and Vaughan could have to face McClenahan if they were both novice class bantamweights. He would not have had to fight Stover, however, because the novice and open class fighters did not compete against one another. It is likely that, similar to what he and Barnes tried to do, neither he nor McClenahan wanted to deprive the other of a championship at the others’ hands. Therefore, Vaughan probably voluntarily elected to enter at a lower weight class so that there was a chance they would both win their respective divisions.
Washie Stover, 1948.
Jerry Bob Troy reported that weigh-ins at this level of boxing were not very strict. He said that a boxer could always request to box up a weight class, but could not go down a class.
The winners of the district Golden Gloves tournament earned qualifying spots in the statewide Golden Gloves tournament that would pit all the district winners against one another. Additional invitations to the tournament would also be extended to particularly impressive fighters around the state even if they did not win their district tournament; typically at least most district runners-up would also be extended an invitation. But Vaughan certainly wanted entry to the state tournament by winning in Muskogee, and so began an impressive stretch of wins for him.
14. 1/26: Vaughan (112) KO’d Munroe Harjo of Sequoyah Indian School (5-0, 12-0)
15. 1/28: Vaughan (112) decisioned Jack Wilson of Bacone (6-0, 13-0)
16. 1/29: Vaughan (112) first-round KO over Glen Lawhorn of Wagoner (7-0, 14-0)
17. 1/30: Vaughan (112) decisioned Marvin Waldrup of Wagoner (8-0, 15-0)
And with the win over Waldrup, Vaughan took the District Golden Gloves championship for his weight class, along with 6 fellow McAlester fighters, giving them the team title as well. His fellow McAlesterites taking district championships were Richard Ramozetti, Buster Bone, Jerry Bob Troy, John Bert Williams, Frank Crank, and Washie Stover. All but Stover were winners in the novice class. Tom McClenahan lost his championship match, as did teammate Pat Troy.
Per the Daily Oklahoman, Vaughan’s first-round KO of Harjo was the first of the tournament, accomplished with “a stiff right to the midsection” at 1:10 of the first round. Vaughan wrote that Wilson of Bacone was “the best boy I fought in [this] tournament.” In the semi-finals, Vaughan “dropped Glen Lawhorn to the canvas with a solar plexus blow early in the first round and a few seconds later delivered a right cross that sent Lawhorn down for the count.” (MNC)
Vaughan, right, and unnamed defeated opponent at the 1948 District Golden Gloves.
Pat Troy’s ascent to the championship is noteworthy because it illustrates what may have happened if Vaughan had fought in another weight class and had to face a friend. Pat Troy entered the championship after becoming the winner by default in his previous match against his own brother, Bernard Troy. Per the McAlester News-Capital’s Hugh German, Bernard, less than two years younger than his brother Pat, stated, “I just couldn’t get in there and fight my brother.”
So believing his elder brother to have a better chance to get further in the tournament than him, he defaulted, giving his brother a bye match to the next round. The matches were determined by a drawing system, which Bernard deemed fair, and he was not bitter about being assigned to fight his brother. German wrote of him, “Bernard Troy always has been one of McAlester’s most popular athletes. His friendly spirit and true sportsmanship has drawn him the admiration of many persons in this area. With such an attitude, Bernard’s going to climb the ladder of life very successfully. Nice going, Bernard.” Jerry Bob Troy says his brother “would have stepped aside for any of us. He would have died for any his brothers.”
Part of an undated McAlester Boxing Club flyer.
German noted that this was the first year the McAlester club had entered fighters in the tournament in a number of years, and he along with the entire community were clearly very proud of their city’s young representatives. In regards to Vaughan’s championship match with Marvin Waldrup of Wagoner, the News-Capital wrote:
“Vaughan landed a good left in the very first and a left to the stomach which worried his opponent. Vaughan was the aggressor and carried the fight to Waldrup. Vaughan continually found Waldrup’s body and head with rights and lefts. Waldrop stopped a couple of Vaughan’s good ones although he seemed to do better in the second round than in the first. Vaughan was a little surprised to see Waldrup come out of it so. In the last part of the second, Waldrup straightened Vaughan with a terrific uppercut which staggered Vaughan.
Both slugged it out in the last part of the second. Vaughan delivered a good right which turned Waldrup around, still Waldrup came back for more. Waldrup started using uppercuts on Vaughan and this is where he piled up most of his points. Vaughan delivered two good lefts to the face, neither boy wanted to get in close, afraid of the other’s punches. The judges’ decision and the championship went to Vaughan.”
While the McAlester club prepared for a match against Hartshorne (which they would win 9-7 on 2/3), Vaughan and some of his fellow district champions were getting ready for the state Golden Gloves tournament in Oklahoma City. The state tournament was only for flyweights and above, so those that won their district championships at weight below 112 lbs. (Ramozetti, Bone, Jerry Bob Troy) would be re-joining the club.
Poster for the 1948 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves tournament in Oklahoma City. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
Vaughan’s friend Washie Stover elected to go down to the flyweight class as well despite winning in Muskogee as a bantamweight, but he was in the open class and so would not have to face Vaughan, who remained in the novice class. Williams, Crank, and Pat Troy accompanied the pair to Oklahoma City. Just three days after completing the district tournament in Muskogee, Vaughan picked up where he left off at the state tournament.
18. 2/2: Vaughan (112) KO’d Eugene Washa of Concho. (9-0, 16-0)
19. 2/3: Vaughan (112) decisioned Algernon Tonips of Ft. Sill. (10-0, 17-0)
20. 2/5: Vaughan (112) decisioned Joe Grey of Oklahoma City. (11-0, 18-0)
21. 2/10: Vaughan (113) decisioned Bobby Chitwood (111.5) of Wilson. (12-0, 19-0)
Just as he scored the first KO of the district tournament, Vaughan also scored the first KO of the state tournament over Eugene Washa of Concho at 30 seconds into the second round. In his scrapbook, Vaughan wrote that he believed his KO over Washa was his “first and only honest to goodness knockout I ever scored”. He did not believe that the majority of his KOs and TKOs were completely legitimate, but that his opponents “laid down” on him. His implication was that rather than truly being knocked cold or being physically dazed, that they simply could not take any more punishment and just gave up.
He wrote the phrase “another lay-down” next to numerous articles from the 47-48 season. He considered his earlier KO of Harjo and his later TKOs and KOs over Lawhorn, Lytle, Brock, Brannum, Boggs, Guinn, and Meeks to be “lay-downs”. Even if he was correct and these were not legitimate KOs and TKOs, it still speaks to Vaughan’s power and skill that all of these fighters would rather lay down on the mat and give up than to get up and face him again. This says as much about his boxing prowess as any numbers of knockouts would. With a KO, a fighter doesn’t have a choice in ending a fight; with a lay down, they’ve decided they just don’t have what it takes to beat their opponent.
The Daily Oklahoman reported that Vaughan had knocked his quarterfinals opponent Tonips down when the bell sounded. Vaughan credited his good conditioning for his victories. After besting Tonips, he noted his “perfect condition”, and that he was “still [in] good condition” after his decision over Grey, a “classy little Indian flyweight”. Vaughan wrote that Grey was a “tough boy, as you can read.”
“[First round] A powerful left dropped Gray [sic] to the floor for a three count. Gray delivered some good lefts in the first; Vaughan took it on points. Second round, Gray was cautious of Vaughan’s left. Gray ducked most of Vaughan’s blows in the second round and always came up with a right and a left. Gray’s nose bled a little in the second. Third round, both boys threw plenty in the last round, each dealing a terrific punishment to the other. The decision to Vaughan.” (MNC)
Prior to his championship bout, the News-Capital published a brief profile on Vaughan. “Don Vaughan – Classy blond flyweight in the novice division who has won four [sic] matches already in the Oklahoma City tournament to date, plans to win the next for the state crown. Vaughan was not as lucky as some of his teammate, who drew byes until the semi-final pairings. He had to fight every night [sic] of the four night elimination program. He has proven himself the best thus far and the final test will come Tuesday night.” It should be noted that Vaughan did not fight on Wednesday the 4th, per final results from that night, meaning he had three fights prior to the championship rather than four.
Vaughan and certain other fighters were regularly described as “classy” fighters. Jerry Bob Troy explains that “classy” boxers were boys who were technically sound, with good training and who had the “right moves”. Many boxers had used no technique at all, they just went toe to toe with their opponent and tried to slug it out. “Don and Jerry [Barnes] could move around, they had great technique,” he says. “Left foot in front, they could duck, then 1-2 punch.” To true followers of the sport, there was a significant difference between “sluggers” and actual “boxers”.
In regards to facing Chitwood, Vaughan wrote, “Chitwood again. Really had the pressure on me.” He is referring to the fact that he fought Chitwood the previous season, though the results of that bout are not known at this time. About his victory, Vaughan wrote, “Well, I did it. Chitwood had a good left punch, but again my condition paid off.”
Joe Cannon of the McAlester News-Capital staff had plenty to say about Vaughan and his triumph in the state tournament. “Vaughan, classy little blond flyweight…was termed ‘the biggest crowd pleaser of the 1948 championship tournament’ by a Daily Oklahoman sports writer. He said that ‘Vaughan’s firepower got the fans on his side early’.
Vaughan was presented with the coveted ‘outstanding boxer in the novice division’ award at the termination of the contests. The award was presented after a poll of the sports writers at the ringside was taken. …The winners in the open division will go to the tournament of the champions in Chicago February 23-25.” Vaughan would not get the opportunity to fight in Chicago this time due to his championship being in the novice class, but his time would come.
Cannon gave a detailed analysis of Vaughan’s showdown with Chitwood. “Both boys looked in their best shape and both eager for the state championship title. Vaughan had the edge of two and a half pounds, a pound heavier than that of his last fight Thursday evening here. First Round: Both boys met in the center of the ring and touched gloves and the leather started flying. Chitwood fought upright while Vaughan used the crouched position most of the time. Both landed several good blows and Vaughan seemed the aggressor in this initial heat. A left jab of Vaughan caused Chitwood’s lip to bleed in the latter part of the first round.
Second Round: Vaughan rushed to meet Chitwood at the bell and the latter shot a straight left jab to Vaughan’s chin which staggered him in the early seconds. Vaughan was still the aggressor, Chitwood used the hit and run style and he continually kept his long left in Vaughan’s face whenever possible. The second round was even although Chitwood delivered the best and straightest blows.
Third Round: Vaughan did the aggressing again although Chitwood delivered straight punches whenever he saw an opening. Vaughan still used the crouch system. A one and two by Vaughan caused Chitwood’s lip to start bleeding again. Vaughan seemed over eager and both were mixing it at the last bell. The judge’s decision and the state championship went to Vaughan.”
After his championship win, Vaughan received two awards. He was named the greatest prospect in the novice class and was voted the outstanding boxer of the novice division. The Daily Oklahoman called Vaughan the “blond rookie buzzsaw from McAlester”. In regards to his receiving the “greatest prospect” award, Vaughan wrote it was the “happiest moment of [his] life.”
Don Vaughan receives his awards at the end of the State Golden Gloves tournament, 1948.
Don Vaughan's 1948 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves pendant.
Don Vaughan's 1948 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves pendant.
Elsewhere in the state tournament, Crank and Williams fell in the semi-finals, but Washie Stover won his first and second matches, making it to the finals for the flyweight open division, but then fell in the championship match to Albert Moses of Chilocco. He was likely still hampered by a wrist injury suffered a few weeks earlier. Stover’s News-Capital profile prior to the championship reported on his bantamweight title the year before, and how he reached the national title bout, where he fell to Robert Bell of Cleveland, Ohio.
The paper reported he dropped six pounds to fight as a flyweight this year. His semi-finals victory was over Bob William Tenequer of Ft. Sill, who Vaughan would meet in the coming summer at their Olympic trials. Despite his championship loss, Stover was recognized with an award as the tournament’s cleanest fighter.
Pat Troy lost his district championship in Muskogee by a split judges’ decision, but managed to get an invitation to the state tournament, where he too won a State Golden Gloves championship the novice division of the featherweight class. He and Vaughan were the only two McAlester winners of the state tournament.
While their top fighters were in Oklahoma City, the McAlester club continued with its season, and suffered its second defeat of the year in a 5-4 loss to Stuart. But ahead of them were matches against Tecumseh, Sapulpa, Sequoyah, Wilburton, Jones, Hartshorne, and Maud.
22. 2/16: In 10-7 club win over Tecumseh, Vaughan (112) TKO’d J. P. Brock. (13-0, 20-0)
23. 2/27: In 15-3 club win over Sequoyah, Vaughan (115) won by forfeit over George Cameron of Muskogee (116). (14-0, 21-0)
24. 3/2: In 17-2 club win over Wilburton, Vaughan (115) decisioned Thomas Pipkins. (15-0, 22-0)
25. 3/9: In 14-2 club win over Maud, Vaughan (112) KO’d Dewey Lytle (117) at 46 seconds into the first round. (16-0, 23-0)
At the end of February, six McAlester fighters received special recognition for their boxing success in the form of jackets awarded jointly by the McAlester police department and the American Legion. Vaughan received one, along with Pat and Bernard Troy, Frank Crank, Hal Savage, and Jon Bert Williams. These jackets were awarded to “the boys on their efforts and regularity of training and practice. In order to win a jacket the boys were to fighter 12 times and take part in the McAlester tournament and continue to box to the end of the season. These boys have fought in most every bout of the season and attend practice regular.” [MNC] The article goes on to say that several other boys would soon meet the criteria to receive their jackets.
As the season went on, arranged opponents would no-show or fighters in his weight class from other clubs would decline to face him. Vaughan attributed this to his increasingly prominent notoriety in the local boxing scene, writing that he “couldn’t get a fight. Got a reputation now.” He had been scheduled to fight George Cameron of Muskogee when the club took on Sequoyah, but wrote, “My first forfeit; didn’t show up to fight me.”
The week before, he was scheduled to fight Roy Stares of Sapulpa, but the match was called off, though the club still bested Sapulpa handily, 8-0. He was also not given any fights in the clubs wins over Jones Academy (8-0) and Hartshorne (6-4). And again, he was scheduled to fight Allen Plank of Seminole on March 15th, but again Vaughan writes he “couldn’t get a fight”; the club still dominated 14-2.
In mid-March, Vaughan and other prominent members of the McAlester Boxing Club received new robes from the McAlester Lions Club. These robes were only awarded to the most dedicated and consistent members of the club, those who trained most often and participated in the most match. Vaughan’s teammates receiving robes included: Richard Ramozetti, Buster Bone, Jerry Bob Troy, Hal Savage, Tom McClenahan, Al Carney, Jerry Barnes, Bernard Troy, Pat Troy, Jon Bert Williams, and Frank Crank.
Don Vaughan's McAlester club robes, modeled by his great-grandson, Arthur.
Don Vaughan's McAlester club robes, modeled by his great-grandson, Arthur.
While the club prepared to take on Jones Academy again, Vaughan and other upper-tier fighters of the club ventured to Anadarko for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournament. This tournament was nearly as prestigious as the Golden Gloves tournament. Its winners could stake a partial claim in the title of state champion even if they didn’t win at the Golden Gloves. Those who won both tournaments were considered undisputed state champions. Unlike the Golden Gloves, the AAU did not differentiate between open and novice class fighters, so all fighters in a respective weight class could face one another regardless of previous experience.
According to former McAlester boxer Tom McClenahan, AAU matches were longer than Golden Glove matches. Bouts under both sets of rules included three rounds, but Golden Gloves rounds were two minutes each, while AAU fights were three minutes per round. McClenahan contends that those extra minutes really made a difference in the outcomes of fights and made the competition much more physically grueling. Another difference between the two was how strict each competition was about adherence to weight classes. While the AAU strictly forbade anyone fighting at a weight higher than the class maximum, the Golden Gloves allowed for a one pound deviation. The division of novice and open classes began at 112 pounds; below that, all fighters of any experience level were lumped together.
With three teammates, McClenahan, Jerry Barnes, and Tommy Pipkins, entering the tournament as flyweights, and despite opening the season as a bantamweight, Vaughan moved down into the light flyweight class for the tournament in an effort to avoid depriving his friends of title shot. Vaughan had faced Pipkins earlier in the season when he fought with the Wilburton club, and remarked in his notes that he was a “pretty good boy.” Given that Vaughan started the season reportedly tipping the scales at 116-120 and fighting as a bantamweight and was now fighting two classes lower, some questions are raised. It seems unlikely a growing teenage boy would lose a full 10-15 pounds during the season. It seems more likely that Vaughan spent most of the season up to this point fighting up a class.
Jerry Bob Troy says fighters could always go up a class from their own, but never down. Barring significant weight loss from Vaughan, it is likely he began the season weighing in as a flyweight (110-116 pounds) and boxing up a class to bantamweight. It is then reasonable to assume he could have lost 5-7 pounds during the season to 105-109 pounds, enough for him to drop down to light flyweight but box up with the flyweights up until this tournament. This seems more likely than him dropping down two full weight classes as the season progressed.
All three of his flyweight teammates, Barnes, McClenahan, and Pipkins, fell in the opening round. Vaughan and fellow Golden Glove-winning teammate Pat Troy (featherweight) took first round wins, and were both considered top contenders for their respective classes. Joe Grey (light flyweight, who Vaughan had already beaten at the Golden Gloves) and Virgil Franklin (featherweight, a former national champion before a stint in the army) were considered the other tournament favorites in their respective classes. But Troy fell in the second round, leaving Vaughan as McAlester’s last representative.
26. 3/17: Vaughan (105) KO’d Jack Hammock of Tulsa. (17-0, 24-0)
27. 3/18: Vaughan (105) decisioned Gene Morgan of Cameron. (18-0, 25-0)
28. 3/19: Vaughan (105) decisioned Gene Havenor of Blackwell. (19-0, 26-0)
Oklahoma 1948 AAU Champions. Clipping for the Daily Oklahoman.
With Havenor taking a judge’s decision over Joe Grey in the second round, Vaughan did not have to face Grey a second time. As The McAlester News-Capital reported, “If Vaughan takes the title tonight, he will be undisputed champion of Oklahoma boxers.” The next day, the paper proudly proclaimed “Don Vaughan Wins State AAU Title”.
“Anadarko - Don Vaughan, 105-pound blond fleaweight of McAlester, captured the 1948 Oklahoma AAU boxing championship here, in the armory, last night, climaxing the annual four-day state tournament. Vaughan, already the state Golden Gloves champion in the 112-pound class, won the undisputed championship of the state last night, when he won the judges’ nod over classy Gene Havenor of Blackwell in the opening fight of the AAU finals. A capacity crowd of 1,400 amateur boxing enthusiasts saw Vaughan and Havenor battle it out for the crown, but it was evident that Vaughan was the better.
Gene Havenor. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
McAlester’s boxing coach, J. W. “Jim” Crabtree, who was at the champion’s corner during the fight, has continually trained and developed Vaughan into one of the outstanding leatherslingers of Pittsburg county’s outstanding club. Vaughan received, other than the honor of being undisputed state titleholder, a beautiful purple and white robe with AAU state champion 1948 on the back. He already had been given a red and white satin robe by a McAlester merchant. One of these days, if he doesn’t stop winning titles, he will have to have a special wardrobe truck to carry his fighting clothes.”
Hugh German of the News-Capital had his own congratulations to bestow on Vaughan. “Heartiest congratulations are due McAlester’s Don Vaughan. This classy little fighter last night at Anadarko won his second state boxing title this year. … Sporting Bits offers his congratulations to this fine young boxer. He’s a good sport, an outstanding boxer, and a clean youth.”
In regards to Havenor, Vaughan wrote that he “was about only as good as the first boy I fought [Hammock].”As far as winning the AAU title, Vaughan mused, “Boy, am I lucky! It is just the breaks you get in boxing.” Vaughan had little time to rest, as he was back in the ring for the McAlester club days later.
29. 3/23: In 6-2 club win over Jones Academy, Vaughan (108) decisioned Calvin Lunsford (109). (20-0, 27-0)
30. 3/25: In Haileyville tournament, Vaughan (105) decisioned Archie Factor of Jones Academy. (21-0, 28-0)
31. 3/26: In finals of Haileyville tournament, Vaughan (105) decisioned Delma Downs of Hugo. (22-0, 29-0)
32. 4/1: In McAlester tournament, Vaughan (105) TKO’d Pat Boggs of Wilburton. (23-0, 30-0)
33 4/2: In McAlester tournament, Vaughan (105) KO’d Gene Guinn of Eufaula. (24-0, 31-0)
34. 4/3: In finals of McAlester tournament, Vaughan (105) KO’d Jerry Meeks of Okay at 1:14 in the first round. (25-0, 32-0)
35. 4/10: In 5-3 club win over Holdenville, Vaughan (114) TKO’d James Brannum (112). (26-0, 33-0)
The McAlester News-Capital reported the day before the club’s match against Jones that one of the boys from there had been expressing a desire to have his turn against Vaughan; whether or not this was his eventual opponent Lunsford is unclear. Vaughan writes that Lunsford “had been fighting for several years.” Regardless, Vaughan, while wearing his new purple robes awarded after his AAU championship win, left Hartshorne with his 20th victory of the year—with no defeats. His friend Tom McClenahan walked away with an impressive win as well. Per their report on the match: “One of the best fights of the evening was the ninth bout of the card, when Don Vaughan, McAlester’s pride at 108, won a decision over Calvin Lunsford, 109, of Jones.
Don Vaughan's 1948 AAU shorts, as modeled by his great-grandson, Arthur.
Don Vaughan's 1948 AAU robe, as modeled by his great-grandson, Arthur.
Although Vaughan hit Lunsford repeatedly with his lefts and rights, Lunsford continued to battle it out toe-to-toe with the state champion. Vaughan still has a shiner he received the second night at Anadarko. Lunsford caught him on the nose and blood trickled for a few minutes. Both boys were tops and Lunsford is not to be taken lightly.
Tall Tommy McClenahan, 117-pounder in the local fistic circle, took a judges’ nod over Edwin Hudson, 121, of Jones in the next to last fight of the evening. McClenahan showed more aggressiveness last night than he has in some time and fought like a tiger in the second round. Hudson charged more than anything else and kept Tommy off balance considerably.” Earlier in the evening, Washie Stover and Pat Troy fought an exciting exhibition match while wearing head gear, so they really let loose with some powerful blows.
Just a couple of days later, several McAlester fighters were participating in jacket tournament at nearby Haileyville for his fifth tournament of the season. McClenahan says that the boys from the McAlester and Haileyville clubs were quite friendly with one another and sometimes “chummed around” together. One of their top fighters, John Henry Stephenson, was a fixture in the local boxing scene, and the two clubs intermingled regularly, so the Haileyville tournament was one of the more fun and somewhat relaxed events for the McAlester boys compared to other city tournaments. McClenahan says that Stephenson was a “great natural fighter who hardly ever trained because he didn’t have to.”
