The Legend of College Corner
by JACK RIGGS

The Indiana and Ohio state flags flank the American flag outside College Corner's School (Ron Tower photo)

Has anyone heard of a little hamlet by the name of College Corner, Ohio, and West College Corner, Indiana? The little town is on U.S. 27, six miles west of Oxford, Ohio, and seven miles east of Liberty, Indiana. The Ohio and Indiana State line runs North and South through the little town. There is a treat in store for you-you must stop and see this historic school and gymnasium.

This is a true story about a state line dividing two communities, and a school building -- that’s right -- the state line runs through the center of the school, this is also a true story about a basketball gymnasium and the basketball teams that played in that gym. Believe it or not, you have to see it for yourself, the state line actually runs through the center circle of the basketball floor, dividing the two states, Ohio on the right and Indiana on the left. Quite a few years ago, College Corner High School was in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

In 1893 a farmer gave some land to build the first school building. In 1924 a modern brick building was erected across the state line of both states. The building and the school are in fine shape, and has been given the best of care. The years and age have had little or no effect. School consolidation has taken away the high school and it is now inhabited by elementary students.

As far as anyone knows, College Corner is the only school in the United States of America that a state line separates a town and community. There are 3 flag poles in the front of the school. The American flag flies in the middle on the state line, the Ohio state flag flies on the right and the Indiana state flag flies on the left. Above the front doors on the left side of the building reads Indiana and the right side reads Ohio; so when you enter the building you could enter from either state. Another interesting note is that the town is divided by two counties, Preble County is to the north and Butler County is to the south.

During the 1920’s the Ohio and Indiana State Legislators had to pass a special legislative act so the school children in College Corner could attend the same school, it was named an island school district.

On July 1st, 1995, the school district switched operation from both state’s school laws and now operates under Indiana state school laws only. College Corner has an Ohio address; however, the telephone number is an Indiana number. The school has two school boards. Two board members are from Ohio. College Corner is also a local school district in Ohio.

The State of Ohio pays tuition for their students to attend, which comprises twenty-five percent of the student body. The State of Ohio is the landlord of the school building. The school is a part of the Union County Indiana College Corner Joint School District.

In 1924, when the College Corner school was built, the residents were fearful that the state line might divide the community, but they definitely did not want it to divide the students of the community.

The last graduating class at College Corner was in 1972. After that, year a consolidation of all schools in Union County Indiana, located in Liberty, Indiana, became one school known as Union County Middle and High School in Liberty, Indiana.

A full-court view of the gym. (Ron Tower photo)

In 1943 Charlie Dills was the College Corner basketball coach. Coach Dills had coached in Ohio, as well as in Indiana, and had some good teams at College Corner. By the 1950-51 season Ed Osterman was heading up the job as coach and led the team to a best-ever record, going 26-2. They had four very good basketball players; Jack Rogers, who was a three-year starter; Bill Cassidy, Bob Gilmore, Rex Clark and Harold Gilmore, who was also on the 1952 team.

Jack Rogers went on to play basketball at Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and had a distinguished career. Years later, Jack became the C.E.O. of United Parcel Service. "Little" Rex Clark became a minister. John Simms, a 1957 graduate, became the basketball coach during the 1960’s and was their coach for nine seasons.

College Corner competed with schools in Ohio who were “Class B” of a two-class system. They were members of a twelve-team league in Preble County, Ohio, and also played schools in Indiana. Eaton, the county seat of Preble County, did not play these schools, as they were a larger school in “Class A”. When the time came to play in their county tourney there was no gymnasium in Preble County large enough to accommodate all their fans and for several years they held their county tournament in the Trueblood Fieldhouse on the campus of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. After a few years the tournament was moved to the Richmond Civic Auditorium, close to Richmond High School, which seated 4,000 people.

Harold Gilmore said the tournament became such a big event and such an enjoyment that, over the years, most of the fans got to know each other and it became “one big happy family”. Preble County’s tournament was unique, it was double elimination, the winner and consolation winner went on to the regional tournament at Xenia, Ohio, which was the beginning of the Ohio High School State Basketball Tournament. 1964-65 was the last year of the Preble County Tournament. In Ohio all teams play their games on a neutral floor, so no team has a home-court advantage. Then, In the school year of 1965-66, College Corner entered the one-class Indiana High School Basketball Tournament. Their season games were with schools in the White Water Valley Conference, as well as schools in Ohio. Coach John Simms said it was a rough start, his teams were not ready for the strong competition of the larger schools.

