View source for Duke Slater

{{Short description|American football player and judge (1898–1966)}}
{{for|the fictional character|List of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. characters#Private First Class and later Corporal Gilbert 'Duke' Slater}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Duke Slater
| image       = Duke Slater.jpg
| alt         =
| caption     = 
| number      = 14, 16, 7, 47
| position    = [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Tackle]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1898|12|9}}
| birth_place = [[Normal, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|1966|8|14|1898|12|9}}
| death_place = [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 1
| weight_lb   = 215
| high_school = [[Clinton High School (Iowa)|Clinton]] <br> ([[Clinton, Iowa]])
| college     = [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]] (1918–1921)
| pastteams   = * [[Rock Island Independents]] ({{NFL Year|1922}})
* [[Milwaukee Badgers]] ({{NFL Year|1922}})
* Rock Island Independents ({{NFL Year|1923}}–[[1926 American Football League season|1926]])
* [[Chicago Cardinals]] ({{NFL Year|1926|1931}})
| highlights  = * 4× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1923 All-Pro Team|1923]], [[1925 All-Pro Team|1925]], [[1927 All-Pro Team|1927]], [[1929 All-Pro Team|1929]])
* 2× Second-team All-Pro ([[1924 All-Pro Team|1924]], [[1930 All-Pro Team|1930]])
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]])
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1921 College Football All-America Team|1921]])
* Third-team All-American ([[1919 College Football All-America Team|1919]])
* 3× First-team [[All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1919 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1919]]–[[1921 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1921]])
| statlabel1  = Games played
| statvalue1  = 90
| statlabel2  = Games started
| statvalue2  = 87
| statlabel3  = [[Touchdown|Touchdowns scored]]
| statvalue3  = 1
| pfr         = S/SlatDu20
| CollegeHOF  = 1415
| HOF         = duke-slater 
}}

'''Frederick Wayman''' "'''Duke'''" '''Slater''' (December 9, 1898 – August 14, 1966) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player and judge. He was enshrined in the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1951<ref name=CFBHOF>{{Cite web|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1415|title=Duke Slater (1951) - Hall of Fame|website=National Football Foundation}}</ref> and was named to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]'s Centennial Class in 2020.<ref name=PFBHOFNAMED2020>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28488678/paul-tagliabue-steve-sabol-selected-pro-football-hall-fame-centennial-class|title=Tagliabue, Steve Sabol among 13 picked for HOF|date=January 15, 2020|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

Slater played [[college football]] for the [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa Hawkeyes]] from 1918 to 1921.<ref name=IALetterwinners>{{cite web |url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2004/6/2/All_Time_Letterwinners.aspx?path=football |title=Official Athletics Website of the Iowa Hawkeyes |website=hawkeyesports.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104155803/http://www.hawkeyesports.com/news/2004/6/2/All_Time_Letterwinners.aspx?path=football |archive-date=2017-01-04}}</ref> Playing the [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|tackle]] position on the line, he was a first-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] in 1921<ref name=Bio71>Rozendaal, Neal (2012). ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge,'' pgs. 71-72 ({{ISBN|978-0-7864-6957-4}})</ref> and a member of [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|the Hawkeyes 1921 national championship team]]. Slater joined the [[National Football League]] (NFL) the following year, becoming the first black lineman in league history.<ref name=Roz4>Neal Rozendaal, "Remembering Duke Slater", ''The Coffin Corner'', vol. 34, no. 6 (November–December 2012), p. 4.</ref> He played ten seasons in the NFL for the [[Milwaukee Badgers]], the [[Rock Island Independents]]{{efn|The Independents played the 1926 season in the [[American Football League (1926)|American Football League]] (AFL)}} and the [[Chicago Cardinals]], garnering six all-pro selections.<ref name=PFRef>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SlatDu20.htm|title=Duke Slater Stats|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref>