Vaughan and his friends Jerry Barnes and Tom McClenahan drew first round byes. Several of their teammates earned first round victories, including Pat Thompson, Hal Savage, Buster Bone, and Danny Whisenat. Bill Lowe and Bobby Self lost early. McClenahan and Savage fell in the next round, but all the others moved on to the finals, including Vaughan after his decision over Archie Factor of Jones Academy. Vaughan, Barnes, and Whisenat ended up taking tournament jackets the following night.
“Vaughan, who decisioned Delma Downs of Hugo, took the 105-pound title in the 10th fight of the card on points after almost falling from the ring in the third round. The McAlester lad, who has already scored two state championships this year, was in the best of condition. Vaughan had a slight edge all three rounds on aggressiveness and blows landed to new him the decision. In the last round, he lunged at Downs, who side-stepped, letting him fly over the second rope, halfway from the ring.” (MNC)
1948 Haileyville Boxing Tournament patch.
Haileyville Boxing Tournament shorts, as modeled by Don Vaughan's great-grandson, Arthur.
Next up was the McAlester city tournament, which kicked off on April 1st. Over 200 fighters, all hand-selected by the tournament’s committee, were entered. They hailed from numerous communities, including Wilburton, Hartshorne, Jones Academy, Haileyville, Stuart, Holdenville, Tecumseh, Maud, Gerty, Wetumka, Eufaula, Muskogee, Enid, and of course, McAlester.
Vaughan cruised to another tournament jacket with two knockouts and one technical knockout in the light flyweight class. “[Vaughan] tagged Gene Guinn of Eufaula with a right to the head in one minute and 12 seconds of the initial heat. Guinn, considerably taller than the blond state champion, was on the canvas earlier in the round from a right to the body.” (MNC)
Avoiding competition with Vaughan by entering as a flyweight, Barnes’s semi-finals KO was even quicker than Vaughan’s. He registered the shortest fight of the evening when he “let go with a volley of lefts and rights to the body of David Stone of Ada. The latter was counted out in 19 seconds of the first.”
McAlester boxers went on to score 9 championships out of their 13 entries in the tournament. In the finals, “Meeks carried the fight to Vaughan in the top of the first. Meeks was a slugger and Vaughan a boxer. A left to the body dropped Meeks to the canvas for the count in one minute and 14 seconds of the initial round.” (MNC) Besides Barnes and Vaughan, other champions from the McAlester club included: Danny Whisenat, Buster Bone, Jerry Bob Troy, Hal Savage, Bernard Troy, Pat Troy, and Frank Crank. Friends and occasional club contributors John Henry Stephenson (Haileyville) and J. W. Matoy (Eufaula) also won.
David Drew, J. W. Crabtree, J. W. Matoy. Fight poster clipping.
After another TKO against James Brannum in Holdenville the next week, Vaughan’s club season came to an end. The McAlester club had two additional matches for the season: a 4-2 victory over Stuart on 4/16, and a 2-1 victory over the Denison, TX club at unknown date. Vaughan did not have a fight against Stuart. The Denison match was not located in the News-Capital archives, but clippings about it were among Vaughan’s personal collection. Vaughan did not have an official match against them, so he had another exhibition against his friend Tom McClenahan, who KO’d him the year before and remembers this match was held in an outdoor area, which was unusual. This time Vaughan took the decision.
In May, Vaughan was among a handful of statewide boxers invited to take part in Olympic tryouts. He was invited as a flyweight. Washie Stover was among the four initial invitees, and Vaughan was one of two alternates. Stover declined the invitation apparently, and Vaughan was brought in, along with Jerry Barnes. The favorite for his weight class was Bob William Tenequer, an Indian boxer out of Fort Sill. He won the all-Indian for the state and lost to Stover in the quarterfinals of the Golden Gloves tournament for the open division.
Teddy Jefferson. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
Barnes was decisioned by Teddy Jefferson of the Goodland Indian School. Tom McClenahan notes that he fought and lost to Teddy Jefferson three times himself, and describes him as a very skilled fighter. Vaughan drew the trial favorite, Tenequer. The Daily Oklahoman reported: “Tenequer found a tenacious foe in Don Vaughan of [McAlester] and it was a thriller from start to finish. The Fort Sill Indian boy chopped Vaughan on the chin with short rights which were effective but Vaughan never took a backward step.” Tenequer took the decision, and with that exhibition bout, Vaughan’s season ended with a loss, but with his official recorded record still undefeated for the season at 26-0.
36. Unknown Date: In 2-1 club win over Denison, Vaughan (112) won an exhibition match over teammate Tom McClenahan. (1-1, Exhibitions)
37. 5/31: In Olympic trials, Vaughan (112) was decisioned in an exhibition match to Bob William Tenequer of Fort Sill. (1-2, Exhibitions)
Vaughan’s exhibition against McClanahan was their last, as McClenahan graduated at the end of the school year and shipped off to the army. He continued to follow and support his close friends Don Vaughan and Jerry Barnes from overseas and always treasured the times the three of them had travelling around the state for their boxing matches. “I can’t express how close Jerry, Don, and I were. Don was a damn good fighter. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body, but he sure could fight. He was very tough. Had a hell of a punch. But he was also the sweetest guy, always laughing, just remarkably kind.”
He recalls that Vaughan had “a strange stance, it was real low to the ground.” McClanahan says that despite his success, “He never bragged. You had to pull stuff out of him. He never went on about his accomplishments; he was just very down to earth.” McClanahan contends Vaughan continued to be that way despite continuing to be one of the state’s most dominant fighters for years to come.
A Down Year/The 1948-49 Season
A number of changes befell Vaughan and the McAlester boxing club leading into the new season. Vaughan lost his coach, J. W. Crabtree, and mentor, Washie Stover. Crabtree returned to coaching the Eufaula club and took his protégé Stover with him. Stover would continue working as Crabtree’s trainer in Eufaula, but this would be his final year of competitive boxing. After another year in Eufaula, Crabtree went on to coach the Poteau and Fort Smith clubs. He was also active as a tournament manager for various cities.
Coach Jim W. Crabtree.
Crabtree was replaced by Harry Mannason, a man Jerry Bob Troy and Jim Coxsey describe as a nice guy and a good referee, but not the best coach due to his limited training knowledge. He had regularly refereed home club matches in McAlester the season before. The McAlester News Capital published a write-up on Mannason and the club’s upcoming season, as well as their previous one, in September, 1948.
“McAlester’s amateur boxing program will get underway Wednesday, September 15, under a new coach—Harry Mannason, referee and former boxer. The local club is under the sponsorship of the McAlester police department and the Harrison-Powers post of the American Legion. Roy Anders is president and Tom Holleman is vice president. The club operates under a three-man advisory commission. Members of this commission are M. T. Savage, chairman, Jack Davis, and Dr. M. L. Henry.
Club officials explained today that the club is not only for boys who box, but for all boys who care to participate in its activities. It’s a boys’ club, not a boxing club, they added. Boys who take part in the activities will not be required to box unless they desire to do so. Those who report take exercises, and take part in most of the club’s activities. They will be accorded the same privileges as those who box.
All boys will be treated alike, explained Savage. Boys from surrounding towns also are invited to become members of the McAlester club. The club has a house at Lake McAlester and outings, weiner [sic] roasts, and other activities will be held at this location. Clubsters were given free picture show tickets last year, and it is expected that this procedure will be continued this year. Boys interested in the club program may sign up at the city police station from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. An effort is being made to get most of the boys in the city enrolled in this program.
The new coach—Mannason—is employed at the U. S. Naval Ammunition depot, south of the city. He has been a resident of McAlester for the last six years. He has a wide experience in boxing, having taken part in this sport in various parts of the United States. Experience in coaching also is possessed by Mannason. He coached at Poteau for two years and was boxing club coach for the Fort Smith, Ark. Boys club for two years. He has been refereeing for eight years.
Most of McAlester’s stellar boxers from the 1947-48 team will return this year. Several state and district champions are included in this lot. Don Vaughan, 112-pounder who won two state titles—Golden Gloves and AAU—will again box for the McAlester club. This holds true for Pat Troy, 126 pounds, who won top honors in the state Golden Gloves tourney.
Muskogee district Golden Gloves tourney winners who will be back this year are Bust Bone, 80 pounds; Jerry Bob Troy, 85 pounds; Jon Bert Williams, 135 pounds; and Vaughan. Danny Whisenat, 65, who won tourney honors here and at Haileyville also will be back. Jerry Barnes, McAlester and Haileyville tourney winner at 112 pounds, is playing football with MHS, but is expected to return to boxing. Hal Savage, Haileyville tourney champ at 105 pounds, will box with McAlester again this year.
Wayne Jaggers, who has won several state and district titles as a member of the Haileyville club, will box with McAlester this year. A 147-pounder, he now is employed in McAlester. Other promising youngsters include Al Carney, Sampson Holden, Pete Prichard, Don Faughn, Lyle Faughn, John “Skip” Faughn, John Blevins, Carl Forrester, Faye Kirkpatrick, and Tommy Sims. Kirkpatrick, a heavyweight, and Forrester, a middleweight, appear to have promises of a good season this year.
In the 1947-48 season, McAlester won over Jones academy three times, Eufaula twice, Holdenville twice, Hartshorne twice, and Oklahoma City, Atoka, Tecumseh, Sapulpa, Sequoyah, Wilburton, Maud, Seminole, and Stuart once each. Losses were at the hands of Dallas, Texas, Stuart, and Jones. In individual fights, McAlester won 110 and lost 81.”
With Crabtree and Stover gone—or at least not readily available—what few training sessions the club held collectively all but stopped and fighters were left to train and condition on their own, per Jerry Bob Troy. He reported most club members would train individually or in groups of 2-3. Vaughan and Jerry Barnes took up the mantle vacated by Stover as mentors for the younger boxers, imparting the knowledge they’d gotten from Stover to their teammates. Team practices had previously been held at the American Legion in McAlester but later most training occurred at the USO building above the police station.
Don Vaughan training, 1948-49.
Don Vaughan training, 1948-49.
Troy credits Don Vaughan and Jerry Barnes with teaching him to box, along with other young club members, after Stover left. He says the pair of them were the nicest guys, and that Vaughan was the better fighter by a hair, but he personally had a closer relationship with Barnes. Troy was always impressed by the fact that though the two were extremely talented and knew it, they were never arrogant in the least and never treated other fighters as less than equals. Troy says he tried hard to fight just like them and to act like them too, as they were not only great boxers, but “fine, Christian men."
Numbers for the club dipped as well. Crabtree and Stover were a big draw for the club, and interest began to wane upon their exit, according to Troy. He says that Crabtree kept things really organized and things “fell apart” when he left. He describes the club leadership after that point as “inconsistent”. He says many boys stopped training regularly or at all. He says that he, Vaughan, Barnes, and a handful others continued training daily, but most did not.
For Vaughan, who continued his training diligently despite the changes for the club, the 1948 season would not have been considered a disappointment for most athletes, but for someone like him who held himself to a high standard, it was clearly not all he wanted it to be. He was not satisfied simply being “one of the best”; he strived to be recognized as “the best”. Unfortunately, this season was a “down year” by Vaughan’s standards. There are a number of possible reasons for this season being less successful than his previous one. It is likely that the aforementioned lack of outside support and instruction from any capable coaches impacted him, as well as the requisite time and attention he spent assisting his teammates who had no one else to turn to cutting into his own training regimen.
Don Vaughan, 1948. This was his primary press photo for the 1948-49 season.
Additionally, as an experienced fighter now, Vaughan also would be facing stiffer competition and be entering tournaments in the open division, no longer having access to novice opponents. As a growing teenager, he also was not able to box down to light flyweight or even flyweight anymore. He was firmly in the bantamweight class now (though typically on the lower end of that spectrum), whether that was due to simply putting on pounds as he got older and grew or due to adding muscle through training. But this factor would likely also increase the intensity and power, if not the skill, of the fighters he would be facing during this season.
Another disadvantage for Vaughan was partially self-inflicted. Like the year before, Vaughan opted to focus on football before delving into the boxing season. So he was already getting fewer early season matches to get him warmed up for the tournaments ahead compared to the number of fights his strongest competitor would be getting. A combination of sitting out for football and once again struggling to get opponents willing to fight the intimidating two-time state champion led to his first fight of the year not occurring until November 30th. Momentum can be an important advantage for a lot of athletes, and it was difficult for Vaughan to get any momentum building with fewer opportunities to fight.
Before Vaughan’s first fight had even occurred, Harry Mannason had stepped down as coach; no formal announcement of his departure was located. He remained a fixture as a referee for local matches, but the last reference to him as coach was on November 8th. The club had no coach until a player-coach by the name of Tommy Barron joined the club.
In his 20s and a former middleweight Golden Gloves champ in Texas (1947), Barron’s presence on the team was hyped by local media, but Jerry Bob Troy reports he was not an effective coach. Jim Coxsey says similarly that Barron was “a better fighter than coach.” McClenahan knew Barron personally but not as a coach; he became acquainted with him on visits home from the army when he would meet with Vaughan and Barnes. He says Barron was a very friendly guy, but he was also under the impression that he didn’t train the younger boys much. Troy reports that Barron had little interest in training anyone but himself, so the fighters of the McAlester Boxing Club continued to rely on help from Vaughan and Barnes for help and support with in-season training.
The last factor that may have contributed to Vaughan’s “down year” was that he began splitting time between multiple clubs. At times, due to various reasons, boxing clubs would find themselves short enough players to fill a full match card against another team. Other times, clubs would bring outside fighters in for special one-off bouts to bring spectators or an extra level of excitement. There are times when the McAlester club brought a handful of boxers from Haileyville or Eufaula to fill openings in certain weight classes, and other teams did this as well.
One team in particular that struggled with getting enough fighters for the 1948-49 season was Eufaula, where for McAlester coach J. W. Crabtree had returned during the summer, along with Washie Stover. Having built good relationships with many McAlester Boxing Club members, when he had trouble filling slots, he requested some of the McAlester boys come and fight with the Eufaula club, including Vaughan. The extra time and travel involved in actively fighting for two boxing clubs would surely have taken a physical toll on Vaughan in addition to the exhaustion brought about by the fights themselves.
The 1948-49 season kicked off for the McAlester Boxing Club in September. Vaughan would only be able to train for boxing sparingly with football season kicking off. In August, he was invited to participate in a September “Labor Day Jamboree” boxing invitational with several other Golden Gloves winners, but he apparently did not take part, as his name did not appear among the reported results.
Though still focusing on football, Vaughan still volunteered to referee at early home matches for the McAlester Boxing Club. He did so when McAlester lost their first club match to Jones Academy, 11-5 on 10/12. Several McAlester boxers fought alongside the Muskogee club against the Wagoner club two weeks later, but Vaughan was not among them, nor did he fight in the McAlester club’s match against Wagoner on 11/3, which the club won handily, 11-1.
Don Vaughan, 1948-49.
On 11/9, the club defeated McLoud 10-2; Don “Faughn” was back in the line-up, but not Don Vaughan. These early season results indicate that like Vaughan, Jerry Barnes was busy with football, apparently also declining to balance the two sports at once. There may have been additional factors in Barnes not fighting early in the season as well, since his debut for the season was not reported until 12/30, one month after Vaughan.
The Club split its last two matches before Vaughan returned to the fold, an 11-4 win over Muskogee (11/16) and a 6-4 loss to Fort Smith (11/21). The report on the latter of these two bouts states that the team was accompanied to Fort Smith by three local police officers, with no mention of Mannason, confirming that by this time he had left the team. A rematch against Fort Smith on 11/30 would be Vaughan’s season debut, and was supposed to be the debut for the club’s new player-coach Tommy Barron, but his first opponent was a no-show.
38. 11/30: In 10-4 McAlester club win over Fort Smith, Vaughan (129) won by foul over Calvin Rushia (129). (1-0, 34-0)
39. 12/13: In 8-1 Eufaula club win over Tecumseh, Vaughan (124) decisioned Bill Roberts (130). (2-0, 35-0)
40. 12/16: In 10-2 Eufaula club win over Holdenville, Vaughan (122) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee for the first time. (3-0, 36-0)
41. 12/21: In 6-5 McAlester club win over Springfield, Vaughan (123) decisioned Charles Ferry (119). (4-0, 37-0)
42. 12/23: In 8-0 Eufaula club win over McLoud, Vaughan (125) decisioned Tim Johnson Muskogee for the second time. (5-0, 38-0)
The Indian Journal (Eufaula, OK), in a 12/9 article titled, “Boxing Hindered by Shortage of Boys Says Coach”, reported: “The need for more boys is the biggest problem confronting Coach Jim Crabtree and the Junior Chamber of Commerce in organization of a boxing team for Eufaula this season. What boys we have are getting into good shape and are going to turn in some good performances, but the trouble is there are not enough of them, Crabtree reported, regretfully. So far only ten to twelve boys are training for the Jaycee sponsored Eufaula team. … The undermanned Eufaula team will go to Tecumseh next Monday night for the first match of the season. … To complete the 12 to 15 bout card Crabtree said he would “borrow” boxers from neighboring cities.”
Coach J. W. Crabtree
Besides Vaughan, a number of other McAlester boys were recruited to stand in with the Eufaula team, including Buster Bone and Sampson Holden. This led to Vaughan being able to train with Stover again, and his run with the Eufaula club was a successful one.
On 12/7, Vaughan was scheduled to fight Tim Johnson of Muskogee in a McAlester club match against Holdenville, but the bout did not materialize in the 8-4 McAlester victory. But Vaughan would get the chance to fight Johnson again shortly after when boxing with the Eufaula club, as well as several other opportunities as the season wore on. In fact, Vaughan would go on to face Johnson a total of five times during this season. Johnson was clearly determined to get one up on Vaughan eventually.
Tim Johnson, 1949. Courtesy of Muskogee Phoenix.
Vaughan wrote about Johnson in his notes next to an article about their first fight: “This was the first time to fight this boy, but defeated him three [Note: should be four] more times, knocking him down the first time and knocking him out the third time. Put me up a good fight the fourth. He is now one of my best friends.” After one of his later wins over Johnson, he writes, “Tim is a good fighter.”
After his second loss to Vaughan, Johnson directly requested a rematch against him during Eufaula’s second bout against Holdenville. As reported by The Indian Journal on 12/30: “The Eufaula Boxing club, sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, will meet the Holdenville club at the Community Hall here, Friday, January 7. … Featured bouts of the evening will rematch Don Vaughn [sic] and Tim Johnson. Vaughn won on a decision in their last fight and has agreed to accept Johnson’s challenge for a new fight.” This would end up being Vaughan’s final fight with the Eufaula club, as it would be time to focus his attention outside of McAlester club matches on state tournament fights.
Don Vaughan in Springfield, MO. Dec 1949 or Jan 1950.
Don Vaughan v. Charles Ferry in Springfield, MO. Dec 1948 or Jan 1949.
Program for the match between the Springfield, MO and McAlester, OK clubs. Dec 1949 or Jan 1950.
Charles Ferry of Springfield, MO. Courtesy of the News and Leader.
That would not be Vaughan’s only January rematch. What made McAlester’s win over the Springfield, MO club on 12/21 particularly impressive was that it was Springfield’s first club loss in over 2 years. Further, their top fighter was Vaughan’s opponent, Charles Ferry, a State Golden Glove champion for Missouri. Like Johnson, Ferry was apparently keen on getting another shot at besting Vaughan, and would face him again when the clubs met for the second time. But like Johnson, Ferry fell again, and Vaughan notes that he “knocked this boy down twice” and “beat him pretty easy.”
43. 12/30: In 3-3 McAlester club draw with Oklahoma City, Vaughan (122) outpointed Stanley Harris. (6-0, 39-0)
44. 1/4: In 6-6 McAlester club draw with Springfield, Vaughan (124) outpointed Charles Ferry (119). (7-0, 40-0)
45. 1/7: In 7-1 Eufaula club win over Holdenville, Vaughan (124) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee (124). (8-0, 41-0)
46. 1/11: In special Milk & Ice Fund bout in Oklahoma City, Vaughan (118) was decisioned by Gary Ward of Tulsa. (8-1, 41-1)
After winning both of his rematches, Vaughan lost his first bout of the season to the “invincible” Gary Ward of Tulsa. Vaughan, Jerry Barnes, Washie Stover, and Tommy Barron were among statewide boxers hand-selected to fight in a fundraising match in Oklahoma City. “Bantamweight Don Vaughan, star of the McAlester Boxing club and state AAU and Golden Gloves novice champion last year, will appear on the annual Oklahoma City Milk and Ice Fund benefit boxing card Tuesday evening when the state club mixes with the best of the Chicago Youth Organization.
Gary Ward, 1949. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
Vaughan is to appear in the preliminaries. His will be one of 15 supporting bouts before the Oklahoma City club tangles with Chicago. He has been chosen out of contestants from the entire state to meet Gary Ward, Tulsa’s pride and joy. Ward has captured the state title more than once and is considered invincible. Vaughan is one of the outstanding contenders in the state and the logical opponent for Ward. Vaughan was voted the outstanding novice flyweight of last year’s Golden Gloves tournament at Oklahoma City.” (MNC)
Vaughan held his own, but was decisioned by Ward. Barnes and Stover won their matches, and Barron did not end up getting a fight. Also among the card’s victors were Ward’s brother Donnie Ward, who later became a friend of Vaughan. This loss marked the beginning of a tough stretch for Vaughan that lasted the rest of the season, which saw him win far more than he lost, but had him experiencing more defeats than he had in his career. Vaughan cheerfully noted that he saw famous boxer Tony Zale at the event. He also jokingly remarked, in regards to a photo of his loss making the front page of the Daily Oklahoman, “Right on the front page, and I had to lose!”
Don Vaughan, right, nails Gary Ward in January, 1949 bout.
On 1/12, the McAlester club defeated the Muskogee club 3-2. It had been reported that Vaughan could potentially face Tim Johnson for the fourth time that season, but Vaughan ended up not appearing in the match. Johnson decisioned Vaughan’s friend Sampson Holden instead, though Johnson undoubtedly would have liked another shot at Vaughan.
When it came time for Vaughan’s two clubs to face one another, Vaughan deferred to his hometown. But not wishing to fight his Eufaula teammates any more than he wanted to fight his McAlester teammates, he settled for putting on an exhibition match with Washie Stover. Vaughan lost the decision to his training buddy, and McAlester fell to Eufaula, 5-2. Vaughan wrote that he was “fighting the best now” and that it was a “darn close fight!” Vaughan remained exclusively with the McAlester club for the remainder of the season.
“Don Vaughan, state AAU and Golden Gloves novice champion, lost a decision to national runner-up Washie Stover in a 122-pound fight. Vaughan seemed quicker with his jabs and easily danced away from the powerful Eufaula Indian’s hooks and jabs and traded blows willingly during the three-round exhibition.” (MNC)
Washie Stover, 1948.
The Eufaula Indian Journal further reported: “Don Vaughan, of McAlester, and Washie Stover, Eufaula, gave the fans the best show of the evening. Both are state championship material and it was hit and take all the way. Although Stover won 3-0 Vaughan was fighting every minute.”
