Battle for the Victory Bell

1957 Press PassIt’s that time of year, and in honor of this Saturday’s UNC-Duke football game, we thought we would revisit the same event 50 years ago: the dramatic November 23, 1957 face-off at Wallace Wade Stadium. UNC coach Jim Tatum had suspended quarterback Dave Reed a few weeks earlier in the season (prior to the Wake Forest game), and “Dook” was expected to win . . . making the Heels’ surprise 21 to 13 victory all the sweeter.
Hugh Morton was on the sidelines, of course, and we have his press pass (above) to prove it. After the game, Morton made a well-known photograph of Coach Tatum embracing an emotional Reed. That photograph is featured on page 168 of the 2003 book Hugh Morton’s North Carolina. The image below shows an enthusiastic but unidentified UNC fan in the stands that day, wearing buttons that read “Beat Dook” and “I Told You So.” Do you know who this is?

Unidentified UNC fan

11 thoughts on “Battle for the Victory Bell”

  1. Here’s a bit more on the Reed story that I found while reading the Daily Tar Heel during lunch. Reed was a team co-captain, but shared the quarterbacking duties with two others, including Jack Cummings. Tatum suspended Reed and three teammates after they “broke training rules” the Thursday evening before the Saturday game with Wake Forest. Reed’s replacement broke his arm in the game prior to the Duke match-up, so sophomore Jack Cummings played against the Blue Devils. He had a brilliant game leading the Tar Heels to recapture the Victory Bell after a seven-year drought. Cummings went on to become the first team all-ACC quarterback in 1958.

  2. I am only guessing, but the enthusiastic fan at the Duke-Carolina game looks more like Ike Grainger (UNC ’41 or thereabouts) than Skipper Bowles.

  3. A quick followup to Julia Morton’s post of 11/22/07. “Ike” Grainger’s senior UNC photograph can be found on page 74 of the 1941 Yack.

  4. Dave Reed was my uncle. I remember him as being a great athlete, who preferred to do things his own way, and deal with the consequences – whether good or bad. He passed a few years ago. My Mother and Father and Grandparents went to every game possible while he was in school, making the trip from Shamokin, Pennsylvania. Is there anyway to get a copy of the photo from Hugh Morton’s North Carolina book? The photo is on page 168.
    My uncle’s favorite is my older brother. He is currenlty being treated for cancer. I would love to give him a copy of this photo as a present, in remembrance/honor of our Uncle .
    Any information about obtaining a copy of the photo would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank you.

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