Slater earned his law degree in 1928 and began to practice law as a Chicago attorney.<ref name=ForIowa>{{Cite web|url=https://magazine.foriowa.org/story.php?ed=true&storyid=1880|title=Old Gold: Duke Slater the Hawkeye Trailblazer &#124; University of Iowa|website=magazine.foriowa.org}}</ref> In 1948, he was elected to the Cook County Municipal Court, becoming just the second African-American judge in Chicago history.<ref name=Hauge>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-duke-slater-hall-of-fame-haugh-spt-0806-20170805-column.html|title=Duke Slater, pioneer Chicago Cardinal and city judge, deserves Hall of Fame spot|first=David|last=Haugh|website=chicagotribune.com|date=August 5, 2017 }}</ref> Slater served as a Chicago judge for nearly two decades until his death in 1966.<ref name=Bio175>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 175</ref>

==Early life==
Fred Slater was born in Illinois in 1898, the son of George Slater, a [[Methodist]] minister. As a boy, Fred somehow picked up the name of the family dog, Duke, as a personal nickname, and he would carry it with him all his life. When Duke Slater was 13 years old, he moved to [[Clinton, Iowa]], after George became pastor of the [[African Methodist Episcopal Church|A.M.E. church]] there.<ref name=HGBTN73>Hammes, Lyle, and Neal Rozendaal (2010). ''Hawkeye Greats, By The Numbers'', p. 73 ({{ISBN|978-1-4269-4303-4}})</ref>

Fearing injury, George Slater initially forbade Duke from trying out for football at [[Clinton High School (Iowa)|Clinton High School]], believing it to be a sport played by "roughnecks."<ref name=Bio14>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 14</ref> A brokenhearted Duke went on a hunger strike for several days, and George finally acquiesced on the condition that Duke must be careful to avoid injury. As a result, Slater always took care not to complain or show signs of his football injuries.<ref name="greatest">Dukes, Mark, & Gus Schrader. ''Greatest Moments In Iowa Hawkeyes Football History,'' pgs. 18-19 ({{ISBN|1-57243-261-6}})</ref>

Every high school player needed to provide their own shoes and helmet. George could not afford both, so he asked Duke to choose. Slater decided he needed shoes more, and he played every game at Clinton High School without a helmet.<ref name="HGBTN73" /> Meanwhile, Slater's feet were so big that his shoes had to be special ordered from Chicago.<ref name="greatest" />

Duke Slater played three seasons of football for Clinton High School from 1913 to 1915.<ref name=Bio191>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 191</ref> Clinton claimed two Iowa state championships in 1913 and 1914, and the school compiled a 22-3-1 record in Duke's three years there.<ref name=Bio191 /><ref name=SlaterBio>{{Cite web|url=https://nealrozendaal.com/dukeslater/about-duke-slater/|title=About Duke Slater|date=January 10, 2013|website=Neal Rozendaal}}</ref> Despite playing primarily at tackle, Slater led Clinton in scoring as a senior in 1915, rushing for six touchdowns from the fullback position.<ref name=Bio30>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 30</ref>

==College career==
When Slater arrived at [[Iowa Hawkeyes Football|Iowa]] in 1918, eligibility rules had been suspended due to World War I. Therefore, Slater was able to play football as a freshman and earned four letters for the Hawkeye football team from 1918 to 1921.<ref name=HGBTN74>Hammes and Rozendaal, ''Hawkeye Greats, By The Numbers'', p. 74</ref> The Hawkeyes compiled a record of 23–6–1 during Slater's four years in uniform.<ref name=SlaterBio />

Iowa finished with a 5–2 record in 1919, losing their two games by a combined five points.<ref name=Bio79>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 79</ref> As a sophomore, Slater earned unanimous first-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] honors.<ref name=HGBTN74 /> He was also chosen as a [[1919 College Football All-America Team|second team All-American in 1919]], becoming just the sixth black player ever to earn All-American honors in college football.<ref name=Bio46>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 46</ref>

In Slater's senior year in 1921, Iowa claimed a share of the [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|1921 national championship]], posting a perfect 7–0 record and never trailing at any point during the season.<ref name=SlaterBio /> The 1921 Hawkeyes captured the school's first Big Ten title in 21 years and won the first outright Big Ten crown in school history.<ref name=Bio49>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 49</ref>