47. 1/14: In 5-2 club loss to Eufaula, Vaughan (122) was decisioned in an exhibition match by Washie Stover. (1-3, Exhibitions)
48. 1/18: In 7-3 club win over Ada, Vaughan (120) TKO’d Dude Powell (115) in first period. (9-1, 42-1)
The McAlester club’s next match was against Ada, and the local press was hoping for a return to form for Vaughan, loser of his last two matches. “Don Vaughan, Oklahoma AAU and Golden Gloves novice champion, will square off with Dude Powell, tough little scrapper and outstanding featherweight of the visitor’s club. Vaughan has lost the last two fights in which he participated by decisioned. One of those, however, was an exhibition bout with Washie Stover of Eufaula, last year’s national runner-up at Chicago. [Note: Stover was actually national runner-up the year before last.]
Another top local boxer and sparring mate of Vaughan’s is Jerry Barnes, who will go through the ropes with Lee Auld, 126, of Ada. Barnes has his eye on the state novice title this year. He will be in the novice group while Vaughan, participating for his second year in state tournaments, will be considered in the open division.” (MNC)
Vaughan topped Powell, and Barnes, though eight pounds lighter than Auld, won by TKO. It was then time for the Eastern Division Golden Gloves tournament in Muskogee again, and in his own words, Vaughan was “ready and rearing.” Vaughan wrote that Barnes “wanted to get in novice”, but he clearly had too much experience. So instead, “Jerry fought 126 so we wouldn’t have to fight.”
The friends and fourteen of their McAlester teammates were training hard for the tournament.
This year, Vaughan too was placed in the more difficult open class. His sponsor was Company K, Headquarters Unit of the National Guard in McAlester. Other teammates with local sponsors were Jerry Barnes (who also entered in the open class as a bantamweight), Wallace Jefferson, and Pat Thompson (who was Tommy Barron’s primary sparring partner); these sponsors provided their boys with new trunks and robes.
49. 1/26: In semifinals match, Vaughan (118) decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville. (10-1, 43-1)
50. 1/27: In finals match, Vaughan (118) is decisioned by Washie Stover of Eufaula. (9-2, 43-2)
Only four open division fighters entered the district tournament in the flyweight class, so Vaughan was off the first two nights of the tournament. Barnes fell in the quarter finals, as did Hal Savage, but Vaughan and three teammates made it to their respective finals matches: Jerry Bob Troy, Fay Kirkpatrick, and the club’s coach, Tommy Barron. Vaughan’s perpetual foe Tim Johnson of Muskogee also made it to the finals for the flyweight class, but in the novice division.
Don Vaughan, 1948-49.
The Muskogee Phoenix reported on Vaughan’s match against Tinker: “First bouts for both boys. Vaughan is a classy looking fighter. He showed better in the first round on points. There was very little hard punching or exchanging. Vaughan’s hard straight ones were beginning to tell on Tinker midway in the second. He staggered Tinker several times with hard rights. Vaughan relentlessly pursued Tinker throughout the third round and continuing racking up telling points. The decision to Vaughan.”
In the end, only Barron left the tournament with a championship, his defeated for Perry Aunko of Bacone being called by the Daily Oklahoman a “badly beaten man.” Jerry Bob Troy lost a close decision to Johnny Grivet of Haileyville, and Kirkpatrick fell as well. Washie Stover also made it to the finals, but unfortunately, that meant he was to be Vaughan’s opponent for the flyweight open division Eastern Golden Gloves title. For the first and only time in their careers, the two would have to square off in a formal match, rather than an exhibition.
While Stover bested his protégé Vaughan, it was apparently not a popular decision. “[Barron’s fight] was not the best fight of the evening though as the 118 pound open division bracket held the spotlight. In the feature attraction of the entire tournament, Washie Stover, Eufaula’s national Golden Gloves runnerup, decisioned Don Vaughan, state novice AAU and Golden Gloves champion of last year from McAlester.
Stover and Vaughan have met in the ring many times but not under conditions such as they were last night. It was their first real fight with both boys out to win. According to the officials, Stover outpointed Vaughan in the first two rounds—not much but enough to have a slight margin when the final decision was given. During the third round, however, Vaughan opened up on the Indian with all the skill and cunningness of his ring career. Before the final bell sounded, the McAlester boxer had outclassed the older and more experienced Stover to the extent that the fans were very dissatisfied with the decision.
For several minutes after the fighters had left the ring and walked together to the dressing room, the fans remained on their feet. After the next bout began and during the rest period after its first round, they still booed and hissed.” (MNC)
Vaughan himself writes that “[never] in my fighting career have I ever seen a fight booed so much and so long.” An article within Vaughan’s clippings collections from an unidentified newspaper (likely the Muskogee Times-Democrat) went into additional details: “It was the bantamweight title which caused the crowd to boo continuously until the next fight was under way. Washie Stover, veteran Eufaula 118-pounder, won the first two rounds, outpointing Don Vaughan of McAlester.
Vaughan, a classy, clean-cut youngster, made a terrific third round rally and won the last stanza. But the earlier rounds had given Stover the fight—so did the judges, but the crowd favored the younger boy.”
The Muskogee Phoenix likewise reflected what the other publications reported: “Don Vaughan of McAlester versus Washie Stover of Eufaula. Vaughan decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville the third night, Stover decisioned Marvin Waldrup of Wagoner the third night. Neither boy landed many blows, but the points favored Stover slightly. The second round saw plenty of action, with both boys landing plenty of blows. It still looked like Stover had the edge, but Vaughan was carrying a good fight to the champion of last year. Vaughan broke fighting at the start of the third round. He was getting across more good blows, but Stover gave no ground and was still ahead in points. Stover looked a little tired in the latter part of the third round and Vaughan was evidently in better condition. The decision went to Stover. It drew the biggest and loudest boos of the night.”
Winners of the 1949 District Golden Gloves tournament, including Tommy Barron and Washie Stover. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
Some of the runners-up from the 1949 District Golden Gloves Championship; all would be participating in the upcoming state tournament. Left to right: J. W. Matoy, Eufaula lightweight; Don Vaughan, McAlester bantamweight; Floyd Mansell, Northeastern welterweight, and Ronnie Keith, Stringtown featherweight.
A fighter from Poteau named Jack Gedosh received the tournament’s sportsmanship trophy. Vaughan wrote that Gedosh was a “good friend of mine. Poorest fighter of the tournament then. Improved fast.” Pictures of the tournament’s winners and some of the runners-up, including Vaughan, were published in the Muskogee Phoenix. Vaughan wrote: “I didn’t fail to get my picture in the paper.”
Having lost three of his last five, Vaughan was looking to right the ship before turning his sights to Oklahoma City and the State Golden Gloves tournament, which he still earned a spot in despite his loss to Stover. His first round opponent was a familiar face—Tim Johnson of Muskogee. He showed that despite three losses to Vaughan, he was no slouch, securing the novice flyweight Eastern Golden Gloves title in Muskogee, though he likely should not have qualified as a novice. This mistake was rectified at the state level, where he was entered as an open division competitor.
Washie Stover, left, and Don Vaughan, prior to 1949 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves.
Joining Vaughan in Oklahoma City would be Jerry Barnes and Fay Kirkpatrick. A photo of Vaughan and Stover together was published in the Daily Oklahoman in anticipation of the state tournament; Vaughan wrote that the pair of them were “show offs.” Stover did not end up taking part in the tournament after all due to illness, and Tommy Barron bowed out for “personal reasons”. Vaughan was disappointed that Barron didn’t venture to Oklahoma City with them, writing that he was “a good guy and a good fighter. He could easily win the state if he would have went to the tournament.”
51. 2/1: In 8-3 club win over Tecumseh, Vaughan (120) decisioned Bill Roberts. (11-2, 44-2)
52. 2/7: In quarter finals Golden Gloves match, Vaughan (118) TKO’d Tim Johnson. (12-2, 45-2)
53. 2/10: In semi-finals Golden Gloves match, Vaughan (118) was decisioned by Jack McCann of Oklahoma City. (12-3, 45-3)
54. 2/21: In 9-0 club win over Bacone, Vaughan (118) decisioned Maurice Gonzales. (13-3, 46-3)
Heavyweight Kirkpatrick fell in the opening round, but Barnes and Vaughan won their first matches. Vaughan’s TKO was over Johnson was his most convincing win over him of all their matches that year. “[Vaughan] dropped Johnson in 30 seconds of the third round with a right to the heart. In the first two rounds, however, Johnson was severely battered by Vaughan’s trip-hammer left. In the third, Johnson got back on his feet but the referee called a halt to the affair.” (MNC)
The friends both fell in the semi-finals. Barnes lost a close decision to Tulsa’s Gary Ward, who decisioned Vaughan earlier in the year. Vaughan went hard against Jack McCann, “trading blow for blow” (MNC) until the third round, when the Oklahoman reports he “tired badly” and fell behind in points. Vaughan writes: “This [is] what happens to a fighter when he doesn’t watch what [he eats] during a tournament. It will never happen again.”
Jack McCann. Courtesy of Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
Vaughan had a good deal to say about McCann: “This boy beat me in semi-finals. He went on to win the state and then the National Championship. This makes him the best boy in the U. S. at his weight. He lost when America fought Europe. This was his last year in the Golden Gloves. You are only allowed four years. He was runner-up each year, and to the same guy [Ward]. A good trainer and a clean liver.”
Vaughan made recurring remarks about various players and the states of their respective livers. He clearly did not approve of players consuming alcohol; whether this was because they were underage or it effected their performances or some other reason is unclear. Vaughan called one Haileyville boxer a “dirty fighter and a sot.” He referred to a Sapulpa fighter who had a large feature article in the Daily Ardmoreite as a “dirty liver”. These comments were ironic to an extent given his warm feelings for Barron and Stover. Barron was a bartender when he wasn’t coaching or training, and apparently had a drinking habit of his own. Stover too was reportedly a drinker, and some said he could have become one of the best fighters in the nation had his drinking not held him back.
Though disappointed at his Golden Gloves defeat, Vaughan was back at it and having fun with the club against Bacone days later. “The house rang with laughter during the Don Vaughan-Maurice Gonzales fight as Vaughan toyed around in the last round. Although Bacone’s boxer started good, he soon gave in to Vaughan’s superiority and was carried through the final round of the fight.” (MNC) Vaughan wrote that he “carried [Gonzales] all three rounds. Had lots of fun.” Jerry Barnes won as well, and Jerry Bob Troy provided the night’s only KO over Sammy Nakedhead in just 35 seconds into the first round.
Don Vaughan, 1948-49.
The week before their match against Bacone, the McAlester club fell to Tecumseh 9-2. The results of that match have not yet been located. It is unknown whether Vaughan fought in that match or not. However, among his personal notes, he claims to have fought and bested Bill Roberts of Tecumseh a total of three times. He writes, “Each time, he outweighed me 6 to 10 pounds. I beat him each time.” Only results for two of those bouts have been located, so it is possible that the third decision occurred during this match, but that cannot be confirmed at this time.
The McAlester city tournament was next. Vaughan and Dude Powell of Ada were the only flyweight open division entrants. Having bested Powell previously, Vaughan believed he wouldn’t have a hard time with him in a rematch. Vaughan writes, “Powell was a state finalist at 11. I had TKO’d him sooner in the season and I thought I had an easy time. Sure got fooled.” Powell had clearly improved immensely since their first meeting and gave Vaughan a run for him his money right until the end.
“Powell exploded a glove in the local fighter’s face and sent him sprawling on the canvas.” (MNC)
Vaughan says, “Told you I got fooled. He caught me with a haymaker. I couldn’t clear my head so I couldn’t fight very good.” But he still took the decision, and it was his first “jacket”, or tournament win, of the ’48-’49 season.
55. 2/27: In finals of McAlester tournament, Vaughan (118) decisioned Dude Powell of Ada. (14-3, 47-3)
56. 3/5: In finals of Eufaula tournament, Vaughan (118) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee. (15-3, 48-3)
57. 3/11: In 8-1 club win over Sapulpa, Vaughan (125) TKO’d Rocky Briggs at 1:10 into the first round. (16-3, 49-3)
Vaughan drew a bye for the semi-finals of the Eufaula tournament, and ended up facing Tim Johnson of Muskogee for the fifth time that season in the finals. While he wasn’t TKO’d this time, Johnson fell again and Vaughan won his second tournament of the year. Vaughan identified some other tournament entrants, Johnny Ray Dusenberry of Muskogee and Arthur Tripp of Poteau, as good friends of his. He also reported that he “had a date with the queen [of the tournament] after the fight. Met a girl I am writing to in Muskogee.” So he not only had a date after the match, but ended up getting acquainted with another love interest as well—one of the benefits of being a champion boxer, apparently.
His next scheduled bout was against Billy Wilson of Sapulpa, but Vaughan writes that Wilson “didn’t come down”, so he took on Rocky Briggs instead, who he made short work of. Vaughan says, “I only weighted 119 and this boy weighed 125. He was a lot older but did not have too much fighting experience. He fought novice in California.”
In a pre-match write-up before the club was to face Sapulpa, Joe Cannon of the McAlester News-Capital referred to Vaughan as the winner of the Muskogee Golden Gloves tournament. Vaughan writes, “Sportswriter lies here. He said I won Muskogee Golden Gloves Tournament, but I lost to Stover. He did this intentionally.” Vaughan was unhappy about this, but doesn’t divulge why he believes this was an intentional error. It would seem likely that Cannon was among the crowd-members that vehemently believed Vaughan had been robbed of the win.
Vaughan was set to face Dude Powell, whom he called “my friend Powell”, for the third time that year in the club’s match against Ada, but the bout did not come off in McAlester’s 3-2 win. The club was due to face the Tecumseh club again, but would be without two of their top fighters in Vaughan and Jerry Barnes, who were set to start at the AAU tournament in Ardmore. Vaughan entered as flyweight and Barnes as a bantamweight.
Numerous previous Vaughan opponents filled the cards for the flyweight and bantamweight classes. His weight class considered particularly stacked with talent, and fighters he had previously fallen to (Tenequer) and beaten (Havenor, Morgan, Powell). Due to an excess number of fighters in the flyweight class, four of them would have to box two matches the first day for an opening round to narrow the class down by two; none of the other weight classes had to do this.
Fortune did not favor Vaughan this time, as for the first time in his career he had to fight two bouts in one day. He writes that he was “still weak from loss of weight. Had to fight twice for the first time in my life.” Luckily, he overcame these tough odds and pulled two decisions. Vaughan reports: “The boy that I beat the second fight [Havenor] did not have to fight twice. He was fresh. He is the boy I beat in the finals of the AAU the year before.”
Too many fighters in his class was not Vaughan’s only obstacle. He and Barnes apparently didn’t have a ride to Ardmore either. He writes, “We hitch-hiked over and didn’t have a coach with us.” Since they came alone, Vaughan reports that they worked each other’s corners during their respective fights.
58. 3/21: In first round AAU match, Vaughan (112) decisioned Jackie Pollett of Tulsa. (17-3, 50-3)
59. 3/21: In AAU quarterfinals match, Vaughan (112) decisioned Gene Havenor of Blackwell. (18-3, 51-3)
60. 3/22: In AAU semifinals match, Vaughan (112) decisioned Neil Stevens of Oklahoma City. (19-3, 52-3)
61. 3/23: In AAU finals, Vaughan (112) was decisioned by Bob William Tenequer of Lawton. (19-4, 52-4)
One of the main attractions of the AAU tournament this year was welterweight Donnie Ward of Tulsa, one of the state’s best fighters and older brother of Gary Ward. He and Vaughan became friends, and Vaughan considered him “one of the best in the ring.” He had won an AAU title the year before as well when Vaughan won. He would not be so fortunate this year, as he fell in the semi-finals. Vaughan writes: “My friend Ward accidentally got knocked out. A lucky punch. He was a cinch to win.” Considering it’s likely that any knockout a fighter receives would be considered by them to be an “accident”, this is an interesting assessment, but Vaughan was probably just asserting that Ward lost to a fighter he normally would have beaten, in this case Coy Hollingshead of Cameron.
Undated Don Vaughan fight. Signed by Vaughan at the bottom.
With Vaughan’s win over Stevens and Barnes’s decision over Charlie Hill of Oklahoma City, both made the finals. Vaughan writes: “Stevens is the boy that got the good write-up [prior to the match] about being one of the best boys in the 112 lb. class. He was easy and Jerry had an easy time. We worked each other’s corner.”
Unfortunately, neither walked away with a state title. Barnes lost a decision to Phil Honeycutt of Hugo. In a rematch of their Olympic tryout exhibition the year before, Vaughan faced Lawton’s Bob William Tenequer. The Daily Oklahoman reports: “Bob William Tenequer, Comanche Indian flyweight of Lawton, scored the first upset of the night when he bounced the defending champion, Don Vaughn [sic] of McAlester, for a unanimous decision. Tenequer had to come from behind to gain the nod, however, after Vaughn had rolled up a point margin with a short jabbing attack in the first round.” Vaughan states that the decision was a split one, not unanimous.
The Aggielite paper from Murray State College in Tishomingo reported that Vaughan’s loss to Tenequer was not a popular decision with the crowd. It was not well-received by Vaughan either, as it was the first and only time he openly contested the results of a losing decision. He contends, “Jerry and I both lost on [split decisions]. We [were] practically robbed. Only fight that I lost that I thought I won. Lost a trip to Boston [too] besides the robe and trunks.” Winners of this year’s tournament went on to fight in a national bout in Boston later that spring.
While their stars were at the AAU tournament, the McAlester club beat the Tecumseh club 6-5. Soon after, sponsors for 16 of the McAlester Boxing Club’s members were announced; Vaughan’s was listed as Captain Phillip Fultz of the Headquarters Company of the National Guard. The loss at the AAU marked the last known official bout for Vaughan for the ’48-’49 season. Additional matches are possible, but at this time, his known official record for the year stands at 19-4. While an excellent overall record, Vaughan was no doubt disappointed in the lack of state titles. He would, however, go on to take two additional tournaments by default.
62. Undated: In an exhibition bout for the Poteau tournament finals, Vaughan drew with Jerry Barnes. (1-3-1, Exhibitions)
63. 4/7: In an exhibition bout for the Seminole tournament finals, Vaughan was decisioned by Jerry Barnes. (1-4-1, Exhibitions)
First, Vaughan and Barnes ventured to Poteau, where their former coach J. W. Crabtree was coaching. They are not listed among the first round results and second round results have not been located, but both made it to the championship round. Neither of their opponents showed up for their bouts, so the two fought an exhibition that ended in a draw, making the pair co-champions of the tournament.
The McAlester club took on a club from Sherman, Texas supported by some Holdenville fighters and won handily 9-3. No bouts for Vaughan or Barnes were listed. According to Vaughan, Barnes developed cauliflower ear and had to have his ears “lanced” in Denison prior to the match. He further states that they went to Sherman because it was their coach Barron’s hometown, and that since neither were given bouts, they fought an exhibition against one another. They then went to Seminole for their last tournament of the year.
The Seminole Producer reported that Vaughan had won four tournament jackets that season. The ones in McAlester, Eufaula, and Poteau are known, but the paper reports that he also won a jacket in Muskogee. This may be an error (the only known tournament for Vaughan in Muskogee was when he lost the Golden Gloves district tournament) or it could be one we do not have results for at this time. It could also be similar to Joe Cannon reporting Vaughan won the District Golden Gloves when he did not.
Vaughan drew a bye for the opening round and was set to fight Gene Guinn of Eufaula yet again. But just like in Poteau, his and Barnes’s opponents were no-shows, and the pair fought another exhibition match, this time with Barnes taking a decision. Vaughan says that he and his buddy were just a couple of “show offs.” He writes, “After these series of exhibitions we knew each other’s way of fighting better than we did our own.”
The club then prepared for a final match of the season against a mixed card of selected fighters from various previous opponents. The club went on to win the majority of the bouts, including a win for Jerry Bob Troy over Johnny Cortez of Seminole, to end the season on a high note for the club. Vaughan was yet slated to fight Dude Powell of Ada, but says, “My friend Dude was to fight me again. Powell came but he wouldn’t fight me.”
And with Powell’s refusal to fight Vaughan again, ’48-’49 season for Don Vaughan had ended. Having won multiple tournaments and finished with an excellent win-loss record, it could hardly be considered a failed year. But by Vaughan’s lofty standards, and when compared to his previous and forthcoming seasons, it certainly was not as successful as he would have wished. He did not successfully defend either of his state titles from the year before, but he was no doubt looking forward to the opportunity to reclaim them.
A Return to Dominance/The 1949-50 Season
Don Vaughan, 1949.
As in the previous years, significant changes occurred within the McAlester Boxing Club in the months leading up to the 1949-1950 season. Up to this point, the club’s primary sponsor had been the McAlester Police Department. A small committee made up of local influencers had been formed a couple years previous to this to help guide, organize, and make decisions for the club itself, though its members had limited interaction with club members itself.
For this new season, the club would now be run and sponsored by the Elks Lodge. They rechristened the club as the Elks Boys Club, and among the announced inaugural members was Don Vaughan. Tommy Barron remained the club’s coach, though he seemed to be more focused on his coaching role than in juggling it with a fighting roll as much as the previous year. Former coach Harry Mannason remained the primary referee for home matches.
Just as he had in past seasons, Vaughan was focused on football for the early part of the boxing season. He trained when his football schedule allowed him to, but he did not participate in early season matches. Still on the small side for his age, Vaughan never grew into having a prototypical football physique. But what he lacked in stature, he made up for in energy, speed, and toughness. This resulted in his being named an alternate to the All-District 5-A Team that year despite not being a starter on the McAlester High School Buffaloes football team. Jerry Barnes also did not join in the club fighting until later in the season, although having graduated high school in the spring of ’49, he no longer having scheduling to contend with.
As Eufaula had struggled to field enough fighters for a full card the previous year, this year McAlester had troubles recruiting enough boxers for the club and relied on outside help when it could not fill enough weight classes. In its season-opening 5-2 loss to Tulsa, Gene Guinn of Eufaula fought with the Elks Boys Club. Guinn had been beaten by Vaughan on multiple occasions in the past, but he was now needed to fill the featherweight class slot. Tim Johnson of Muskogee, Vaughan’s opponent five times the previous year, also fought with McAlester in this first match as a lightweight, falling to Vaughan’s old for Gary Ward.
Don Vaughan, 1949.
The next club match was against Oklahoma City. The week before, four McAlester boxers went to fight on a fundraising card there, but Vaughan was not among them. Sampson Holden was the only one of the four to win. McAlester tied the Oklahoma City club on October 25th. Johnson appeared with the club again and contributed a win to the clubs’ tie.
On November 1st, Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital reported on a press release by the officials who ran the Eastern District Golden Gloves tournament. For years, boys had taken advantage of the lax enforcement of the rules governing whether fighters could participate in the tournament in the novice division or open division. These rules existed, but were not properly advertised to competitors nor fully enforced. Therefore, on numerous occasions, boys who should have been in the open division got away with fighting in the novice division against less-experienced fighters.