In the Connersville sectional, College Corner had to play Connersville, a high school with a large student enrollment and they were very badly beaten. According to Coach Simms, there was some consolation to the defeat as the school received $90.00 for their effort in the Ohio tournament and in their first appearance in the Connersville sectional, College Corner received $1,200.00, a tremendous difference.

By 1968-69, Coach Simms had his best team at College Corner, his players had gotten stronger and more competitive in the Indiana school system, they were sharp in their fundamentals and played hard. Greg Kirkpatrick played center and was a very good rebounder for his size. Chester Curry was a very good ball player and after college he went west to Colorado and is now the high school basketball coach at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado. Mike Simms, the younger brother of Coach John Simms, was also very good and fundamentally sharp. By the end of February his team was playing very well and they were ready for the Connersville sectional.

The players on this 1969 team were very unique in their own right. During their years in elementary and junior high school they became so knowledgeable in their basketball fundamentals they worked out an act, a la-la Harlem Globe Trotter routine. They performed at high schools and colleges such as Miami University. They Also performed at the Cincinnati Garden and the fans loved to see those kids perform.

When these boys became seniors in high school, they were veterans and ready to play in the “big” Connersville sectional for real. They played tough against Connersville through both halves of the game. College Corner was leading the big team school and with just one or two minutes to go, College Corner had four one-on-one free throws and missed all four. It was not meant to be! Fate had stepped in and the Connersville Spartans beat the College Corner Trojans. How ironic that the Spartans had beaten the Trojans.

College Corner played three more years in the Indiana tournament and then they were merged into the Union County Consolidation.

Wilbur Curry has to be an icon and a legend in the West College Corner and Liberty communities. Before moving to that community he graduated from Brookville High School, in Franklin County, Indiana, in 1943. Wilbur has a vast knowledge of basketball. He was scorer and time keeper for College Corner for many years and served eight years on the school board. When College Corner merged into the consolidation school system of Union County, Wilbur became the score keeper for Union County’s basketball teams and still is, to this day. Wilbur gives freely of his time to assist many different organizations in the West College Corner and Liberty areas. Every community would be fortunate to have a Wilbur Curry to donate their time and energy to so many worthwhile causes.

This writer was curious to know if any player had ever hit and scored a basket during a game from one state into the other state. Yes, it has been done, Mike Simms of the 1969 team did it, and it surely must have been a great feeling.

Another player, who played in the same league, was Randy Gilmer whose career was at Lewisburg, in Northern Preble County, Ohio. Randy says it was very exhilarating to hit a basketball from the Ohio back court into the basket in the Indiana front court. Randy doubted that anyone would remember him hitting that shot, but as the years went by, and he would tell someone about hitting a shot from one state to another, it became very joyful experience watching the expressions on their faces. Randy told me that College Corner won that game, even though he made that shot. Randy graduated from Lewisburg High School in 1970 and went on to play for Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. For the past twenty-five years he has been the head coach at Cy Springs High School in Cypress, Texas, which is just outside Houston. Randy is the coach of a 6’7” player by the name of Robert Cates, who happens to be the grandson of Hall of Famer and Past President of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Tom Wallace. Robert is going to attend college at Southwestern University.

When the conversation of basketball arises between two people, a person finds out a lot about the sport and the nostalgia of the sport. Coach Gilmer told this writer he had been a good friend of Ron Truitt, who was a member of the Milan Team that won the Indiana State Basketball Championship in 1954. Most of the conversation centered around the tradition of Indiana High School basketball. Ron played his basketball for Guy Lewis at the University of Houston and, after his college playing days were over, he remained in Texas to coach high school ball. During his tenure, Ron had coached one of his teams in 1970-71 to win a Texas State Basketball Championship at Cy-Fair High School. Ron Truitt was so well thought of that they named a junior high school after him.
The people of Indiana should be very proud of the tradition of Indiana High School Basketball, the influence is known, not just in this country, but world-side. (Emphasis mine)

The school building and gymnasium are still standing in College Corner, Ohio, and West College Corner, Indiana. What fond and wonderful memories the inhabitants of that little community must hold in the back of their minds. To this day College Corner is still the only town to have a state line run through the center of their school and their basketball gymnasium. Time marches on! Memories linger!