That season, Iowa upset [[1921 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]], 10–7, handing them their first defeat in three years. A photo taken during the game by university photographer F. W. Kent showed a helmetless Slater clearing a hole for teammate [[Gordon Locke]] by blocking three Notre Dame defenders.<ref name=HGBTN74 />

Notre Dame head coach [[Knute Rockne]] later said, "This fellow Slater just about beat my team single-handed in the only contest we lost. Realizing the great strength of Slater and the fact that he knew how to use that strength to intelligent advantage, I had four of my players massed around Slater throughout the game. Occasionally my boys would stop the big tackle, but those times were the exception. Usually, he made such holes in my strong line that fullback Locke would go through for long gains, often standing straight up as he advanced with the ball."<ref name=HGBTN74 />

Sportswriter [[Walter Eckersall]] said, "Slater is so powerful that one man cannot handle him and opposing elevens have found it necessary to send two men against him every time a play was sent off his side of the line."<ref name=Bio46 /> [[Fritz Crisler]], later a head football coach and athletic director at Michigan, said, "Duke Slater was the best tackle I ever played against. I tried to block him throughout my college career but never once did I impede his progress to the ball carrier."<ref name=Bio48>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 48</ref>

Slater was named first-team All-Big Ten for the third straight year in 1921.<ref name=HGBTN74 /> He was also named an All-American for the second time, earning [[1921 College Football All-America Team|first team All-American honors in 1921]] from multiple selectors. Duke Slater was just the third black player to earn All-American honors in two different seasons, following [[William Henry Lewis]] and [[Bobby Marshall]].<ref name=Bio73>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 73</ref>

Slater also earned three varsity letters for the Hawkeye track team, participating in field events.<ref name=HGBTN75>Hammes and Rozendaal, ''Hawkeye Greats, By The Numbers'', p. 75</ref> Slater placed third in the hammer throw and fourth in the discus throw while helping Iowa to a third-place finish at the inaugural [[1921 NCAA Track and Field Championships]].

==Professional career==
===Rock Island Independents (first stint)===
Duke Slater joined the NFL's [[Rock Island Independents]] in 1922, becoming the first black lineman in NFL history.<ref name=Roz4 /> He made his NFL debut on October 1, 1922, helping the Independents to a 19–14 victory over the [[Green Bay Packers]] by swatting down a pass from Packers quarterback [[Curly Lambeau]] on Green Bay's final drive of the game.<ref name=Bio77>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 77</ref>

===Milwaukee Badgers===
After Rock Island completed their 1922 season schedule, Slater joined [[Fritz Pollard]] and [[Paul Robeson]] on the [[Milwaukee Badgers]] for two games at the end of the 1922 season.

===Rock Island Independents (second stint)===
In 1923, he returned to Rock Island and played his next four seasons – five in all – with the Independents.<ref name=SlaterBio />

Bolstered by an aging [[Jim Thorpe]], [[1924 Rock Island Independents season|the 1924 Independents]] surged to the top of the NFL standings a month into the season. The Independents suffered their first loss of the year when the previously winless [[Kansas City Blues (NFL)|Kansas City Blues]] upset them, 23–7. Slater was held out of the game because the NFL had a "gentlemen's agreement" prohibiting black players from participating in games held in Missouri; it was the only contest Slater missed in his ten-year NFL career.<ref name=Roz4 />

Three weeks later, the Blues and Independents met again in Rock Island. Because the game was held in Illinois, Slater was free to play, and with Slater in the lineup, the Independents won the rematch in a shutout, 17–0. But the earlier loss to Kansas City proved costly when Rock Island finished the year with two defeats, one more than the NFL champion [[Cleveland Bulldogs]].<ref name=Roz4 />

In 1926, the Rock Island Independents left the NFL to play in the rival [[American Football League (1926)|American Football League]] (AFL). Slater played one season with Rock Island in the AFL before the league's dissolution.<ref name=SlaterBio />

Duke Slater was a three-time all-NFL selection with Rock Island from 1923 to 1925. He was also named first-team all-pro by the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' in 1926, which chose their all-pro team with players from both the NFL and AFL. In Slater's five seasons with the Rock Island Independents, he played all sixty minutes of every game in which he appeared.<ref name=Roz5>Rozendaal, "Remembering Duke Slater", p. 5.</ref>