This press release clarified that “a novice is a boxer who has had no more than five fights in the standard weight divisions (112 pounds and above)” and “a novice may have had as many as five additional fights in the sub-standard weight divisions, but his total ring experience must not exceed 10 fights.” Further, “novice competition is limited to only one district tournament, even though the boxer may not have had his quota of fights” and “any boy who is 18 years old on January 1 of the year the district tournament is held is automatically an open-class boxer, regardless of past experience or lack of it.” Finally, “the tournament officials have the right to move a boy up to the open class if, in their opinion, he is capable to fight in that class, regardless of his past experience.”
Coaches had a significant influence in placing their fighters in their respective classes. Shrewd coaches wanting their fighters to do well did what they could in previous years to get their boys in the best position to be successful. Based on these rules as published at the end of 1949, Vaughan did not qualify as a novice when he entered the district tournament in 1948, but was able to enter.
Similarly, the next year, Tim Johnson was successfully able to enter as a novice, and Jerry Barnes attempted to enter as a novice, but was moved to the open division. These rules being made public ensured that in the future, the experience levels of entrants would be tracked and there would be no more bending of the rules. Tom McClenahan admits, “We would lie to fight in novice class for an easier go of it, but once our names were in the paper all the time, we couldn’t get away with anymore.”
Going beyond just clarifying the rules, the committee released the names of dozens of district fighters who they had already determined did not meet qualifications to enter the tournament as novices ever again. That list included all of the regular McAlester fighters, including Vaughan, Barnes, Barron, Bone, Carney, Crank, Holden, Jaggers, Jefferson, Kirkpatrick, McClenahan, Savage, Thompson, the three Troy brothers, and Williams.
Three clippings for Vaughan bouts that have not been dated were discovered among his clippings collections. Based on circumstantial evidence, it is believed they likely occurred either in the late fall/winter of 1949.
64. No date: In Poteau club match against Ft. Smith (Arkansas), Vaughan was decisioned by Jack Huddle of Ft. Smith; weight class not specified. (0-1, 52-5)
65. No date: In Ft. Smith club match against San Antonio, Vaughan (126) decisioned Tom Garza of San Antonio, Texas. (1-1, 53-5)
66. No date: In Ft. Smith club match against Wichita Falls, Vaughan (127) KO’d Johnny Bookout of Wichita Falls, Texas. (2-1, 54-5)
These clippings were placed among clippings from the 1949-50 season, so they most likely occurred in that timeframe. This assertion is supported by the weight classes in which Vaughan was fighting. Throughout Vaughan’s scrapbook, most clippings have been placed in a semi-chronological order, with only occasional sections out of order. These clippings were in a section made up of articles from early in the 1949 season.
Vaughan’s loss for the Poteau boxing club was not a popular decision, and was described by an unidentified Fort Smith newspaper: “The top bout of the evening ended in an unpopular decision. Fort Smith’s Jack Huddle was awarded the nod over Don Vaughan of Poteau after three full rounds of hard fighting. Huddle rushed out from the opening bell and pushed Vaughan though the first round, giving the Sooner AAU champ little chance to score with his left jab.
However, Vaughan came back strong in the second frame to rack up points with his left and scored several times on short rights. Vaughan opened up with his right in the third canto and was measuring his opponent for the big blow when the bell intervened.” Vaughan was a year removed from his AAU title by this time, but as the Fort Smith paper would not be fully aware of the details of Vaughan’s pedigree, this is an understandable error.
Jerry Barnes also took part in the San Antonio match, but is not listed among the results for the other two bouts. However, the clipping for the Poteau club is incomplete due to tearing. According to Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital in his Sporting Bits column, Barnes spent the fall semester of 1949 at Poteau Junior College, and while in Poteau, fought for his old coach J. W. Crabtree’s team. This would explain Vaughan’s connection to Poteau, and likely the connection to nearby Fort Smith. Barnes then took a boxing scholarship offer from Murray State in Tishomingo as a second semester freshman, and went back to boxing for the McAlester club as often as his schedule allowed.
Crabtree was a well-connected person in boxing circles throughout Oklahoma and western Arkansas, so it is likely through his connections that Barnes and Vaughan were brought in by the Fort Smith club to fill some weight classes for them. Crabtree would later coach the Ft. Smith club team himself.
Vaughan took another early-season loss while fighting for the Poteau club against a club from Springfield, MO. According to the Springfield News-Leader on 21 Dec 1949, Vaughan was decisioned in the 133-pound class by Jimmy Campbell in a match that Poteau ultimately won.
67. 12/20: In Poteau club match against Springfield (Missouri), Vaughan (133) was decisioned by Jimmy Campbell. (2-2, 55-6)
The McAlester Elks Boys Club final got its first win of the year over Shawnee on November 3rd, 10-1. But that was followed by an 8-3 loss to Oklahoma City. With the club record at 1-2-1, McAlester could use some extra firepower, and at last they would get some with the returns of Vaughan and Barnes. Both were set to make their debuts against Muskogee on November 22nd. Barron, too, was expected to step into the ring for the first time that season to help the club get another much-needed win. Johnson would be back with his hometown club for this match.
Vaughan was expected to take on David Millsap, a 132-pounder out of Muskogee, but for whatever reason, the fight did not come off. For reasons unknown, Millsap fought McAlester’s Tony Mauricio instead, who bested him. Barnes too did not end up getting a bout, but McAlester was able to pull off a win anyway, 9-4. The club was next set to oppose the club from Clinton, but they were unable to attend the match due to bad weather and car trouble.
The club suffered another 4-3 loss to Clarksville, Arkansas on December 16th. Vaughan was an anticipated participant in the club’s match against Muskogee on December 22nd, but again he did not draw a card in the 3-3 tie. Barnes made his debut with a win over Tim Johnson against Muskogee, but this was by far the deepest into the season the club had ever gone without a bout for Vaughan. Finally, Vaughan would get his chance in the club’s last fight of 1949. His debut saw him returning to the featherweight class.
68. 12/27: In 5-2 club win over Clarksville, Vaughan (131) decisioned Jack Dempsey Pearson (129). (3-2, 55-6)
69. 1/10: In Milk and Ice Fund card, Vaughan (126) TKO’d Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City. (4-2, 56-6)
70. 1/12: In mixed card bout, Vaughan (126) is decisioned by Gary Ward of Tulsa. (4-3, 56-7)
Vaughan’s win over Pearson was a solid one. “In the final fight, Don Vaughan, 131-pound McAlester champion, took a unanimous decision over Jack Dempsey Pearson, 129 pounds, Clarksville. Vaughan landed lots of hard blows and had Pearson down twice. Vaughan won all three rounds on each judge’s card. He was on the verge of scoring a knockout over Pearson as the bell sounded, ending the fight.” (MNC)
Jerry Barnes drew the toughest card of the night in the Milk and Ice Fund bout in Oklahoma City. His opponent was Jack Corvino of the Chicago Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Corvino brought with him a 34-5 record, and despite his best efforts, Barnes hit the canvas once in the first round and twice in the second before being knocked out.
Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City was a highly-touted state prospect and widely favored in his bout against Vaughan. Instead, he ended up being TKO’d for the first time in his career. The Daily Oklahoman wrote, “Don Vaughan of McAlester ended the Elks [of OKC] run in a hurry when he stopped Glen Goodwin, Elks 126-pounder, in just 50 seconds of the opening stanza. Vaughan caught Goodwin high on the cheek with a terrific right hook to deck his foe. Goodwin climbed up at nine glassy-eyed but was allowed to continue after referee John Miskovsky gave him a good looking over. Then as Vaughan moved in again, Miskovsky saw Goodwin was in no condition to defend himself and stopped the fight.”
A profile of Goodwin on January 18th, 1950 in the Daily Oklahoman titled “A Hard Luck Glover”, reported that he had been fighting since 1946 when he took the Oklahoma City novice tournament flyweight title, and had been a regular Golden Glove contender and city favorite ever since. A 20-year-old, left-handed National Guardsman, he’d had bad luck in championship tournaments the last couple of years but was adamant that 1950 would be his year. His fight against Vaughan was the first time in dozens of fights he had ever even been knocked down, according to the article.
“On his last inter-city outing, in a preliminary bout on the recent Chicago CYO card here, Goodwin experienced something new. He was knocked down for the first time in his career when he moved in carelessly [in] the first round against Don Vaughn [sic] of McAlester. Vaughn tagged him with a left hook and the bout had to be stopped before it as a minute old.” Sampson Holden won his bout in Oklahoma City as well.
Unfortunately, Vaughan got a hard luck early season loss to his foe of the previous year, Gary Ward of Tulsa. In a mixed card bout featuring fighters from Tulsa, McAlester, and Muskogee, among others, Barnes got himself a win while Vaughan and Holden both took their first losses of the year.
“More than 700 fans witnessed 16 top notch ring battles at the City Hall auditorium here Thursday night in a seven-city Golden Gloves warm-up which provided plenty of action. The bout which had been billed as the feature fight of the evening—pitting Gary Ward of Tulsa against Don Vaughan of McAlester in the 126-pound class—was all that could be desired. Ward gained the decision, but only after Vaughan staged a strong finish and got plenty of good punches in the final round.” (MNC)
The Daily Oklahoman called it “the roughest scrap of the card with Ward taking a decision on the strength of two good rounds before Vaughan made a great comeback in the third.” The Muskogee Phoenix did a large write up on the bout: “The fight of the night was a featherweight scrap between Don Vaughan, blond McAlester battler, and Gary Ward, another Tulsa star. These are two of the best boys who ever appeared here and they staged definitely one of the finest fights ever seen in the City Hall ring. Ward, brilliant stylist and sharp-punching state champion, took the first two stanzas with a clever attack and a good defense.
In the second Ward began punching Vaughan with a number of hard rights and lefts and piled up a wide margin. When the bell rang for the third, Vaughan, knowing he was behind, came out slugging and the entire last round was a bitter slugfest with both boys pounding hard and often. Vaughan captured the last round and won the fans’ acclaim, but Ward’s margin was too great to overcome and the decision went to the Tulsa boy, even though it got a few boos from the crowd.”
Ward was clearly a formidable foe who could end up directly in Vaughan’s path to another state championship. His 2010 obituary in the Tulsa World reports that he compiled a record of 92-9 in all his years boxing, including Golden Gloves and AAU championships and numerous bouts while serving in the U. S. Navy. He may have been the most skilled fighter Vaughan faced in his career, with the possible exception of Washie Stover.
Next up was Vaughan’s third entrance into the Eastern District Golden Gloves Tournament in Muskogee. In the open division once again, Vaughan’s weight class was filled with numerous top-flight talents. Four teammates would be joining him in Muskogee: DueWayne Headley, Sampson Holden, Fay Kirkpatrick, and of course, Jerry Barnes. Once again, in working to avoid fighting each other, Vaughan and Barnes planned to fight in different weight classes, with Barnes as a bantamweight and Vaughan as a featherweight. Headley too was a bantamweight, but entered in the novice division while the experienced Barnes was in the open division.
The Muskogee Phoenix published a write-up on the McAlester Boxing Club in the days leading up to the District tournament. “Although the roster of the McAlester Boxing Club’s entrants in the 1949 Golden Gloves is not yet complete, Coach Tommy Barron will sign up at least 12 boys. The McAlester club, a joint project of that city’s police department and American Legion post, is perhaps the most active gloves group in the district. During this season and last they have not allowed a single week to go by without having either a team match at home or on the road or participating in a tournament.
Barron, a young Texan who moved to McAlester late last year and is a laboratory technician, heads his club’s list of boxers. Barron, open-class middleweight, was Texas Golden Gloves open class 160-pound kingpin in 1947 and was runner-up last year, suffering a cut eye in the finals at Fort Worth. Heaviest boy on the list is Novice Heavyweight Fay Kirkpatrick, a rough fighter seeing his first season in the ring.
Pat Thompson will enter as a novice middleweight and Wayne Jaggers will represent the club in the open-division 147-pound class. Jaggers, who was district open-class featherweight runner-up last year when he represented Haileyville, has moved to McAlester and has appeared several times during the season for the club. Wallace Jefferson, hard-hitting slugger, will compete as an open-class lightweight and two novice 126-pounders will carry the McAlester banner. They are Kenneth Bone and Charlie Meyers.
Bantamweights Don Vaughan and Jerry Barnes will enter the tournament. Vaughan last year took a complete sweep of honors as a novice, winning here as a flyweight, repeating for the state novice 112-pound crown at Oklahoma City and later scaling down to 105 pounds to be state AAU junior flyweight champ at Anadarko. Novice Flyweight Gene Hawkins is the lightest boy in the standard classes whom Barron will bring to Muskogee.
The list of smaller boys who will fight for McAlester in the junior weights is incomplete but Barron will definitely enter two—Charles Allen at 100 pounds and classy little Buster Bone at 85 pounds.”
Far fewer McAlester boxers ended up entering the district tournament this year than in previous years, and Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital offered an explanation and his reasoning for McAlester holding their own district championships separate from Muskogee’s. He writes:
“McAlester’s definite need for a district Golden Gloves tournament has become evident. In the first place, the district tourney at Muskogee has become too crowded. There were 21 fights Monday night and 24 more are scheduled for tonight.
Another thing, McAlester’s boxers don’t appear too popular in Muskogee fight circles. This is indicated, according to Tommy Barron, McAlester coach, by the way the McAlester boys are shoved around. An example of this came this year, when a number of McAlester boxers refused to enter the tournament at Muskogee. They didn’t like the way they have been treated up there, said Barron.
Decisions in some of the fights just didn’t seem right to most of them. Sampson Holden, smooth fighting 135-pound Indian, lost by a decision Monday night. We didn’t see the fight, but reports are that Holden should have been given the decision. The decision went to a Bacone college, Muskogee fighter.”
This may have been a reference to Vaughan’s losing decision to Stover the year before. German’s colleague Joe Cannon appears to have felt that way, so it is possible German and Vaughan’s teammates similarly felt that fights were being unfairly awarded to non-McAlester fighters. Vaughan did not have any comments on German’s assertions, but in defiance of these sentiments, Vaughan would go on to take decisions over Millsap of Muskogee and McIntosh of Bacone, the latter of these being considered an unpopular decision. Jerry Barnes also took victories over a pair of Bacone fighters.
71. 1/23: In opening round match, Vaughan (126) decisioned David Millsap of Muskogee. (5-3, 57-7)
72. 1/25: In semifinals match, Vaughan (126) decisioned John McIntosh of Bacone. (6-3, 58-7)
73. 1/30: In finals match, Vaughan (126) decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville. (7-3, 59-7)
Headley and Kirkpatrick were withdrawn from the tournament for undisclosed reasons, and as reported by German, Holden fell in the opening round, while Vaughan took a hard-fought win over Millsap after “three rounds of hard punching”, per the Daily Oklahoman. His friend Tim Johnson also won, but was now fighting as a lightweight. Johnson then fell in his semifinals bout, and as he was the last remaining champion of the previous year’s tournament, there were to be no repeat champs this year. Barnes drew a first round bye, and then “flattened” Walter Shirley of Bacone for a spot in the finals.
The Muskogee Phoenix anticipated a “beautiful fight” from Vaughan and McIntosh in the semi-finals, as “both are outstanding glovers operating with different styles. McIntosh is perhaps a rougher boy buy Vaughan is always a smooth item in the ring.” Vaughan’s decision over McIntosh was a close call for him. An unidentified newspaper among Vaughan’s clippings (like the Muskogee Times-Democrat) reported that Vaughan “took a clear decision over John McIntosh of Bacone although a game rally in the third round swayed many of the fans to McIntosh’s favor.”
Per an article headlined “Vaughan Wins At Muskogee” in the Daily Oklahoman: “Don Vaughan of McAlester carried the fight all the way to a game but less effective opponent, John McIntosh of Bacone, who went down for the count of eight in the second round from a powerful right swing to the side of the head.
McIntosh fought hard all the way and landed frequently, but the punches of Vaughan carried too much power and landed too often for the Indian to gain any headway on the points necessary for victory. The two were battling furiously at the bell after Vaughan had waded in with a series of rights and lefts in the final seconds that cooled the heart of McIntosh.”
The Muskogee Phoenix went into greater detail, and illustrated that though the crowd was displeased with the decision, the judges at Muskogee made what they felt was a fair call, even over a local fighter, in contradiction to German’s assertion of hometown favoritism in Muskogee. “The excitement was at high pitch when Don Vaughan, blond McAlester boy, and John McIntosh stepped out from their corners in an open-division featherweight final. The first round was a fairly even scrap with Vaughan showing more class and a better attack. McIntosh was no slouch, however, and he was dishing it out as well as taking it. Vaughan took the first stanza on points.
McIntosh came out strong for the second and made a good beginning, but Vaughan was still too sharp for him and he decked McIntosh before the round was half over. The Bacone boy returned to the fray but stopped another good series of blows, lashing out wildly himself. Vaughan kept the upper hand and it was a telling right, one after another. McIntosh was badly spent but he wouldn’t quit. Just at the end of the round Vaughan contacted with a sharp right.
The crowd was tense as the last round opened. Both boys came out determined it shouldn’t go the distance. They mixed it up more in the infighting and McIntosh staggered Vaughan once early and the crowd went wild. McIntosh made a good rally in the round and clipped the McAlester boy hard repeatedly but Vaughan still held the advantage. Vaughan was badly tiring but he still kept his punishing right in the fight. The crowd booed the decision but it was deservedly Vaughan’s and it wasn’t even too close.”
Unlike his first two matches, Vaughan’s finals bout proved to be cinch for him, as the Daily Oklahoman reports he “thumped” his opponent Tinker. It was Barnes’s turn for a close call, as the Oklahoman reports he “barely beat” Judson Iglesias of Bacone. After these victories, the pair would have just a week to prepare for the State Golden Gloves tournament.
In the lead up to the tournament, the Daily Oklahoman reported that Vaughan’s featherweight class was “loaded”: “The Golden Glover who succeeds Dunnie Blumenthal to the featherweight crown in the fifteenth annual Oklahoma state tournament here next week will be plenty busy. For one thing, he’ll have more bouts to win the title than any of the other 1950 champions. The 126-pound division is bulging with 22 entries, which means two bouts the first night and one every night thereafter in the five-day meet. Looking at it from another angle, that division is packed with more potential champions than any other and you can bet your boots that Oklahoma won’t be embarrassed by its 1950 featherweight king in the Tournament of Champions in Chicago later this month.”
A list of previous years’ champions showed that Oklahoma City area fighters had taken the featherweight title nearly every year since the tournament’s inception, including seven of the last eight years. Bill Carter of the University of Oklahoma, Glenn Goodwin of Oklahoma City, Dewitt Adkins of Cameron, Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa, and Clark Self of Hugo were named among the top contenders for the crown. The Oklahoman article continued: “And of course there’s Don Vaughn [sic] of McAlester, who needed only 50 seconds to stop Goodwin on the final inter-city card of the campaign here a month ago.
Vaughn, one of the state AAU kinds last year [note: two years ago], is a well-balanced combination of puncher and boxer who got his start in the state meet of 1948 when he won the outstanding novice award. He’s about as classy as they come and with the finesse he’s got a punch in either hand. A righthander, he used only one punch to send Goodwin to the canvas for the first time in his life and that was a left hook.”
Prior to the beginning of the state tournament, Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital did write-ups on Barnes, Vaughan, and other Pittsburg County boys who would be entering. He reported that Barnes had enrolled at Bacone after a semester at Poteau Junior College, where he had been fighting for his former coach J. W. Crabtree’s club. This was an error, however, as Barnes had enrolled at Murray State College in Tishimingo. He writes, “Barnes and the boy he beat in the district finals will represent the Muskogee district in the state tournament next week. Judson Iglesias, Bacone, also will be eligible for competition in the state tourney. Runnerups for district title may participate in state competition.
Although Barnes has entered Bacone [sic], he will fight as a McAlester boxer in the state tournament. He won the district title as a member of the McAlester Elks Boys club boxing team. Don Vaughan, McAlester’s 126-pound district champion will be joined in the state tournament by two boys he beat on his way to the crown at Muskogee [McIntosh and Tinker]. … Vaughan is expected to go a long way in the state tournament this year. He will be one of the favorites.” Other locals mentioned include Clyde Monroe, Jerry Sartin, Kenneth Luker, and Guy Luker, all of Haileyville.
“A record field of 185 is expected to compete in the novice and open divisions with the winners in the open class gaining trips to the tournament of champions in Chicago. Four defending champions are back this year… [Including] Bantamweight Gary Ward, Tulsa, who won the 112 pound class last year.” (MNC) All but one of the fighters Vaughan would face in the tournament were among the Oklahoman’s aforementioned list of top contenders, starting with Sapulpa’s Powsheik.
74. In opening round, Vaughan (126) decisioned Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa. (8-3, 60-7)
75. In quarter finals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City. (9-3, 61-7)
76. In semifinals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville. (10-3, 62-7)
77. In finals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Clark Self of Hugo. (11-3, 63-7)
Barnes fell in the opening round in a split decision to Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City, who went on to take the state title in an upset of Gary Ward. Vaughan took a close decision over Powsheik. Per the Daily Oklahoman: “Don Vaughan of McAlester, a good counter-puncher who both gave and took some jolting blows to the head, but came off best despite a reluctance to step back out of clinches, got a unanimous decision over Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa. Both had good left jabs, and it was close.”
Goodwin was bested by Vaughan for the second time of the season, but the decision was a controversial one. The Daily Oklahoman reported: “In one of the most hotly contested duels of the night, Don Vaughan, McAlester, shaded the Elks’ Glen Goodwin to join Adkins, Self, and Tinker in the 126-pound semifinals. It was touch and go all the way with little to choose between the pair the first two rounds. Vaughan, who scored a quick knockout over Goodwin on the recent Chicago CYO card here, moved ahead in the third round as referee Red Andrews often had to break them from clinches. Hard right crosses to Goodwin’s head were Vaughan’s best punches.”
Hugh German, for one, was very impressed with Vaughan’s performance in the tournament thus far. “We’re not counting our chickens before they hatch, but it looks like Don Vaughan, McAlester 126-pounder will be in the finals of this year’s state Golden Gloves tournament. Vaughan is matched against Dean Tinker, Haileyville, in tonight’s semi-finals. Tinker, you remember, is the boy Vaughan decisioned easily in the finals of the Muskogee district Golden Gloves tourney. Unless something unforeseen happens, Vaughan should turn in a repeat performance over Tinker. In the other semi-finals fight tonight are Dewitt Adkins, Cameron Aggies (Lawton) and Clark Self, Hugo. We don’t know anything about these boys, so we aren’t attempting to predict a state title for Vaughan—yet.”
He did indeed defeat Tinker again in what the Daily Oklahoman called a “tough scrap”. Hugh German lost any doubt he had of Vaughan’s chances for the title. “[Vaughan] won over Dean Tinker, Haileyville, in Thursday night’s finals. This is the same boy he decisioned in the Muskogee district finals. We don’t know anything about Clark Self of Hugo, Vaughan’s finals opponent. But rumors have it that he’s pretty good. However, it looks like a state title for Don Vaughan from here.”
In reaching Vaughan in the finals, Clark Self bested Homer Blackburn of Ft. Sill, former Vaughan opponent John McIntosh of Bacone, and Dewitt Adkins of Cameron, and so proved himself an able fighter in his own right. The Oklahoman reported on the pair: “Vaughan, voted as the outstanding novice prospect here two years ago, will tackle Clark Self of Hugo in the 126-pound class. Self is also a former novice ruler and he’s a terrific in-fighter.” Among the other state finalists in other weight classes were former Vaughan opponents Gene Morgan and Gary Ward.
Both Morgan and Ward would fall in their championship match-ups, but not Vaughan. This gave the group of Eastern District Champions out of Muskogee the team title as well, marking the first time in the previous five years that any district other than Oklahoma City had done so. The other Muskogee champ was Guy Luker of Northeastern State College, who decisioned his own brother, Kenneth Luker of Haileyville. Their brother Levi Luker fought with the McAlester club during this season.
The Seminole Producer detailed the brothers’ entertaining bout, stating it was a “hard-fought battle that was mixed with a little comedy”. The brothers went to the “other” Luker’s corner in between rounds, giving the crowd a good chuckle, but ultimately Guy gave his brother a bloody mouth and took the win. They reported that Vaughan “battered” Self in his victory, and that Ward was upset by Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City, younger brother of former national champion Virgil Franklin.
“Vaughan and Self fought a slow fight all the way, with Vaughan landing most of the punches. Vaughan floored Self for the count of nine early in the second round for the only knockdown of the bout. It was Vaughan’s third state title since he started his boxing career with the McAlester Boxing club. … The final bouts were fought before 4,500 persons.” (MNC)
The Daily Oklahoman reported: “Vaughan clinched the team trophy for the eastern crew by beating Clark Self of Hugo for the weatherweight title. Vaughan was the state’s outstanding novice two years ago and he looked plenty good Tuesday night. He outboxes Self all the way and floored the Huge puncher in the second round with an overhand right, almost straight on the button.”
The Muskogee Phoenix also covered Vaughan’s title win, writing: “Only one win in the finals was necessary for the Muskogee District to annex the trophy, which was presented to NSC athletic director D. M. Wadley in ceremonies after the fights. Since Vaughan was the first district champion to appear in the open-class finals, it fell to his lot to supply the clincher, which he did with a clear-cut decision over Self, a rough Hugo boy who can’t seem to fight without using his head and shoulders and elbows. It wasn’t one of the blond McAlester boy’s best appearances but it was more than sufficient to gain the nod over Self.”
German again professed his admiration for Vaughan, writing that “in addition to his ability to box, he has an outstanding character and as far as sportsmanship is concerned, he’s tops.” He also expressed admiration for Jerry Barnes, who lost a split decision to eventual state champion Franklin, a decision reportedly inspired boos from the crowd. German wrote, “Like Vaughan, [Barnes] is a swell fellow. He is a good boxer, a boy of good character, and a fighter who regards sportsmanship as No. 1 in the fight game.”
Vaughan would have a couple weeks’ respite before heading to Chicago with the other Golden Gloves state champs to fight their Illinois counterparts. In the meantime, Jerry Barnes made it to the semifinals of the state AAU tournament in the bantamweight class before being decisioned by Orville Neconie of Anadarko. Clark Self moved up to the lightweight class for said tournament, and ended up winning the state AAU title for the class, making Vaughan’s win over him the week before all the more impressive.
There was a lot of statewide press coverage of Vaughan’s upcoming bout. He was joined by some of the other best fighters in Oklahoma and would be up against the most top-flight competition he had yet faced. He was paired against Nicki Kuzma, a featherweight fighter from Cleveland. Kuzma was orphaned at the age of two and schooled in Boys Town, Nebraska, where he became a stud football player for the team at the famed school there. He relocated to Pennsylvania, where he before turned to boxing; he won a state Golden Gloves in Pennsylvania in 1948 before moving to Youngstown, Ohio, where his boxing career moved to the national stage. He later became a semi-professional golfer as well.
78. 2/27: In National Golden Gloves match, Vaughan (126) was decisioned by Nick Kuzma of Cleveland, Ohio. (11-4, 63-8)
“Chicago - In one of the opening sessions’ best bouts, [Nick] Kuzma of Cleveland won a close decision from Don Vaughan, representing the Oklahoma City squad, in a 126-pound Golden Gloves scrap here Monday night. Kuzma, a persistent southpaw, was the sharper puncher throughout although Vaughan fought ferociously in spots. Both rangy and well-built, the two lads mixed it from start to finish. Vaughan, from McAlester, Okla., took Kuzma’s best blows without yielding ground, but was unable to stage a sustained offensive of his own.
Kuzma was bleeding slightly from the nose when the bout ended. Vaughan rolled up a good margin in the first rounds of his fight and held a slim edge in the second. Then in the third heat, Referee Jabber Young warned Vaughan for hitting on the break and near the end the Oklahoman was in bad shape and low on steam. Vaughan had trouble solving Kuzma’s left-handed stance at the outset, but came strong at the finish of the initial round, landing a whistling left that shook Kuzma. After that, Kuzma was more cautious but continued to build up points with his straight punching.” (MNC)
In the meantime, the McAlester city tournament was wrapping up by the time Vaughan was home from Chicago. Barnes won for the featherweight class, and an impression was made on the club as a whole by an Ada fighter by the name of Willie Harjo. He was a Seminole boy fighting with the Ada club who won the lightweight class in the city tournament, taking down Vaughan’s teammate Kenneth Bone by KO, but not without a warning from referee Mannason for rabbit punching.
Vaughan’s teammates wanted their best fighter have a go at Harjo, so a special bout for the two was arranged for the Seminole tournament. Vaughan was decisioned in the bout, but it was a very controversial match.
79. 3/8: In special bout in Seminole, Vaughan (135) was decisioned by Willie Harjo of Ada. (11-5, 63-9)
Vaughan, who was typically on the lower part of the spectrum for featherweights, opted to go up a class to lightweight in order to have a shot at Harjo. The Seminole Producer reported: “In the night’s most exciting match, Seminole’s Willie Harjo took a close decision from Don Vaughan [sic], McAlester, in a 135-pound scrap. Harjo piled up points during the first two hears but Vaughn came back strong in the final round to make a real contest out of it.”
Calling it a “close decision” did not cut it for local McAlester sportswriter Hugh German. In his column Sporting Bits, he wrote: “McAlester’s Don Vaughan apparently has been the victim of one of those “home town” decisions. Vaughan, so the judges say, lost a decision to William Harjo, Seminole, in the Seminole Boxing tournament Wednesday night. It was a 135 pound open class fight. Vaughan tipped the scales at only 129 pounds.
Apparently it is easy to see the good points of a home town boxer. And it’s just as easy to see the faults of his opponent. We’re not saying there was anything crooked over at Seminole. We just can’t see the decision that Vaughan got. The first round was closely fought and could have been judged either way. Vaughan was on top at the end of slugging in the second round and walked off easily with the third round. There was no announcement as to whether or not the decision was a split one. But we think it was.
Harjo fought and won a championship in the McAlester boxing tournament earlier this month. He defeated Jerry Sartin of Haileyville in the finals. We didn’t agree with Harjo’s decision over Sartin. And, Sartin evened things up by winning over Harjo in bouts at Haileyville this week. Vaughan is state Golden Gloves champion, 126 pound class. He whipped tougher boxers than Harjo to take the state crown. The McAlester boxer believes he whipped Harjo at Seminole Wednesday night. So does Coach Tommy Barron.
Barron has arranged a match with Seminole for Tuesday night, March 21, at the American Legion building here. And Vaughan and Harjo are scheduled to meet in one of the bouts. This fight should be the telling one. It’s our belief that Vaughan will “beat the tar” out of Harjo. We’ve seen both boys fight and know which is the better of the two. Vaughan should win easily over Harjo in fights here Tuesday night, March 21.”
Tom McClenahan explains that most matches had two judges who would score a boxer, with the winner typically scoring 20. Sometimes a third judge was there to act as a tie-breaker. Other times, the referee would cast the tie-breaking vote. When questioned about the prevalence of unfair decisions by referees and/or judges in favor of “home town” boys, both Jerry Bob Troy and McClenahan were quick to say that was not something they had direct knowledge of or experiences with.
Troy recalled some questionable circumstances surrounding an exhibition bout between two McAlester teammates once, but did not think it was common for favoritism to rear its head in club boxing very often. However, Troy had great respect for Hugh German and his ability to be an objective sportswriter. He was adamant that if German questioned the validity of a decision like the one for Harjo over Vaughan, he would considerate German’s assessment to be a fair and accurate one.
There was a fair amount of hype surrounding the coming rematch. “Among the visiting fighters will be William Harjo, 130 pounds, and his scrap with Don Vaughan, state Golden Gloves champ, will be a highlight of the evening. The two boys got together for a lightning-fast exhibition up at Seminole sometime [sic] ago with Harjo running off with the decision. Vaughan insists it’s be different this time.” (MNC)
Perhaps Harjo realized German was right and that Vaughan was due to “beat the tar out of him”. Maybe he realized that he benefited from an unfair decision and was not keen to face a state champ determined to prove those judges wrong. As recently as the night before the match (3/20) the paper still had Vaughan set to battle Harjo, who was clearly amped to avenge the “razor-edged” decision.
But Harjo apparently backed out that day or early the next because on the day of the match, the paper reported that he would “not be present” for his scheduled bout against Vaughan. “William Harjo, 130-pounder from Seminole, who was to fight for the team from that city against McAlester, won’t be present. But—in his place will be Clark Self of Hugo, state AAU champion this year at 130 pounds. Self will battle Don Vaughan of McAlester, 126-pound Golden Glove champion.
The yearning for revenge will prompt the Hugo fighter to hit with all his power, for Vaughan defeated Self in the Golden Gloves finals. Vaughan, incidentally, did not participate in the AAU bouts. Harjo, who edged Vaughan at Seminole some days back, is reported ill and therefore not in the best condition.” (MNC)
Self’s victory at the AAU prevented Vaughan from being considered an undisputed state champion as he was in 1948, so this could be considered an opportunity for both boys to assert their dominance for 1950 once and for all in the flexed featherweight-to-lightweight classes, in which both boys had fought during the season. Jerry Barnes was due to fight Willie Harjo’s brother, Cecil, but perhaps he also intimidated at the prospect of facing McAlester’s other star boxer as his brother may have been, because he “couldn’t show up either”, according to the News-Capital. Instead, Barnes would fight James Brannum of Holdenville again, who he’d already bested in the McAlester city tournament just a few weeks prior. This match against Seminole was billed as the last of the season for the McAlester club.
80. 3/21: In 5-4 club win over Seminole, Vaughan (136) decisioned Clark Self of Hugo. (12-5, 64-9)
The McAlester club ended their season with a victory, highlighted by wins from Vaughan, Barnes, Barron, Sampson Holden, and Tommy Simms (80 lbs.) This victory seems to, at least unofficially, crown Vaughan the sole state champion for his weight class, having bested the Self twice during the season. So while not on the books as an official AAU champion, in defeating AAU camp Self multiple times that year, Vaughan could be considered the undisputed champ.
Despite the club’s season drawing to a close, several McAlester fighters ventured to Panama, Oklahoma in the coming days for their city tournament, with Simms and Vaughan winning championships.
81. 3/24: In finals of Panama tournament, Vaughan (135) decisioned Tony Kerbow of Poteau. (13-5, 65-9)
Vaughan kept hundreds of clippings from his boxing days, and his collection ends with his victory in Panama. However, Vaughan did not date or source his clippings, so while the vast majority of them have been painstakingly sought after and discovered in their respective publications, some additional fights have been found that cannot be dated at this time. And with the win in Panama, it appears Vaughan’s amateur career in Oklahoma more or less came to a close. While he continued boxing in the army, little is known about his career during that time. At this level, he went out with a bang and should be considered among Oklahoma’s very best fighters of that generation.
Throughout his career, numerous sports writers had glowing things to say about Vaughan as a boxer. But there is just as much evidence of Vaughan being as good a person as he was a fighter. Tom McClenahan, against whom Vaughan fought his very first match, remembers him as a “remarkable person.” Kind, humble, and hard-working.
Jerry Bob Troy credits Vaughan as being one of the main people that taught him to box. He also remembers him as a kind person, always willing to help the other club members, and part of the heart and soul of the McAlester Boxing Club. He told me, “You should be very proud to be his grandson.”
And I am. While he didn’t teach me to box, he taught me countless other things. He was as loving a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as anyone could hope for. Playful, easy to laugh, and one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, he will always be an indescribably important part of my being. I will always aspire to be as great a person as he was.
Vaughan’s Final Record & Additional Fights
The total records for Vaughan’s fights with known results comes to 65-9 in official matches and 1-5-1 in exhibition matches, which were primarily against his close friends Tom McClenahan, Jerry Barnes, and Washie Stover.
This 65-9 record is almost certainly incomplete. He most likely had anywhere from an addition 12 to 20 bouts throughout his career in Oklahoma. This does not include fights he took part in with the 45th Infantry Division team while in the military; none of his results for those fights are known at this time, but would have occurred from 1950-1952. There are fifteen instances where there is evidence of bouts having occurred in which Vaughan may have participated but is not clear. There could also still be additional bouts of which there is no current evidence.
Therefore, his record should have a disclaimer that several match results are currently unaccounted for. Results of these matches will be actively sought out in the future, but as of April, 2020, results for 79 official matches and exhibitions have been acquired.
Matches that Vaughan may have participated in include:
1. 1947: Vaughan reports in 1948 having beaten Bobby Chitwood three times; evidence of only two of those victories in 1948 have been found. If he fought Chitwood a third time, it was likely in his inaugural season.
2. 1947: An undated clipping from the 1946-47 season have Vaughan due to face a Fred Jones, but the results of that bout have not been found, if the fight occurred at all.
3. 1947: Vaughan won the McAlester city tournament, but only his first round results are known. His opponent in the finals and semi-finals (if he fought three times in the tournament and not just twice) is not known, and results are not added to his total unless the name of his opponent is identified. Winners were announced on June 4th.
4. 1947: McAlester club lost to Ada club 7-4, but individual match results unknown.
5. 1947: McAlester club lost to Muskogee club 9-6, but individual match results unknown.
6. 1947: McAlester club drew with Stuart club 8-8, but individual match results unknown.
7. 1947: McAlester club defeated Eufaula club 3-1, but individual match results unknown.
8. 1947: In Apr 1948, Vaughan states his win over Guinn was his third time beating him; only two victories over Guinn have been documented, indicating at some point prior to then, Vaughan had beaten Guinn a third time, most likely in 1947.
9. Jun 1947: McAlester club members supplemented the Stuart squad in a match against the Wagoner club; Wagoner won 9-3, but individual match results unknown.
10. Before Dec 1948: Photograph of Vaughan in robes belonging to the St. Louis West End Lions Club indicates he fought at least one bout in St. Louis during the ’48-’49 season, but results of that bout have not been found. His picture in the robes was first published in the McAlester News-Capital on 7 Dec 1948, so fight occurred before then.
11. 1949: Additional matches with Coach Crabtree’s Poteau club are possible.
12. 1949: Additional matches with the Ft. Smith club are possible.
13. 1949: McAlester club lost to Tecumseh club 9-2, but individual match results unknown.
14. 1949: Vaughan self-reported beating Bill Roberts of Tecumseh a total of three times in his career, but evidence has only been found for two of those instances. If the third victory was not in the aforementioned 9-2 club loss to Tecumseh in 1949, it occurred another time, possibly in the 1947 season.
15. 1949: Seminole paper reported prior to its city tournament that Vaughan had won four tournaments that year, including in Muskogee. Results for that Muskogee tournament have not been located.
16. 1949: Vaughan and Jerry Barnes drew for the championship of the Poteau city tournament. Results for earlier rounds of that tournament have not been located.
17. 1950: Vaughan won Panama invitational, but results for earlier rounds have not been located.
He may not have additional bouts in all of these instances. It is probable that approximately 12 matches will ultimately be added to his record over time. Based on what we know of his career-long success, a fair estimate of the results of these 12 unknown match results would be an estimated record of about 10-2. That would mean his final amateur boxing record was probably somewhere around 75-10 or so. As time goes on, it will be determined if this estimate is correct.
Jerry Barnes
Jerry Barnes was my grandfather’s best friend and another stellar member of the McAlester Boxing Club. In fact, Tom McClenahan believes Jerry was the best fighter in the club during his time there (’47-’48), while he asserts Vaughan went on to become the best fighter McAlester ever had.
Vaughan himself seemed to share this sentiment. “Although Jerry has never won a state title, he is just as good as me. If he had had as many fights as me, he would be better [than me].”
The McAlester News-Capital also recognized Barnes as the club’s best fighter early on. Prior to his second non-local fight of the ’47-’48 season, the paper wrote: “Jerry Barnes, McAlester’s 118-pound whirlwind of last season, is scheduled to meet Robert Deere, 118-pound Muskogee Golden Glove champion, in what will be one of the best bouts of the card. It will be Barnes’ second fight of the season. His first was when the locals traveled to Tecumseh, where he won over Leroy Reeves, 118-pound star of that club.
Barnes’ record last year was the best. He was coached by Washie Stover most of last season and fought with Stover in exhibition bouts.” Like with Vaughan, Stover had taken an interest in Barnes, and had a significant role in molding the two boys into the top fighters of the McAlester Boxing Club. He later boxed for his old coach Jim Crabtree and the Poteau Boxing Club in the winter of 1949, and then went to Murray State on a boxing scholarship for three semesters joining the army in the summer of 1951.
He did not debut fighting for the 1947-48 season until February of 1948. The October before that, he broke his collar bone playing football. Recovery from that sort of injury typically occurs in 4-8 weeks, but he may have had complications or been consciously taking it slow and easing his way back in after his injury. The following year, he was scheduled to debut on 11/30 in the McAlester club’s match against Fort Smith, but his fight didn’t come off. He started boxing for the Poteau club at that time and debuted with them on 12/13 before getting his first fight with the McAlester club on 12/30.
Even after enrolling at Poteau Junior College for the fall semester of 1949 and starting at Murray State for the winter 1950 semester, Barnes travelled with McAlester club as often as he could. When he entered tournaments, he did so as a member of the McAlester club, not as a representative of his schools. If he was going to win, he wanted to be representing his hometown and the club he was an original member of with his closest friends rather than his school.
Once Vaughan joined the army in the summer of 1950, Barnes focused on fighting for Murray State. He surely fought more bouts than is listed below, but not all the results were frequently published in the Murray State student newspaper.
While he is mentioned frequently in the write-up of Vaughan’s career, Barnes accomplished a great deal himself and compiled a very impressive record. As Vaughan iterated, Barnes did not fight nearly as often as Vaughan, largely due to his starting each season later than Vaughan. But when he did fight, he was a force to be reckoned with, as indicated by his record.
Spring/Summer, 1947 Season:
1. 4/16: Barnes (116) decisioned Leon Adams of Stuart. (1-0)
2. No date: Barnes (116) decisioned Gene Williams of Ardmore. (2-0)
3. No date: Barnes (116) KO’d James Tinker, independent fighter. (3-0)
4. No date: Barnes (116) decisioned Washie Lewis of Eufaula. (4-0)
5. 5/7: Barnes (118) decisioned Joe Wortham of Eufaula. (5-0)
6. 6/24: Barnes (112) TKO’d Jerald Allen of Ardmore. (6-0)
7. 6/24: Barnes (112) decisioned Forrest Walker of Ardmore (7-0) [Two in one night]
1947-1948 Season:
8. 2/16: Barnes (118) KO’d Leroy Reeves of Tecumseh in 45 seconds of first round. (8-0)
9. 2/17: Barnes (120) decisioned Bill Bernard of McAlester. (9-0)
10. 2/27: Barnes (119) decisioned Robert Deere of Sequoyah. (10-0)
11. 3/2: Barnes (118) KO’d Richard Wade of Wilburton. (11-0)
12. 3/9: Barnes (116) TKO’d Joe Cooper of Maud. (12-0)
13. 3/16: Barnes (112) decisioned by Orville Neconie of St. Patrick’s Mission at AAU tournament. (12-1)
14. 3/25: Barnes (112) decisioned Homer Noley of Wilburton. (13-1)
15. 3/26: Barnes (112) decisioned Leon Corhn of Haileyville to win Haileyville tournament. (14-1)
16. 4/2: Barnes (112) KO’d David Stone of Ada to win McAlester tournament. (15-1)
17. 5/31: Barnes (112) decisioned by Teddy Jefferson of Hugo in Olympic trial exhibition. (0-1)
1948-1949 Season:
18. 12/13: Barnes (126) for Poteau Club decisioned Leland Keel of Oklahoma City. (16-1)
19. 12/30: Barnes (126) KO’d Guy Johnson of Oklahoma City. (17-1)
20. 1/4: Barnes (126) KO’d Don “Red” Campbell of Springfield, MO. (18-1)
21. 1/7: Barnes (123) for Eufaula Club TKO’d Kenneth Hill of Holdenville. (19-1)
22. 1/11: Barnes (118) for Milk & Ice Fund bout decisioned Bobby Cline of Oklahoma City. (20-1)
23. 1/18: Barnes (122) TKO’d Lee Auld of Ada. (21-1)
24. 1/25: Barnes (126) decisioned by Ed Sartin of Haileyville at District Golden Gloves. (21-2)
25. 2/1: Barnes (126) KO’d Coy Townsend of Tecumseh. (22-2)
26. 2/9: Barnes (112) decisioned J. Neil Stevens of Oklahoma at State Golden Gloves. (23-2)
27. 2/10: Barnes (112) decisioned by Gary Ward of Tulsa at State Golden Gloves. (23-3)
28. 2/22: Barnes (112) decisioned Darrell Northcutt of Bacone. (24-3)
29. 2/27: Barnes (112) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee to win McAlester tournament. (25-3)
30. 3/4: Barnes (112) decisioned Kenneth Stancil of Haileyville in Eufaula tournament. (26-3)
31. 3/5: Barnes (112) decisioned Jim Ledbetter of Muskogee to win Eufaula tournament. (27-3)
32. 3/11: Barnes (118) decisioned James Abbott of Tulsa. (28-3)
33. 3/22: Barnes (118) decisioned Charlie Hill of Oklahoma City at AAU tournament. (29-3)
34. 3/23: Barnes (118) decisioned by Phil Honeycutt of Hugo at AAU tournament. (29-4)
35. 4/7: Barnes (112) in exhibition at Seminole decisioned Don Vaughan. (1-1)
36. Undated: Barnes (112) in exhibition drew with Don Vaughan. (1-1-1)
1949-1950 Season:
37. Undated: Barnes (118) for Fort Smith Club decisioned Jesse Herrera of San Antonio. (30-4)
38. 12/22: Barnes (126) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee. (31-4)
39. 1/10: Barnes (118) for Milk & Ice Fund bout KO’d by Jack Corvino of Chicago. (31-5)
40. 1/12: Barnes (126) decisioned Judson Iglesias of Bacone. (32-5)
41. 1/24: Barnes (118) KO’d Walter Shirley of Bacone at District Golden Gloves. (33-5)
42. 1/30: Barnes (118) decisioned Judson Iglesias of Bacone at District Golden Gloves for District Title. (34-5)
43. 2/7: Barnes (118) decisioned by Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City at State Golden Gloves. (34-6)
44. 2/21: Barnes (118) decisioned by Orville Neconie of Anadarko at AAU tournament. (34-7)
45. 2/27: Barnes (126) decisioned James Brannum of Holdenville at McAlester tournament. (35-7)
46. 2/28: Barnes (126) decisioned Dude Powell of Ada to win McAlester tournament. (36-7)
47. 3/21: Barnes (126) decisioned James Brannum of Holdenville to win Seminole tournament. (37-7)
1950-51 (all for Murray State):
48. 12/18: Barnes (126) decisioned Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City. (38-7)
49. 2/12: Barnes (126) decisioned by Ed Carillo of Red Rock. (38-8)
Confirmed official record: 38-8. Confirmed exhibition record: 1-1-1.