===Chicago Cardinals===
Duke Slater signed a contract with the NFL's [[Chicago Cardinals]] near the end of the 1926 season and appeared in their final two games that season. By signing with the [[Arizona Cardinals|Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals]] in 1926, Slater became the first African-American to play for a current NFL franchise.<ref name=HGBTN75 />

At Slater's urging, the Chicago Cardinals brought in [[Harold Bradley Sr.]] to play guard alongside him in 1928, making Bradley the second black lineman in NFL history.<ref name=Bio115>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 115</ref> However, Bradley's NFL career lasted just two games. With the exception of those two games by Bradley, Duke Slater was the only African-American in the NFL from 1927 to 1929.<ref name=Hauge />

Slater's streak of five straight all-pro appearances was broken in 1928, when the Cardinals played just a six-game schedule; after the season, Cardinals owner [[Chris O'Brien (American football)|Chris O'Brien]] sold the team to Chicago physician [[David Jones (Cardinals owner)|Dr. David Jones]]. Jones purged the Cardinals roster in 1929, bringing back just four players from the previous season, but Slater – once again the only black player in the NFL – was one of four Cardinals to return.<ref name=Bio118>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 118</ref>

Star fullback [[Ernie Nevers]] joined the Cardinals in 1929. On November 28, 1929, Nevers set an NFL record by scoring all 40 points in the Cardinals' 40–6 win over their intra-city rivals, the [[Chicago Bears]]. Nevers' mark of 40 points in a single game is the oldest untied [[List of National Football League records (individual)|individual record in the NFL's record books]], having stood since 1929.

Duke Slater played all sixty minutes in that game, the only Cardinal lineman to do so.<ref name=Roz5 /> The ''[[Chicago Herald-Examiner]]'' reported, "Duke Slater, the veteran colored tackle, seemed the dominant figure in that forward wall which had the Bear front wobbly. It was Slater who opened the holes for Nevers when a touchdown was in the making."<ref name=Bio123>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 123</ref>

Bears head coach and owner [[George Halas]] later said, "I can't say too much about Duke Slater as a football player and as a gentleman. In the old Cardinal-Bears games, I learned it was absolutely useless to run against Slater's side of the Cardinal line. They talked about Fordham's famous [[Seven Blocks of Granite]] in the mid-1930s and what a line that was. Well, Slater was a One Man Line a decade before that. Seven Blocks of Granite? He was the [[Rock of Gibraltar]]."<ref name=Roz7>Rozendaal, "Remembering Duke Slater", p. 7.</ref>

In 1927 and 1929, Duke Slater was the only black player in the NFL, yet he was an all-pro selection both seasons.<ref name=HGBTN75 /> He was named all-pro for the seventh and final time in 1930, becoming the first NFL lineman to make all-pro teams in seven seasons.<ref name=Roz5 /> Slater retired after the 1931 season, and his ten NFL seasons ranked third in league history at the time of his retirement.<ref name=Roz5 />

Duke Slater played more seasons (10), played in more games (99), started more games (96), and had more all-pro selections (six) than any other African-American player in the NFL from 1920 to 1945. Second in all of those categories was Fritz Pollard, who was elected to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2005.<ref name=Roz5 />

==Coaching career==
Two years after Duke Slater retired, the NFL enacted an unofficial color ban; no African-Americans appeared in the NFL from 1934 to 1945.<ref name=Roz6>Rozendaal, "Remembering Duke Slater", p. 6.</ref> Slater helped give black football players a place to play by assembling and coaching several all-star teams of African-American players. Slater served as head coach of the Chicago Negro All-Stars (1933), the Chicago Brown Bombers (1937), the [[Chicago Comets]] (1939), and the Chicago Panthers (1940).<ref name=Roz6 /> Slater also served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Negro All-Stars in a 1938 exhibition against the Chicago Bears.<ref name=Roz6 />