Like with Vaughan’s record, it is certain that this is an incomplete record. He definitely had more fights in the Spring/Summer of 1947 season, but not all the results of those fights are available. His records from late 1948-summer 1950 is mostly complete, but he may have fought other matches with the Poteau and Fort Smith clubs that we don’t currently have the information for. He certainly had more than two fights with the Murray State club from 1950-51, but again not all those fight results have been uncovered.
His final fight tally is probably in the range of 65-80, not counting exhibition fights. Based on his history of success and known record, if he fought around 75 official bouts, his record was probably in the range of 63-12. Like Vaughan, only one record has been found of his having been knocked out.
He was tough to beat and could have had more titles to his name if he had fought more often. He did when a District Golden Glove title in 1950, and while he lost at the state tournament to eventual champion Junior Franklin, he got his revenge the following year when he decisioned Franklin.
The records of Barnes and Vaughan are similar in many ways. Their official loss counts that are known as of this writing both sit at 8, though Vaughan had about 30 additional known fights compared to Barnes. They had similar numbers as far as how often they KO’d or TKO’d their opponents. They both beat Tim Johnson of Muskogee multiple times, and they both lost to Gary Ward of Tulsa.
They were both very similar in size and fought the majority of the year in the same weight classes. But in order to avoid fighting each other and depriving the other of a title, one would typically fight up a class from their normal weight, meaning they were facing tougher competition. When examining the biggest tournaments in which both Vaughan and Barnes participated, they decided who took the heavier class pretty fairly.
Barnes did not participate in the 1948 Golden Gloves tournaments, at district or state. At the AAU tournament of 1948, Barnes took the higher weight class. He did the same at the 1949 Golden Gloves District tournament, but then Vaughan took the higher weight class at the Golden Gloves State tournament that year. Barnes again took the higher class for the 1949 AAU tournament. Vaughan took the higher class for both the district and state Golden Gloves tournament in 1950, and did not participate in the 1950 AAU tournament. So on three occasions, Barnes took the higher weight class, and on three occasions Vaughan took it. The only year they both won was at the 1950 District Golden Gloves tournament.
The boys got their wish though—they never had to fight each other in a meaningful match. When their opponents didn’t show up, they would have exhibitions against each other for fun and experience, but never added a loss to the other’s official record. Great friend and great boxers, they must have been quite a pair in their day.
Their teammates had similar things to say about Barnes as they did Vaughan. Jerry Bob Troy credits the two of them with taking over the mantle in 1949 for training the younger boys when Crabtree and Stover left. He says new coach Tommy Barron was more interested in training himself than the other boys, so Vaughan and Barnes taught the other guys their moves and helped them to be as successful as they could.
Troy says that he tried to emulate the pair of them, and considered Barnes, who he knew better, a good friend of his. He says that Jerry was a fine Christian boy as well, and always took his Bible with him on the road. Barnes was described as “diminutive” in some newspaper accounts, and indeed, he was not a large boy for his age. Apparently, despite his fighting prowess, he still had to deal with bullies from time to time. Troy recalls a time when Jerry took on the primary town bully, a boy named “Toss” Watson. Watson was larger, but Barnes stayed with him blow for blow. It was the only time he remembered Barnes fighting out of the ring, and after he put Watson down, no one bothered him again.
As with any sort of organized athletics, opinions on athletes are subjective and varied. While Troy considered Vaughan to be the most impressive of the pair of friends, McClenahan believes Barnes was the best. He says, “Jerry was the best all-around fighter in our group” in the club’s early years. Like Troy, he expressed admiration for Barnes’s high character, his humility, and his kind nature.
Barnes passed away in 2017 in Miami, Oklahoma, leaving behind the legacy of having been a pious, family-oriented, and successful man. And of course, an incredible boxer.
The McAlester Elks Boys Club final got its first win of the year over Shawnee on November 3rd, 10-1. But that was followed by an 8-3 loss to Oklahoma City. With the club record at 1-2-1, McAlester could use some extra firepower, and at last they would get some with the returns of Vaughan and Barnes. Both were set to make their debuts against Muskogee on November 22nd. Barron, too, was expected to step into the ring for the first time that season to help the club get another much-needed win. Johnson would be back with his hometown club for this match.
Vaughan was expected to take on David Millsap, a 132-pounder out of Muskogee, but for whatever reason, the fight did not come off. For reasons unknown, Millsap fought McAlester’s Tony Mauricio instead, who bested him. Barnes too did not end up getting a bout, but McAlester was able to pull off a win anyway, 9-4. The club was next set to oppose the club from Clinton, but they were unable to attend the match due to bad weather and car trouble.
The club suffered another 4-3 loss to Clarksville, Arkansas on December 16th. Vaughan was an anticipated participant in the club’s match against Muskogee on December 22nd, but again he did not draw a card in the 3-3 tie. Barnes made his debut with a win over Tim Johnson against Muskogee, but this was by far the deepest into the season the club had ever gone without a bout for Vaughan. Finally, Vaughan would get his chance in the club’s last fight of 1949. His debut saw him returning to the featherweight class.
68. 12/27: In 5-2 club win over Clarksville, Vaughan (131) decisioned Jack Dempsey Pearson (129). (3-2, 55-6)
69. 1/10: In Milk and Ice Fund card, Vaughan (126) TKO’d Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City. (4-2, 56-6)
70. 1/12: In mixed card bout, Vaughan (126) is decisioned by Gary Ward of Tulsa. (4-3, 56-7)
Clarksville v. McAlester match poster, 16 Dec 1949. Includes Vaughan's opponent, Jack Dempsey Pearson.
Vaughan’s win over Pearson was a solid one. “In the final fight, Don Vaughan, 131-pound McAlester champion, took a unanimous decision over Jack Dempsey Pearson, 129 pounds, Clarksville. Vaughan landed lots of hard blows and had Pearson down twice. Vaughan won all three rounds on each judge’s card. He was on the verge of scoring a knockout over Pearson as the bell sounded, ending the fight.” (MNC)
Jerry Barnes drew the toughest card of the night in the Milk and Ice Fund bout in Oklahoma City. His opponent was Jack Corvino of the Chicago Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Corvino brought with him a 34-5 record, and despite his best efforts, Barnes hit the canvas once in the first round and twice in the second before being knocked out.
Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City was a highly-touted state prospect and widely favored in his bout against Vaughan. Instead, he ended up being TKO’d for the first time in his career. The Daily Oklahoman wrote, “Don Vaughan of McAlester ended the Elks [of OKC] run in a hurry when he stopped Glen Goodwin, Elks 126-pounder, in just 50 seconds of the opening stanza. Vaughan caught Goodwin high on the cheek with a terrific right hook to deck his foe. Goodwin climbed up at nine glassy-eyed but was allowed to continue after referee John Miskovsky gave him a good looking over. Then as Vaughan moved in again, Miskovsky saw Goodwin was in no condition to defend himself and stopped the fight.”
A profile of Goodwin on January 18th, 1950 in the Daily Oklahoman titled “A Hard Luck Glover”, reported that he had been fighting since 1946 when he took the Oklahoma City novice tournament flyweight title, and had been a regular Golden Glove contender and city favorite ever since. A 20-year-old, left-handed National Guardsman, he’d had bad luck in championship tournaments the last couple of years but was adamant that 1950 would be his year. His fight against Vaughan was the first time in dozens of fights he had ever even been knocked down, according to the article.
“On his last inter-city outing, in a preliminary bout on the recent Chicago CYO card here, Goodwin experienced something new. He was knocked down for the first time in his career when he moved in carelessly [in] the first round against Don Vaughn [sic] of McAlester. Vaughn tagged him with a left hook and the bout had to be stopped before it as a minute old.” Sampson Holden won his bout in Oklahoma City as well.
Unfortunately, Vaughan got a hard luck early season loss to his foe of the previous year, Gary Ward of Tulsa. In a mixed card bout featuring fighters from Tulsa, McAlester, and Muskogee, among others, Barnes got himself a win while Vaughan and Holden both took their first losses of the year.
“More than 700 fans witnessed 16 top notch ring battles at the City Hall auditorium here Thursday night in a seven-city Golden Gloves warm-up which provided plenty of action. The bout which had been billed as the feature fight of the evening—pitting Gary Ward of Tulsa against Don Vaughan of McAlester in the 126-pound class—was all that could be desired. Ward gained the decision, but only after Vaughan staged a strong finish and got plenty of good punches in the final round.” (MNC)
The Daily Oklahoman called it “the roughest scrap of the card with Ward taking a decision on the strength of two good rounds before Vaughan made a great comeback in the third.” The Muskogee Phoenix did a large write up on the bout: “The fight of the night was a featherweight scrap between Don Vaughan, blond McAlester battler, and Gary Ward, another Tulsa star. These are two of the best boys who ever appeared here and they staged definitely one of the finest fights ever seen in the City Hall ring. Ward, brilliant stylist and sharp-punching state champion, took the first two stanzas with a clever attack and a good defense.
In the second Ward began punching Vaughan with a number of hard rights and lefts and piled up a wide margin. When the bell rang for the third, Vaughan, knowing he was behind, came out slugging and the entire last round was a bitter slugfest with both boys pounding hard and often. Vaughan captured the last round and won the fans’ acclaim, but Ward’s margin was too great to overcome and the decision went to the Tulsa boy, even though it got a few boos from the crowd.”
Ward was clearly a formidable foe who could end up directly in Vaughan’s path to another state championship. His 2010 obituary in the Tulsa World reports that he compiled a record of 92-9 in all his years boxing, including Golden Gloves and AAU championships and numerous bouts while serving in the U. S. Navy. He may have been the most skilled fighter Vaughan faced in his career, with the possible exception of Washie Stover.
Next up was Vaughan’s third entrance into the Eastern District Golden Gloves Tournament in Muskogee. In the open division once again, Vaughan’s weight class was filled with numerous top-flight talents. Four teammates would be joining him in Muskogee: DueWayne Headley, Sampson Holden, Fay Kirkpatrick, and of course, Jerry Barnes. Once again, in working to avoid fighting each other, Vaughan and Barnes planned to fight in different weight classes, with Barnes as a bantamweight and Vaughan as a featherweight. Headley too was a bantamweight, but entered in the novice division while the experienced Barnes was in the open division.
The Muskogee Phoenix published a write-up on the McAlester Boxing Club in the days leading up to the District tournament. “Although the roster of the McAlester Boxing Club’s entrants in the 1949 Golden Gloves is not yet complete, Coach Tommy Barron will sign up at least 12 boys. The McAlester club, a joint project of that city’s police department and American Legion post, is perhaps the most active gloves group in the district. During this season and last they have not allowed a single week to go by without having either a team match at home or on the road or participating in a tournament.
Barron, a young Texan who moved to McAlester late last year and is a laboratory technician, heads his club’s list of boxers. Barron, open-class middleweight, was Texas Golden Gloves open class 160-pound kingpin in 1947 and was runner-up last year, suffering a cut eye in the finals at Fort Worth. Heaviest boy on the list is Novice Heavyweight Fay Kirkpatrick, a rough fighter seeing his first season in the ring.
Pat Thompson will enter as a novice middleweight and Wayne Jaggers will represent the club in the open-division 147-pound class. Jaggers, who was district open-class featherweight runner-up last year when he represented Haileyville, has moved to McAlester and has appeared several times during the season for the club. Wallace Jefferson, hard-hitting slugger, will compete as an open-class lightweight and two novice 126-pounders will carry the McAlester banner. They are Kenneth Bone and Charlie Meyers.
Bantamweights Don Vaughan and Jerry Barnes will enter the tournament. Vaughan last year took a complete sweep of honors as a novice, winning here as a flyweight, repeating for the state novice 112-pound crown at Oklahoma City and later scaling down to 105 pounds to be state AAU junior flyweight champ at Anadarko. Novice Flyweight Gene Hawkins is the lightest boy in the standard classes whom Barron will bring to Muskogee.
The list of smaller boys who will fight for McAlester in the junior weights is incomplete but Barron will definitely enter two—Charles Allen at 100 pounds and classy little Buster Bone at 85 pounds.”
Far fewer McAlester boxers ended up entering the district tournament this year than in previous years, and Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital offered an explanation and his reasoning for McAlester holding their own district championships separate from Muskogee’s. He writes:
“McAlester’s definite need for a district Golden Gloves tournament has become evident. In the first place, the district tourney at Muskogee has become too crowded. There were 21 fights Monday night and 24 more are scheduled for tonight.
Another thing, McAlester’s boxers don’t appear too popular in Muskogee fight circles. This is indicated, according to Tommy Barron, McAlester coach, by the way the McAlester boys are shoved around. An example of this came this year, when a number of McAlester boxers refused to enter the tournament at Muskogee. They didn’t like the way they have been treated up there, said Barron.
Decisions in some of the fights just didn’t seem right to most of them. Sampson Holden, smooth fighting 135-pound Indian, lost by a decision Monday night. We didn’t see the fight, but reports are that Holden should have been given the decision. The decision went to a Bacone college, Muskogee fighter.”
David Millsap, 1949. Courtesy of Muskogee Phoenix.
This may have been a reference to Vaughan’s losing decision to Stover the year before. German’s colleague Joe Cannon appears to have felt that way, so it is possible German and Vaughan’s teammates similarly felt that fights were being unfairly awarded to non-McAlester fighters. Vaughan did not have any comments on German’s assertions, but in defiance of these sentiments, Vaughan would go on to take decisions over Millsap of Muskogee and McIntosh of Bacone, the latter of these being considered an unpopular decision. Jerry Barnes also took victories over a pair of Bacone fighters.
71. 1/23: In opening round match, Vaughan (126) decisioned David Millsap of Muskogee. (5-3, 57-7)
72. 1/25: In semifinals match, Vaughan (126) decisioned John McIntosh of Bacone. (6-3, 58-7)
73. 1/30: In finals match, Vaughan (126) decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville. (7-3, 59-7)
Don Vaughan and the winners of the 1950 Muskogee District Golden Gloves tournament. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
Headley and Kirkpatrick were withdrawn from the tournament for undisclosed reasons, and as reported by German, Holden fell in the opening round, while Vaughan took a hard-fought win over Millsap after “three rounds of hard punching”, per the Daily Oklahoman. His friend Tim Johnson also won, but was now fighting as a lightweight. Johnson then fell in his semifinals bout, and as he was the last remaining champion of the previous year’s tournament, there were to be no repeat champs this year. Barnes drew a first round bye, and then “flattened” Walter Shirley of Bacone for a spot in the finals.
The Muskogee Phoenix anticipated a “beautiful fight” from Vaughan and McIntosh in the semi-finals, as “both are outstanding glovers operating with different styles. McIntosh is perhaps a rougher boy buy Vaughan is always a smooth item in the ring.” Vaughan’s decision over McIntosh was a close call for him. An unidentified newspaper among Vaughan’s clippings (like the Muskogee Times-Democrat) reported that Vaughan “took a clear decision over John McIntosh of Bacone although a game rally in the third round swayed many of the fans to McIntosh’s favor.”
Per an article headlined “Vaughan Wins At Muskogee” in the Daily Oklahoman: “Don Vaughan of McAlester carried the fight all the way to a game but less effective opponent, John McIntosh of Bacone, who went down for the count of eight in the second round from a powerful right swing to the side of the head.
McIntosh fought hard all the way and landed frequently, but the punches of Vaughan carried too much power and landed too often for the Indian to gain any headway on the points necessary for victory. The two were battling furiously at the bell after Vaughan had waded in with a series of rights and lefts in the final seconds that cooled the heart of McIntosh.”
The Muskogee Phoenix went into greater detail, and illustrated that though the crowd was displeased with the decision, the judges at Muskogee made what they felt was a fair call, even over a local fighter, in contradiction to German’s assertion of hometown favoritism in Muskogee. “The excitement was at high pitch when Don Vaughan, blond McAlester boy, and John McIntosh stepped out from their corners in an open-division featherweight final. The first round was a fairly even scrap with Vaughan showing more class and a better attack. McIntosh was no slouch, however, and he was dishing it out as well as taking it. Vaughan took the first stanza on points.
McIntosh came out strong for the second and made a good beginning, but Vaughan was still too sharp for him and he decked McIntosh before the round was half over. The Bacone boy returned to the fray but stopped another good series of blows, lashing out wildly himself. Vaughan kept the upper hand and it was a telling right, one after another. McIntosh was badly spent but he wouldn’t quit. Just at the end of the round Vaughan contacted with a sharp right.
The crowd was tense as the last round opened. Both boys came out determined it shouldn’t go the distance. They mixed it up more in the infighting and McIntosh staggered Vaughan once early and the crowd went wild. McIntosh made a good rally in the round and clipped the McAlester boy hard repeatedly but Vaughan still held the advantage. Vaughan was badly tiring but he still kept his punishing right in the fight. The crowd booed the decision but it was deservedly Vaughan’s and it wasn’t even too close.”
Unlike his first two matches, Vaughan’s finals bout proved to be cinch for him, as the Daily Oklahoman reports he “thumped” his opponent Tinker. It was Barnes’s turn for a close call, as the Oklahoman reports he “barely beat” Judson Iglesias of Bacone. After these victories, the pair would have just a week to prepare for the State Golden Gloves tournament.
Don Vaughan, 1950.
In the lead up to the tournament, the Daily Oklahoman reported that Vaughan’s featherweight class was “loaded”: “The Golden Glover who succeeds Dunnie Blumenthal to the featherweight crown in the fifteenth annual Oklahoma state tournament here next week will be plenty busy. For one thing, he’ll have more bouts to win the title than any of the other 1950 champions. The 126-pound division is bulging with 22 entries, which means two bouts the first night and one every night thereafter in the five-day meet. Looking at it from another angle, that division is packed with more potential champions than any other and you can bet your boots that Oklahoma won’t be embarrassed by its 1950 featherweight king in the Tournament of Champions in Chicago later this month.”
A list of previous years’ champions showed that Oklahoma City area fighters had taken the featherweight title nearly every year since the tournament’s inception, including seven of the last eight years. Bill Carter of the University of Oklahoma, Glenn Goodwin of Oklahoma City, Dewitt Adkins of Cameron, Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa, and Clark Self of Hugo were named among the top contenders for the crown. The Oklahoman article continued: “And of course there’s Don Vaughn [sic] of McAlester, who needed only 50 seconds to stop Goodwin on the final inter-city card of the campaign here a month ago.
Vaughn, one of the state AAU kinds last year [note: two years ago], is a well-balanced combination of puncher and boxer who got his start in the state meet of 1948 when he won the outstanding novice award. He’s about as classy as they come and with the finesse he’s got a punch in either hand. A righthander, he used only one punch to send Goodwin to the canvas for the first time in his life and that was a left hook.”
Prior to the beginning of the state tournament, Hugh German of the McAlester News-Capital did write-ups on Barnes, Vaughan, and other Pittsburg County boys who would be entering. He reported that Barnes had enrolled at Bacone after a semester at Poteau Junior College, where he had been fighting for his former coach J. W. Crabtree’s club. This was an error, however, as Barnes had enrolled at Murray State College in Tishimingo. He writes, “Barnes and the boy he beat in the district finals will represent the Muskogee district in the state tournament next week. Judson Iglesias, Bacone, also will be eligible for competition in the state tourney. Runnerups for district title may participate in state competition.
Jerry Barnes and Judson Iglesias, 1950. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
Although Barnes has entered Bacone [sic], he will fight as a McAlester boxer in the state tournament. He won the district title as a member of the McAlester Elks Boys club boxing team. Don Vaughan, McAlester’s 126-pound district champion will be joined in the state tournament by two boys he beat on his way to the crown at Muskogee [McIntosh and Tinker]. … Vaughan is expected to go a long way in the state tournament this year. He will be one of the favorites.” Other locals mentioned include Clyde Monroe, Jerry Sartin, Kenneth Luker, and Guy Luker, all of Haileyville.
“A record field of 185 is expected to compete in the novice and open divisions with the winners in the open class gaining trips to the tournament of champions in Chicago. Four defending champions are back this year… [Including] Bantamweight Gary Ward, Tulsa, who won the 112 pound class last year.” (MNC) All but one of the fighters Vaughan would face in the tournament were among the Oklahoman’s aforementioned list of top contenders, starting with Sapulpa’s Powsheik.
74. In opening round, Vaughan (126) decisioned Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa. (8-3, 60-7)
75. In quarter finals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Glen Goodwin of Oklahoma City. (9-3, 61-7)
76. In semifinals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Dean Tinker of Haileyville. (10-3, 62-7)
77. In finals, Vaughan (126) decisioned Clark Self of Hugo. (11-3, 63-7)
Barnes fell in the opening round in a split decision to Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City, who went on to take the state title in an upset of Gary Ward. Vaughan took a close decision over Powsheik. Per the Daily Oklahoman: “Don Vaughan of McAlester, a good counter-puncher who both gave and took some jolting blows to the head, but came off best despite a reluctance to step back out of clinches, got a unanimous decision over Poncho Powsheik of Sapulpa. Both had good left jabs, and it was close.”
Don Vaughan's 1950 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves contestant tag.
Goodwin was bested by Vaughan for the second time of the season, but the decision was a controversial one. The Daily Oklahoman reported: “In one of the most hotly contested duels of the night, Don Vaughan, McAlester, shaded the Elks’ Glen Goodwin to join Adkins, Self, and Tinker in the 126-pound semifinals. It was touch and go all the way with little to choose between the pair the first two rounds. Vaughan, who scored a quick knockout over Goodwin on the recent Chicago CYO card here, moved ahead in the third round as referee Red Andrews often had to break them from clinches. Hard right crosses to Goodwin’s head were Vaughan’s best punches.”
Hugh German, for one, was very impressed with Vaughan’s performance in the tournament thus far. “We’re not counting our chickens before they hatch, but it looks like Don Vaughan, McAlester 126-pounder will be in the finals of this year’s state Golden Gloves tournament. Vaughan is matched against Dean Tinker, Haileyville, in tonight’s semi-finals. Tinker, you remember, is the boy Vaughan decisioned easily in the finals of the Muskogee district Golden Gloves tourney. Unless something unforeseen happens, Vaughan should turn in a repeat performance over Tinker. In the other semi-finals fight tonight are Dewitt Adkins, Cameron Aggies (Lawton) and Clark Self, Hugo. We don’t know anything about these boys, so we aren’t attempting to predict a state title for Vaughan—yet.”
Don Vaughan and Dean Tinker, 1950. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
He did indeed defeat Tinker again in what the Daily Oklahoman called a “tough scrap”. Hugh German lost any doubt he had of Vaughan’s chances for the title. “[Vaughan] won over Dean Tinker, Haileyville, in Thursday night’s finals. This is the same boy he decisioned in the Muskogee district finals. We don’t know anything about Clark Self of Hugo, Vaughan’s finals opponent. But rumors have it that he’s pretty good. However, it looks like a state title for Don Vaughan from here.”
In reaching Vaughan in the finals, Clark Self bested Homer Blackburn of Ft. Sill, former Vaughan opponent John McIntosh of Bacone, and Dewitt Adkins of Cameron, and so proved himself an able fighter in his own right. The Oklahoman reported on the pair: “Vaughan, voted as the outstanding novice prospect here two years ago, will tackle Clark Self of Hugo in the 126-pound class. Self is also a former novice ruler and he’s a terrific in-fighter.” Among the other state finalists in other weight classes were former Vaughan opponents Gene Morgan and Gary Ward.
Clark Self, 1950. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman.
Don Vaughan, 1950. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman.
Gary Ward, 1950. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman.
Gene Morgan, 1950. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman.
Guy Luker and Kenneth Luker, 1950. Courtesy of the Muskogee Phoenix.
The Seminole Producer detailed the brothers’ entertaining bout, stating it was a “hard-fought battle that was mixed with a little comedy”. The brothers went to the “other” Luker’s corner in between rounds, giving the crowd a good chuckle, but ultimately Guy gave his brother a bloody mouth and took the win. They reported that Vaughan “battered” Self in his victory, and that Ward was upset by Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City, younger brother of former national champion Virgil Franklin.
“Vaughan and Self fought a slow fight all the way, with Vaughan landing most of the punches. Vaughan floored Self for the count of nine early in the second round for the only knockdown of the bout. It was Vaughan’s third state title since he started his boxing career with the McAlester Boxing club. … The final bouts were fought before 4,500 persons.” (MNC)
The Daily Oklahoman reported: “Vaughan clinched the team trophy for the eastern crew by beating Clark Self of Hugo for the weatherweight title. Vaughan was the state’s outstanding novice two years ago and he looked plenty good Tuesday night. He outboxes Self all the way and floored the Huge puncher in the second round with an overhand right, almost straight on the button.”
Don Vaughan's 1950 State Golden Gloves patch.
Don Vaughan's 1950 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves robe, modeled by his great grandson, Elliott.
Don Vaughan's 1950 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves robe, modeled by his great grandson, Elliott.
Don Vaughan's 1950 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves pendant.
Don Vaughan's 1950 Oklahoma State Golden Gloves pendant.
The Muskogee Phoenix also covered Vaughan’s title win, writing: “Only one win in the finals was necessary for the Muskogee District to annex the trophy, which was presented to NSC athletic director D. M. Wadley in ceremonies after the fights. Since Vaughan was the first district champion to appear in the open-class finals, it fell to his lot to supply the clincher, which he did with a clear-cut decision over Self, a rough Hugo boy who can’t seem to fight without using his head and shoulders and elbows. It wasn’t one of the blond McAlester boy’s best appearances but it was more than sufficient to gain the nod over Self.”
German again professed his admiration for Vaughan, writing that “in addition to his ability to box, he has an outstanding character and as far as sportsmanship is concerned, he’s tops.” He also expressed admiration for Jerry Barnes, who lost a split decision to eventual state champion Franklin, a decision reportedly inspired boos from the crowd. German wrote, “Like Vaughan, [Barnes] is a swell fellow. He is a good boxer, a boy of good character, and a fighter who regards sportsmanship as No. 1 in the fight game.”
Oklahoma 1950 State Golden Glove Champions. Left to right: Cliff Bradley, University of Oklahoma, heavyweight; Bill Trawick, Fort Sill, 175 pounds; Guy Luker, Northeastern State, 160 pounds; Dunnie Blumenthal, Oklahoma City Elks, 135 pounds, Don Vaughan, McAlester, 126 pounds; Junior Franklin, Oklahoma City boxing club, 118 pounds; Jerry Flanagan, Dundee, 112 pounds.
Vaughan would have a couple weeks’ respite before heading to Chicago with the other Golden Gloves state champs to fight their Illinois counterparts. In the meantime, Jerry Barnes made it to the semifinals of the state AAU tournament in the bantamweight class before being decisioned by Orville Neconie of Anadarko. Clark Self moved up to the lightweight class for said tournament, and ended up winning the state AAU title for the class, making Vaughan’s win over him the week before all the more impressive.
Don Vaughan and his 1950 National Golden Gloves teammates from Oklahoma. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman.
There was a lot of statewide press coverage of Vaughan’s upcoming bout. He was joined by some of the other best fighters in Oklahoma and would be up against the most top-flight competition he had yet faced. He was paired against Nicki Kuzma, a featherweight fighter from Cleveland. Kuzma was orphaned at the age of two and schooled in Boys Town, Nebraska, where he became a stud football player for the team at the famed school there. He relocated to Pennsylvania, where he before turned to boxing; he won a state Golden Gloves in Pennsylvania in 1948 before moving to Youngstown, Ohio, where his boxing career moved to the national stage. He later became a semi-professional golfer as well.
78. 2/27: In National Golden Gloves match, Vaughan (126) was decisioned by Nick Kuzma of Cleveland, Ohio. (11-4, 63-8)
“Chicago - In one of the opening sessions’ best bouts, [Nick] Kuzma of Cleveland won a close decision from Don Vaughan, representing the Oklahoma City squad, in a 126-pound Golden Gloves scrap here Monday night. Kuzma, a persistent southpaw, was the sharper puncher throughout although Vaughan fought ferociously in spots. Both rangy and well-built, the two lads mixed it from start to finish. Vaughan, from McAlester, Okla., took Kuzma’s best blows without yielding ground, but was unable to stage a sustained offensive of his own.
Courtesy of the Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD). 16 Nov 1948. Page 30. Via Newspapers.com.
Kuzma was bleeding slightly from the nose when the bout ended. Vaughan rolled up a good margin in the first rounds of his fight and held a slim edge in the second. Then in the third heat, Referee Jabber Young warned Vaughan for hitting on the break and near the end the Oklahoman was in bad shape and low on steam. Vaughan had trouble solving Kuzma’s left-handed stance at the outset, but came strong at the finish of the initial round, landing a whistling left that shook Kuzma. After that, Kuzma was more cautious but continued to build up points with his straight punching.” (MNC)
In the meantime, the McAlester city tournament was wrapping up by the time Vaughan was home from Chicago. Barnes won for the featherweight class, and an impression was made on the club as a whole by an Ada fighter by the name of Willie Harjo. He was a Seminole boy fighting with the Ada club who won the lightweight class in the city tournament, taking down Vaughan’s teammate Kenneth Bone by KO, but not without a warning from referee Mannason for rabbit punching.
Don Vaughan's AAU card for the year of 1950.
Vaughan’s teammates wanted their best fighter have a go at Harjo, so a special bout for the two was arranged for the Seminole tournament. Vaughan was decisioned in the bout, but it was a very controversial match.
79. 3/8: In special bout in Seminole, Vaughan (135) was decisioned by Willie Harjo of Ada. (11-5, 63-9)
Vaughan, who was typically on the lower part of the spectrum for featherweights, opted to go up a class to lightweight in order to have a shot at Harjo. The Seminole Producer reported: “In the night’s most exciting match, Seminole’s Willie Harjo took a close decision from Don Vaughan [sic], McAlester, in a 135-pound scrap. Harjo piled up points during the first two hears but Vaughn came back strong in the final round to make a real contest out of it.”
Calling it a “close decision” did not cut it for local McAlester sportswriter Hugh German. In his column Sporting Bits, he wrote: “McAlester’s Don Vaughan apparently has been the victim of one of those “home town” decisions. Vaughan, so the judges say, lost a decision to William Harjo, Seminole, in the Seminole Boxing tournament Wednesday night. It was a 135 pound open class fight. Vaughan tipped the scales at only 129 pounds.
Apparently it is easy to see the good points of a home town boxer. And it’s just as easy to see the faults of his opponent. We’re not saying there was anything crooked over at Seminole. We just can’t see the decision that Vaughan got. The first round was closely fought and could have been judged either way. Vaughan was on top at the end of slugging in the second round and walked off easily with the third round. There was no announcement as to whether or not the decision was a split one. But we think it was.
Harjo fought and won a championship in the McAlester boxing tournament earlier this month. He defeated Jerry Sartin of Haileyville in the finals. We didn’t agree with Harjo’s decision over Sartin. And, Sartin evened things up by winning over Harjo in bouts at Haileyville this week. Vaughan is state Golden Gloves champion, 126 pound class. He whipped tougher boxers than Harjo to take the state crown. The McAlester boxer believes he whipped Harjo at Seminole Wednesday night. So does Coach Tommy Barron.
Barron has arranged a match with Seminole for Tuesday night, March 21, at the American Legion building here. And Vaughan and Harjo are scheduled to meet in one of the bouts. This fight should be the telling one. It’s our belief that Vaughan will “beat the tar” out of Harjo. We’ve seen both boys fight and know which is the better of the two. Vaughan should win easily over Harjo in fights here Tuesday night, March 21.”
Tom McClenahan explains that most matches had two judges who would score a boxer, with the winner typically scoring 20. Sometimes a third judge was there to act as a tie-breaker. Other times, the referee would cast the tie-breaking vote. When questioned about the prevalence of unfair decisions by referees and/or judges in favor of “home town” boys, both Jerry Bob Troy and McClenahan were quick to say that was not something they had direct knowledge of or experiences with.
Troy recalled some questionable circumstances surrounding an exhibition bout between two McAlester teammates once, but did not think it was common for favoritism to rear its head in club boxing very often. However, Troy had great respect for Hugh German and his ability to be an objective sportswriter. He was adamant that if German questioned the validity of a decision like the one for Harjo over Vaughan, he would considerate German’s assessment to be a fair and accurate one.
There was a fair amount of hype surrounding the coming rematch. “Among the visiting fighters will be William Harjo, 130 pounds, and his scrap with Don Vaughan, state Golden Gloves champ, will be a highlight of the evening. The two boys got together for a lightning-fast exhibition up at Seminole sometime [sic] ago with Harjo running off with the decision. Vaughan insists it’s be different this time.” (MNC)
Perhaps Harjo realized German was right and that Vaughan was due to “beat the tar out of him”. Maybe he realized that he benefited from an unfair decision and was not keen to face a state champ determined to prove those judges wrong. As recently as the night before the match (3/20) the paper still had Vaughan set to battle Harjo, who was clearly amped to avenge the “razor-edged” decision.
But Harjo apparently backed out that day or early the next because on the day of the match, the paper reported that he would “not be present” for his scheduled bout against Vaughan. “William Harjo, 130-pounder from Seminole, who was to fight for the team from that city against McAlester, won’t be present. But—in his place will be Clark Self of Hugo, state AAU champion this year at 130 pounds. Self will battle Don Vaughan of McAlester, 126-pound Golden Glove champion.
The yearning for revenge will prompt the Hugo fighter to hit with all his power, for Vaughan defeated Self in the Golden Gloves finals. Vaughan, incidentally, did not participate in the AAU bouts. Harjo, who edged Vaughan at Seminole some days back, is reported ill and therefore not in the best condition.” (MNC)
Self’s victory at the AAU prevented Vaughan from being considered an undisputed state champion as he was in 1948, so this could be considered an opportunity for both boys to assert their dominance for 1950 once and for all in the flexed featherweight-to-lightweight classes, in which both boys had fought during the season. Jerry Barnes was due to fight Willie Harjo’s brother, Cecil, but perhaps he also intimidated at the prospect of facing McAlester’s other star boxer as his brother may have been, because he “couldn’t show up either”, according to the News-Capital. Instead, Barnes would fight James Brannum of Holdenville again, who he’d already bested in the McAlester city tournament just a few weeks prior. This match against Seminole was billed as the last of the season for the McAlester club.
80. 3/21: In 5-4 club win over Seminole, Vaughan (136) decisioned Clark Self of Hugo. (12-5, 64-9)
The McAlester club ended their season with a victory, highlighted by wins from Vaughan, Barnes, Barron, Sampson Holden, and Tommy Simms (80 lbs.) This victory seems to, at least unofficially, crown Vaughan the sole state champion for his weight class, having bested the Self twice during the season. So while not on the books as an official AAU champion, in defeating AAU camp Self multiple times that year, Vaughan could be considered the undisputed champ.
Despite the club’s season drawing to a close, several McAlester fighters ventured to Panama, Oklahoma in the coming days for their city tournament, with Simms and Vaughan winning championships.
81. 3/24: In finals of Panama tournament, Vaughan (135) decisioned Tony Kerbow of Poteau. (13-5, 65-9)
Vaughan kept hundreds of clippings from his boxing days, and his collection ends with his victory in Panama. However, Vaughan did not date or source his clippings, so while the vast majority of them have been painstakingly sought after and discovered in their respective publications, some additional fights have been found that cannot be dated at this time. And with the win in Panama, it appears Vaughan’s amateur career in Oklahoma more or less came to a close. While he continued boxing in the army, little is known about his career during that time. At this level, he went out with a bang and should be considered among Oklahoma’s very best fighters of that generation.
Don Vaughan's 45th Divison army boxing robes, modeled by his great-grandson, Elliott.
Don Vaughan's 45th Divison army boxing robes, modeled by his great-grandson, Elliott.
Throughout his career, numerous sports writers had glowing things to say about Vaughan as a boxer. But there is just as much evidence of Vaughan being as good a person as he was a fighter. Tom McClenahan, against whom Vaughan fought his very first match, remembers him as a “remarkable person.” Kind, humble, and hard-working.
Don Vaughan, left, and Jerry Barnes in the 1950s. Courtesy of Joel and Leslie Barnes.
Jerry Bob Troy credits Vaughan as being one of the main people that taught him to box. He also remembers him as a kind person, always willing to help the other club members, and part of the heart and soul of the McAlester Boxing Club. He told me, “You should be very proud to be his grandson.”
And I am. While he didn’t teach me to box, he taught me countless other things. He was as loving a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as anyone could hope for. Playful, easy to laugh, and one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, he will always be an indescribably important part of my being. I will always aspire to be as great a person as he was.
Me and my grandpa, 1989.
Me and my grandpa, 1991.
Me and my grandpa, circa 1995.
Me and grandpa, with me wearing one of his boxing robes, circa 1996.
Don Vaughan and his first great-grandson, Elliott. Christmas, 2011.
Don Vaughan and his great grandson, Arthur, in the same boxing shorts.
Don Vaughan and his great-grandson, Elliott, doing his best impression of his great-grandpa. A poster-sized version of the photo on the right has hung in his bedroom for his entire life.
Vaughan’s Final Record & Additional Fights
The total records for Vaughan’s fights with known results comes to 65-9 in official matches and 1-5-1 in exhibition matches, which were primarily against his close friends Tom McClenahan, Jerry Barnes, and Washie Stover.
This 65-9 record is almost certainly incomplete. He most likely had anywhere from an addition 12 to 20 bouts throughout his career in Oklahoma. This does not include fights he took part in with the 45th Infantry Division team while in the military; none of his results for those fights are known at this time, but would have occurred from 1950-1952. There are fifteen instances where there is evidence of bouts having occurred in which Vaughan may have participated but is not clear. There could also still be additional bouts of which there is no current evidence.
Therefore, his record should have a disclaimer that several match results are currently unaccounted for. Results of these matches will be actively sought out in the future, but as of April, 2020, results for 79 official matches and exhibitions have been acquired.
Matches that Vaughan may have participated in include:
1. 1947: Vaughan reports in 1948 having beaten Bobby Chitwood three times; evidence of only two of those victories in 1948 have been found. If he fought Chitwood a third time, it was likely in his inaugural season.
2. 1947: An undated clipping from the 1946-47 season have Vaughan due to face a Fred Jones, but the results of that bout have not been found, if the fight occurred at all.
3. 1947: Vaughan won the McAlester city tournament, but only his first round results are known. His opponent in the finals and semi-finals (if he fought three times in the tournament and not just twice) is not known, and results are not added to his total unless the name of his opponent is identified. Winners were announced on June 4th.
4. 1947: McAlester club lost to Ada club 7-4, but individual match results unknown.
5. 1947: McAlester club lost to Muskogee club 9-6, but individual match results unknown.
6. 1947: McAlester club drew with Stuart club 8-8, but individual match results unknown.
7. 1947: McAlester club defeated Eufaula club 3-1, but individual match results unknown.
8. 1947: In Apr 1948, Vaughan states his win over Guinn was his third time beating him; only two victories over Guinn have been documented, indicating at some point prior to then, Vaughan had beaten Guinn a third time, most likely in 1947.
9. Jun 1947: McAlester club members supplemented the Stuart squad in a match against the Wagoner club; Wagoner won 9-3, but individual match results unknown.
10. Before Dec 1948: Photograph of Vaughan in robes belonging to the St. Louis West End Lions Club indicates he fought at least one bout in St. Louis during the ’48-’49 season, but results of that bout have not been found. His picture in the robes was first published in the McAlester News-Capital on 7 Dec 1948, so fight occurred before then.
Don Vaughan, 1948, in West End St. Louis Lions Club Boxing robe.
11. 1949: Additional matches with Coach Crabtree’s Poteau club are possible.
12. 1949: Additional matches with the Ft. Smith club are possible.
13. 1949: McAlester club lost to Tecumseh club 9-2, but individual match results unknown.
14. 1949: Vaughan self-reported beating Bill Roberts of Tecumseh a total of three times in his career, but evidence has only been found for two of those instances. If the third victory was not in the aforementioned 9-2 club loss to Tecumseh in 1949, it occurred another time, possibly in the 1947 season.
15. 1949: Seminole paper reported prior to its city tournament that Vaughan had won four tournaments that year, including in Muskogee. Results for that Muskogee tournament have not been located.
16. 1949: Vaughan and Jerry Barnes drew for the championship of the Poteau city tournament. Results for earlier rounds of that tournament have not been located.
17. 1950: Vaughan won Panama invitational, but results for earlier rounds have not been located.
He may not have additional bouts in all of these instances. It is probable that approximately 12 matches will ultimately be added to his record over time. Based on what we know of his career-long success, a fair estimate of the results of these 12 unknown match results would be an estimated record of about 10-2. That would mean his final amateur boxing record was probably somewhere around 75-10 or so. As time goes on, it will be determined if this estimate is correct.
Jerry Barnes
Jerry Barnes was my grandfather’s best friend and another stellar member of the McAlester Boxing Club. In fact, Tom McClenahan believes Jerry was the best fighter in the club during his time there (’47-’48), while he asserts Vaughan went on to become the best fighter McAlester ever had.
Vaughan himself seemed to share this sentiment. “Although Jerry has never won a state title, he is just as good as me. If he had had as many fights as me, he would be better [than me].”
Jerry Barnes, left, and Don Vaughan, 1947.
The McAlester News-Capital also recognized Barnes as the club’s best fighter early on. Prior to his second non-local fight of the ’47-’48 season, the paper wrote: “Jerry Barnes, McAlester’s 118-pound whirlwind of last season, is scheduled to meet Robert Deere, 118-pound Muskogee Golden Glove champion, in what will be one of the best bouts of the card. It will be Barnes’ second fight of the season. His first was when the locals traveled to Tecumseh, where he won over Leroy Reeves, 118-pound star of that club.
Jerry Barnes, right, has a backyard scrap with an unknown sparring mate. Courtesy of Joel and Leslie Barnes.
Barnes’ record last year was the best. He was coached by Washie Stover most of last season and fought with Stover in exhibition bouts.” Like with Vaughan, Stover had taken an interest in Barnes, and had a significant role in molding the two boys into the top fighters of the McAlester Boxing Club. He later boxed for his old coach Jim Crabtree and the Poteau Boxing Club in the winter of 1949, and then went to Murray State on a boxing scholarship for three semesters joining the army in the summer of 1951.
He did not debut fighting for the 1947-48 season until February of 1948. The October before that, he broke his collar bone playing football. Recovery from that sort of injury typically occurs in 4-8 weeks, but he may have had complications or been consciously taking it slow and easing his way back in after his injury. The following year, he was scheduled to debut on 11/30 in the McAlester club’s match against Fort Smith, but his fight didn’t come off. He started boxing for the Poteau club at that time and debuted with them on 12/13 before getting his first fight with the McAlester club on 12/30.
Jerry Barnes signs up for Oklahoma AAU competition with Les Kilgore. Courtesy of the Daily Oklahoman, via okhistory.org.
Even after enrolling at Poteau Junior College for the fall semester of 1949 and starting at Murray State for the winter 1950 semester, Barnes travelled with McAlester club as often as he could. When he entered tournaments, he did so as a member of the McAlester club, not as a representative of his schools. If he was going to win, he wanted to be representing his hometown and the club he was an original member of with his closest friends rather than his school.
Once Vaughan joined the army in the summer of 1950, Barnes focused on fighting for Murray State. He surely fought more bouts than is listed below, but not all the results were frequently published in the Murray State student newspaper.
While he is mentioned frequently in the write-up of Vaughan’s career, Barnes accomplished a great deal himself and compiled a very impressive record. As Vaughan iterated, Barnes did not fight nearly as often as Vaughan, largely due to his starting each season later than Vaughan. But when he did fight, he was a force to be reckoned with, as indicated by his record.
Jerry Barnes, 1947.
Spring/Summer, 1947 Season:
1. 4/16: Barnes (116) decisioned Leon Adams of Stuart. (1-0)
2. No date: Barnes (116) decisioned Gene Williams of Ardmore. (2-0)
3. No date: Barnes (116) KO’d James Tinker, independent fighter. (3-0)
4. No date: Barnes (116) decisioned Washie Lewis of Eufaula. (4-0)
5. 5/7: Barnes (118) decisioned Joe Wortham of Eufaula. (5-0)
6. 6/24: Barnes (112) TKO’d Jerald Allen of Ardmore. (6-0)
7. 6/24: Barnes (112) decisioned Forrest Walker of Ardmore (7-0) [Two in one night]
Jerry Barnes, 1947-48.
Jerry Barnes, 1947-48.
1947-1948 Season:
8. 2/16: Barnes (118) KO’d Leroy Reeves of Tecumseh in 45 seconds of first round. (8-0)
9. 2/17: Barnes (120) decisioned Bill Bernard of McAlester. (9-0)
10. 2/27: Barnes (119) decisioned Robert Deere of Sequoyah. (10-0)
11. 3/2: Barnes (118) KO’d Richard Wade of Wilburton. (11-0)
12. 3/9: Barnes (116) TKO’d Joe Cooper of Maud. (12-0)
13. 3/16: Barnes (112) decisioned by Orville Neconie of St. Patrick’s Mission at AAU tournament. (12-1)
14. 3/25: Barnes (112) decisioned Homer Noley of Wilburton. (13-1)
15. 3/26: Barnes (112) decisioned Leon Corhn of Haileyville to win Haileyville tournament. (14-1)
16. 4/2: Barnes (112) KO’d David Stone of Ada to win McAlester tournament. (15-1)
17. 5/31: Barnes (112) decisioned by Teddy Jefferson of Hugo in Olympic trial exhibition. (0-1)
1948-1949 Season:
18. 12/13: Barnes (126) for Poteau Club decisioned Leland Keel of Oklahoma City. (16-1)
19. 12/30: Barnes (126) KO’d Guy Johnson of Oklahoma City. (17-1)
20. 1/4: Barnes (126) KO’d Don “Red” Campbell of Springfield, MO. (18-1)
21. 1/7: Barnes (123) for Eufaula Club TKO’d Kenneth Hill of Holdenville. (19-1)
22. 1/11: Barnes (118) for Milk & Ice Fund bout decisioned Bobby Cline of Oklahoma City. (20-1)
23. 1/18: Barnes (122) TKO’d Lee Auld of Ada. (21-1)
24. 1/25: Barnes (126) decisioned by Ed Sartin of Haileyville at District Golden Gloves. (21-2)
25. 2/1: Barnes (126) KO’d Coy Townsend of Tecumseh. (22-2)
26. 2/9: Barnes (112) decisioned J. Neil Stevens of Oklahoma at State Golden Gloves. (23-2)
27. 2/10: Barnes (112) decisioned by Gary Ward of Tulsa at State Golden Gloves. (23-3)
28. 2/22: Barnes (112) decisioned Darrell Northcutt of Bacone. (24-3)
29. 2/27: Barnes (112) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee to win McAlester tournament. (25-3)
30. 3/4: Barnes (112) decisioned Kenneth Stancil of Haileyville in Eufaula tournament. (26-3)
31. 3/5: Barnes (112) decisioned Jim Ledbetter of Muskogee to win Eufaula tournament. (27-3)
32. 3/11: Barnes (118) decisioned James Abbott of Tulsa. (28-3)
33. 3/22: Barnes (118) decisioned Charlie Hill of Oklahoma City at AAU tournament. (29-3)
34. 3/23: Barnes (118) decisioned by Phil Honeycutt of Hugo at AAU tournament. (29-4)
35. 4/7: Barnes (112) in exhibition at Seminole decisioned Don Vaughan. (1-1)
36. Undated: Barnes (112) in exhibition drew with Don Vaughan. (1-1-1)
1949-1950 Season:
37. Undated: Barnes (118) for Fort Smith Club decisioned Jesse Herrera of San Antonio. (30-4)
38. 12/22: Barnes (126) decisioned Tim Johnson of Muskogee. (31-4)
39. 1/10: Barnes (118) for Milk & Ice Fund bout KO’d by Jack Corvino of Chicago. (31-5)
40. 1/12: Barnes (126) decisioned Judson Iglesias of Bacone. (32-5)
41. 1/24: Barnes (118) KO’d Walter Shirley of Bacone at District Golden Gloves. (33-5)
42. 1/30: Barnes (118) decisioned Judson Iglesias of Bacone at District Golden Gloves for District Title. (34-5)
43. 2/7: Barnes (118) decisioned by Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City at State Golden Gloves. (34-6)
44. 2/21: Barnes (118) decisioned by Orville Neconie of Anadarko at AAU tournament. (34-7)
45. 2/27: Barnes (126) decisioned James Brannum of Holdenville at McAlester tournament. (35-7)
46. 2/28: Barnes (126) decisioned Dude Powell of Ada to win McAlester tournament. (36-7)
47. 3/21: Barnes (126) decisioned James Brannum of Holdenville to win Seminole tournament. (37-7)
1950-51 (all for Murray State):
48. 12/18: Barnes (126) decisioned Junior Franklin of Oklahoma City. (38-7)
49. 2/12: Barnes (126) decisioned by Ed Carillo of Red Rock. (38-8)
Confirmed official record: 38-8. Confirmed exhibition record: 1-1-1.
Like with Vaughan’s record, it is certain that this is an incomplete record. He definitely had more fights in the Spring/Summer of 1947 season, but not all the results of those fights are available. His records from late 1948-summer 1950 is mostly complete, but he may have fought other matches with the Poteau and Fort Smith clubs that we don’t currently have the information for. He certainly had more than two fights with the Murray State club from 1950-51, but again not all those fight results have been uncovered.
His final fight tally is probably in the range of 65-80, not counting exhibition fights. Based on his history of success and known record, if he fought around 75 official bouts, his record was probably in the range of 63-12. Like Vaughan, only one record has been found of his having been knocked out.
Jerry Barnes, 1947-48.
He was tough to beat and could have had more titles to his name if he had fought more often. He did when a District Golden Glove title in 1950, and while he lost at the state tournament to eventual champion Junior Franklin, he got his revenge the following year when he decisioned Franklin.
The records of Barnes and Vaughan are similar in many ways. Their official loss counts that are known as of this writing both sit at 8, though Vaughan had about 30 additional known fights compared to Barnes. They had similar numbers as far as how often they KO’d or TKO’d their opponents. They both beat Tim Johnson of Muskogee multiple times, and they both lost to Gary Ward of Tulsa.
They were both very similar in size and fought the majority of the year in the same weight classes. But in order to avoid fighting each other and depriving the other of a title, one would typically fight up a class from their normal weight, meaning they were facing tougher competition. When examining the biggest tournaments in which both Vaughan and Barnes participated, they decided who took the heavier class pretty fairly.
Barnes did not participate in the 1948 Golden Gloves tournaments, at district or state. At the AAU tournament of 1948, Barnes took the higher weight class. He did the same at the 1949 Golden Gloves District tournament, but then Vaughan took the higher weight class at the Golden Gloves State tournament that year. Barnes again took the higher class for the 1949 AAU tournament. Vaughan took the higher class for both the district and state Golden Gloves tournament in 1950, and did not participate in the 1950 AAU tournament. So on three occasions, Barnes took the higher weight class, and on three occasions Vaughan took it. The only year they both won was at the 1950 District Golden Gloves tournament.
Jerry Barnes v. Bobby Cline of Oklahoma City, Jan 1949.
The boys got their wish though—they never had to fight each other in a meaningful match. When their opponents didn’t show up, they would have exhibitions against each other for fun and experience, but never added a loss to the other’s official record. Great friend and great boxers, they must have been quite a pair in their day.
Their teammates had similar things to say about Barnes as they did Vaughan. Jerry Bob Troy credits the two of them with taking over the mantle in 1949 for training the younger boys when Crabtree and Stover left. He says new coach Tommy Barron was more interested in training himself than the other boys, so Vaughan and Barnes taught the other guys their moves and helped them to be as successful as they could.
Jerry Barnes, 1947-48.
Troy says that he tried to emulate the pair of them, and considered Barnes, who he knew better, a good friend of his. He says that Jerry was a fine Christian boy as well, and always took his Bible with him on the road. Barnes was described as “diminutive” in some newspaper accounts, and indeed, he was not a large boy for his age. Apparently, despite his fighting prowess, he still had to deal with bullies from time to time. Troy recalls a time when Jerry took on the primary town bully, a boy named “Toss” Watson. Watson was larger, but Barnes stayed with him blow for blow. It was the only time he remembered Barnes fighting out of the ring, and after he put Watson down, no one bothered him again.
As with any sort of organized athletics, opinions on athletes are subjective and varied. While Troy considered Vaughan to be the most impressive of the pair of friends, McClenahan believes Barnes was the best. He says, “Jerry was the best all-around fighter in our group” in the club’s early years. Like Troy, he expressed admiration for Barnes’s high character, his humility, and his kind nature.
Barnes passed away in 2017 in Miami, Oklahoma, leaving behind the legacy of having been a pious, family-oriented, and successful man. And of course, an incredible boxer.
Jerry Barnes, 1950. Courtesy of Joel and Leslie Barnes.
Regular McAlester Boxing Club Members
Over one hundred boys fought with or for the McAlester Boxing Club from 1947-50. Some appeared just once, or maybe two or three times. Some came a handful more times. Sometimes boys would be brought in from out of town as additional attractions or till certain heavier weight classes when the club was short on able fighters.
And then there the boys who were regulars, the ones who appeared most often in club bouts. They were typically the ones who trained the most seriously and they accompanied the team to out of town matches.
There are different ways to determine who these regular fighters were in my grandfather Don Vaughan’s boxing days. I used a number of sources to compile the most complete list of regulars. To share the names of ALL the boys who fought with the club once in a while would be a significant undertaking. But compiling the names of the regular fighters is a more realistic undertaking.
Most of this list was compiled by referencing the final results of more than 60 McAlester Boxing Club matches from 1947-50. The following sources were also utilized (most lists and results are from the McAlester News Capital). 1-2 letters in parentheses following each category represents that source, and the fighters who can be tied to these sources will have these indicators next to their names.
- List of boys who were sponsored by local businesses for the 1948-49 season (S)
- List of boys who received robes from their local sponsors for the 1947-48 season (R)
- List of boys who received club jackets for the 1947-48 season (J)
- List of boys who were inaugural members of the Elks Boys Club, formed prior to the start of the 1949-50 season (I)
- Champions of the McAlester City Tournament from 1947-50 (CC)
- List of boys with fighting experiencing of at least 5 matches or more, disqualifying them from novice division participation in Golden Gloves tournaments released prior to the 1949-50 season (GG)
- List from Tom McClenahan of regulars from 1947-48 (T)
While all of these boys could be considered regulars in some capacity as they represented the club on at least five occasions each, there are still different levels of “regular” members. Some of these boys fought less than 10 club matches, while others fought upwards of 20-40 or more. Those highest level regulars who represented the club in 20 or more matches from 1947-50 (a few did reach this mark after the 1950 season) are bolded.
Ronald Anderson – Deceased, 2003. Active 1947-48.
Charles Allen – Deceased, 2003. Active 1947-50. (GG)
Jerry Barnes – Deceased, 2017. Active 1947-50. (T) (S) (R) (CC) (GG) 1950 District Golden Gloves champion.
Tommy Barron – Deceased, 2001. Active 1948-50. (S) (I) (GG) He acted as a fighter and coach both starting early in the 1948 season. Won 1947 State Golden Gloves championship in Texas. Tom McClenahan says he was a good and experienced fighter, but didn’t train the younger boys much. Jim Coxsey says he was “not a good coach, but a hell of a middleweight. He could teach you some stuff, but he was a better fighter than a coach.”
Pete Bevans – Active 1948-49. (GG)
Frank “Buster” Bone – Deceased, 2010. Active 1947-49. (S) (CC) (GG) 1948 District Golden Gloves champion. Jim Coxsey says Bone was also a successful jockey.
Kenneth Bone – Deceased, 2011. Active 1948-50. (S) (CC) (I) (GG)
Gene Carder – Deceased, 1984. Active 1947. (GG)
Al Carney – Deceased, 2017. Active 1947-50. (S) (I) (GG) Tom McClenhan and Jim Coxsey both reported Carney to be a very able boxer.
Jerry Casey – Deceased, 1976. Active 1949-50.
Joe Contreras – Living. Active 1948-50. (S) (CC)
Jimmy Coxsey – Living. Active 1947-50. (S) (I) Later won a championship title in the army and was considered for a spot on the Olympic squad but was not old enough.
Frank Crank – Deceased, 1995. Active 1947-48. (T) (R) (J) (CC) (GG) 1948 Golden Gloves District champion. Brother Louis Crank also occasionally fought with the club. Jerry Bob Troy remembers him as a good fighter who “always had a bloody nose.”
J. R. Cronic – Deceased, 1999. Active 1947-50. (GG)
Don Faughn – Deceased, 1953. Active 1947-50. (GG)
John “Skip” Faughn – Deceased, 2016. Active 1947-50. (GG)
George “Lefty” Freeman – Deceased, 2020. Active 1947-49. Twin brothers Ronald Dean and Donald Eugene also occasionally fought with the club as an opening act where they would spar each other in identical outfits. Native of “Mud Creek” went inactive for nearly two years after suffering a broken thumb against the Stuart club in 1947.
Gene Hawkins – Deceased, before 2006. Active 1948-49. (GG)
DueWayne Headley – Deceased, 2002. Active 1949-50. (I)
Jerry Barnes, left, Don Vaughan, center, DueWayne Headley, right. Early 1950s. Courtesy of Joel and Leslie Barnes.
Bobby Hendrix – Deceased, 2014. Active 1949-50.
Sampson Holden – Deceased, 2006. Active 1947-50. (T) (S) (CC) (GG) Invited to the 1949 Milk & Ice Fund bout in Oklahoma City and was McAlester’s only victor. Jim Coxsey reports that Holden later won a state title and went to the National Golden Gloves tournament in the 1950s as a welterweight. He says Holden “didn’t hit hard but could really move.” Tom McClenahan calls him “a crazy kid but a good fighter”. He also says Holden was a showman, and would sometimes bring a banjo into the ring with him and pretend to play it to be funny.
Wayne Jaggers, 1949. Courtesy of the McAlester News-Capital.
Wayne Jaggers – Deceased, 2011. Active 1948-50. (S) (I) (GG) Previously active with Haileyville club for several years, where he reportedly won multiple tournament titles.
Wallace Jefferson – Deceased, 1984. Active 1948-50. (GG) (S) Jefferson was a real character, according to Jim Coxsey. “He looked like a big crab, the way he moved. He didn’t have great form, but all of a sudden you’re on the floor. His left hand was out of this world.”
Thomas Kinnan – Active 1948-50. Brother William “Bill” Kinnan also occasionally fought with the club.
Fay Kirkpatrick – Deceased, 1986. Active 1948-50. (GG) Invited to 1949 State Golden Gloves tournament.
Walter “Gabby” Leflore – Deceased, 1995. Active 1948-49.
Jack Lillard – Active 1949-50. Brother Alfred Lillard also occasionally fought with the club.
Bill Lowe – Active 1947. (GG)
Jimmy “Levi” Luker – Deceased, 2016. Active 1949-50. Haileyville native. Brothers Kenneth and Guy were champions with the Haileyville club and occasionally joined cards for the McAlester club.
Tom McClenahan – Living. Active 1947-48. (T) (R) (GG) Only fighter to ever KO or TKO three-time state champion Don Vaughan.
Charlie Meyers – Active 1947-48. (GG) Later worked as timekeeper for club matches.
Ernest Pascoe – Deceased, 2002. Active 1947-50. (I)
Billy Pearson – Deceased, 2016. Haileyville native. Regular with the club in 1947, and continued to occasionally join cards for the McAlester club in later years.
John Price – Deceased, 1954. Active 1947. Brother Charles also occasionally fought with the club.
Bill Pritchard – Deceased, 1994. Active 1947-48. (GG)
Robert Prock – Deceased, 2009. Active 1947. (GG)
Richard Ramozetti – Deceased, 2015. Active 1947-48. (T) (R) (CC) 1948 District Golden Gloves champion. Tom McClenahan says Ramozetti hardly ever lost a fight and was the best of the smaller fighters, along with Hal Savage. McClenahan also says Ramozetti was a successful jockey. Jerry Bob Troy says Ramozetti was a “very tough fighter”; he regularly fought Johnny Ray Dusenberry of Muskogee and the pair had very entertaining bouts.
Conrad Russell – Active 1948-49. (GG)
Hal Savage – Deceased, 2012. Active 1947-49. (T) (R) (J) (CC) (GG) Identified by Tom McClenahan as one of the best smaller fighters on the team.
Tommy Sims – Deceased, 1951. Active 1947-50. (S) (CC) Jimmy Coxsey says he was recruited to the club by Sims. He contracted polio in the summer of 1951 and passed away shortly after. He was 13 years old.
Albert Sittel – Deceased, 2003. Active 1947-50. (S) (CC) (GG)
Kenneth Stancil – Active 1947. Also a Haileyville native, per Tom McClenahan.
Pat Thompson – Deceased, 2008. Active 1947-50. (S) (CC) (I) (GG) Archie and Joe Thompson were occasional fighters for the Club as well, but relationships to Pat are undetermined. Pat was the primary sparring mate of coach Tommy Barron and regularly held exhibition matches against him.
Bernard Troy – Deceased, 2008. Active 1947-50. (T) (R) (J) (CC) (GG) Later was an assistant coach with the club, according to Jim Coxsey.
Jerry Bob Troy – Living. Active 1947-50. (S) (R) (CC) (GG) 1948 District Golden Gloves champion.
Pat Troy – Deceased, 1970. Active 1947-48. (T) (R) (J) (GG) 1948 State Golden Gloves Novice champion.
Billy Turpin – Deceased, before 2012. Active 1948-49. Brother Kenneth Turpin also occasionally fought with the club. (GG)
Don Vaughan – Deceased, 2012. Active 1947-50. (T) (S) (R) (J) (CC) (I) (GG) 1948 State Golden Gloves Novice champion. 1948 AAU Champion. 1950 State Golden Gloves champion.
Jimmy Wagoner – Deceased, 2006. Active 1948-50. Brother Ernie Wagoner also occasionally fought with the club.
Danny Whisenat – Deceased, 1953. Active 1947-49. (CC) 1948 Haileyville Tournament winner. Moved to Texas, where he died at age 16.
Jon Bert Williams – Deceased, 2013. Active 1947-48. (T) (R) (J) (GG) 1948 District Golden Gloves champion. Vaughan says Williams “gave up fighting after he hurt his hand.”
Jon Bert Williams defeats Donald Connelly at the 1948 District Golden Gloves tournament in Muskogee. Lightweight, 135 pounds. Courtesy of his niece, Jackie Rains.
Grover Wilson – Deceased, 1984. Active 1947-50. (GG)
Notes:
- Some of the younger fighters remained active after 1950. This list only documents those active from spring of 1947 until summer of 1950.
- Some fighters were from Haileyville or Eufaula and fought with both clubs at one point or another.
Disclaimer and the McAlester Go-Devil Boxing Club
An important disclaimer needs to be added when discussing
the success of the McAlester Boxing Club, its star fighters, and really, all
amateur boxers across the state of Oklahoma up until 1952.
That disclaimer is that until 1952, African American boxers were
not allowed to fight white boxers. They could box other all-black squads, but
they could not go up against clubs containing white members. Native and
Hispanic boxers had no such restrictions and frequently populated local boxing
circles, but black boys were not allowed to step into the ring with their white
counterparts.
Some cities formed their own separate boxing clubs for the
local black fighters, including McAlester. Their club was called the McAlester
Go-Devil Boxing Club. Little documentation has been found about them at this
time. They did fight their Muskogee counterparts, the Muskogee Panthers,
another all-black club, semi-regularly. They likely fought other clubs around
the state as well.
Evidence exists that all-black squads were permitted to
fight all-Indian squads, but not if they had white fighters. The Goodland
Indian School and Jones Academy teams appear to have fought against all-black
clubs at times. Those all-Indian groups could also fight clubs with white
members, but the fact that white boxers could not and did not go up against
black boxers is an important footnote when discussing the accomplishments of
white boxers in Oklahoma up until 1952.
Former McAlester boxer (1947-48) Tom McClenahan agrees that
a disclaimer “definitely” needs to be added when discussing the exploits of his
friends and teammates. He says that the only time any of his teammates could
have faced black boxers would be when they fought out of state. Don Vaughan,
Jerry Barnes, and Washie Stover had fighters in Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas,
so it is possible that at some point in their careers they may have faced a
couple of black fighters, but if they did, it would not have been very often.
Does that necessarily mean that the three of them would have
been less successful than they were? It’s impossible to say for sure. They were
three top-flight talents, but it stands to reason that if the group of boys
statewide that they could fight included black boxers that they likely would
have at least a few more losses than they ended up with. The same could be said
about many of the other Oklahoma champion boxers at this time.
McClenahan says he fought nearly 50 fights in his two years
of boxing and that about 2/3 of them were against Indian boys. He says,
“There’s no question we would have lost a hell of a lot more fights,” if they
had to face black boxers.
Black teenagers in McAlester had their own high school,
L’Overtoure High School. He says “it was a damn shame” that they had that
segregated system. He believes he and his McAlester Boxing Club peers, and
fighters statewide, “absolutely” benefited from the system and certainly played
a role in the success of some boxers.
“If they’d [black boxers] been allowed to fight, the Golden
Gloves would look a lot different,” McClenahan says. He says they never really
thought about or discussed this matter at the time, as they were young and had
simply inherited a system put in place before they were born. “It never entered
our minds at the time.”
“It was probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to
us,” he says, but that in retrospect he wishes things had been different and
everyone of all colors could have the opportunities they did. He says black
students also couldn’t play football and had separate military units when he entered
the Army in the summer of 1948. He says the whole system was “sad and shameful”
and wishes things had been different. It is clear that due the inequality that
plagued this system that an asterisk belongs next to the records of all
Oklahoma boxers during this timeframe, as any reasonable observer today could
conclude that many of the state’s champions during this time would not have
been so if they had been going up against African American fighters.
While little is known about the McAlester Boxing Club’s
black counterparts, the McAlester Go-Devil Boxing Club, it is known the club
formed in 1949. In addition to its own club matches, some of the boxers would
fight preliminary bouts before the McAlester Boxing Club’s matches against
visiting clubs. The most popular version of this was a “battle [royale]” that
would occur, with 4-5 black fighters being put in the ring together and the
last one standing named the victor.
One of the first times this is documented was at the end of
March, 1949. The McAlester News Captial described the “battle [royale]” that
had occurred the night before. “Five boxers entered the ring at once and
started slugging it out. Each time a boxer went down, he had to leave the ring.
Finally, two brothers—Lyle Curtis and William Curtis—were the only ones left,
and after a few minutes of slugging, officials called it a draw.”
Another one of these matches occurred before Easter, with
the victor receiving a large Easter basket full of candy. These fights usually
occurred with very small boys, but were just as dangerous as if they were
full-grown men. It is well-known today that this style of fighting is extremely
dangerous and opens the participants up to the possibility of being seriously
injured. It is hard to believe that the officials who put on these “battles [royale]”
didn’t know this. After reviewing hundreds of articles about boxing in
McAlester from 1947-1950, not one instance was reported where white boys were
encouraged to take part in such a dangerous event.
Though their matches and achievements received far less
acclaim than those of the McAlester Boxing Club, the Go-Devils club surely had
its share of capable, talented, and fierce fighters. The known names of those
fighters include: Climmit Austin, Ever Bradford, Iritus Clayton, William
Cotton, Eli Curtis, Lyle Curtis, Robert Curtis, William Curtis, Leon Ellis, William
Jones, James Kenney, Albert Washington, Delmer Washington, Elmer Washington, E.
U. Washington, and Bill Weaver. Spellings are as reported by the McAlester
News-Capital.