==Law career and years after football==
While playing in the NFL, Duke Slater returned to Iowa in the off-seasons to attend law school.<ref name=HGBTN75 /> Slater earned his law degree from the University of Iowa's College of Law in 1928.<ref name=ForIowa /> He then practiced law in Chicago while playing for the Cardinals. After one year as a high school coach and athletic director in Oklahoma City, Slater returned to Chicago in 1933 as an attorney.<ref name=HGBTN75 />

In 1948, he was elected to the Cook County Municipal Court after receiving nearly one million votes.<ref name=Bio154>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 154</ref> Duke Slater was the second African-American judge in Chicago history, following Wendell E. Green, who was elected in 1942.<ref name=Bio153>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 153</ref>

Slater served two six-year terms on the Municipal Court. In 1960, he was the first African-American elevated to the Cook County Superior Court, the highest court in Chicago at the time. Four years later, Slater moved to the Circuit Court of Cook County following that institution's formation.<ref name=SlaterBio />

Duke Slater was an active booster and recruiter for the University of Iowa throughout his life. He recruited dozens of prominent African-American athletes to Iowa City, including [[Ozzie Simmons]], [[James J. Walker (American football)|Jim Walker]], [[Emlen Tunnell]], [[Earl Banks]], [[Harold Bradley Jr.]], [[Nolden Gentry]], [[Carl Cain]], wrestler Simon Roberts, and many others.<ref name=SlaterBio />

==Personal life and death==
[[File:Grave of Frederick Wayman Slater (1898–1966) at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens South.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Slater's grave at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens South]]

Slater married Etta Searcy in 1926, and they remained married until her death in 1962; they had no children.<ref name=SlaterBio /><ref name=Bio103>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 103</ref> Duke Slater died in 1966 at age 67 of stomach cancer, and was buried in Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens South near Chicago.<ref name="Bio178">Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 178</ref>

==Honors==

For his playing career at Clinton High School, Duke Slater was elected to the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame in 1980.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/site/iahsaasports/hof-honors-and-awards/ifca-hall-of-fame |title=IFCA Football Hall of Fame - Iowa High School Sports |website=sites.google.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408054722/https://sites.google.com/site/iahsaasports/hof-honors-and-awards/ifca-hall-of-fame |archive-date=2016-04-08}}</ref>

Slater was one of just five football players inducted into the [[Iowa Sports Hall of Fame]] in the Hall's inaugural year in 1951, joining [[Nile Kinnick]], [[Aubrey Devine]], [[Jay Berwanger]], and [[Elmer Layden]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.desmoinesregister.com/hall-of-fame/single.php?id=563|title=Register Sports Hall of Fame Database - Duke Slater &#124; DesMoinesRegister.com|website=data.desmoinesregister.com}}</ref>

In 1946, Slater was one of 11 players selected to an all-time college football All-American team by a nationwide poll of 600 sportswriters and coaches.<ref name=SlaterBio /> The Football Writers Association of America chose Duke Slater in 1969 as one of 44 players on an all-century team covering the first 100 years of college football.<ref name="Bio178"/>

When the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] opened in 1951, Duke Slater was the only African-American elected in the Hall's inaugural class.<ref name=SlaterBio /> He was one of two Hawkeye players inducted that year, along with Nile Kinnick.<ref name=SlaterBio />

In 1972, University of Iowa president Willard Boyd proposed renaming Iowa Stadium "Kinnick-Slater Stadium" after Nile Kinnick and Duke Slater, but the university decided to name it after Kinnick alone. Instead, the university named the residence hall closest to the stadium Slater Hall in his honor.<ref name=Bio181>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 181</ref>

Hawkeye fans voted for an [[List of Iowa Hawkeyes football honorees|all-time University of Iowa football team]] during the 100th anniversary celebration of Iowa football in 1989, and Slater was selected as a tackle.

In 2013, the University of Iowa placed Duke Slater's name and jersey number (#15) on the Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor. Slater was one of nine Hawkeyes recognized on the Wall of Honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2013/08/20/9-hawkeyes-named-to-kinnick-stadium-wall-of-honor/|title=9 Hawkeyes Named to Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor|date=August 20, 2013|website=University of Iowa Athletics}}</ref>

In 2019, the University of Iowa unveiled a sculpture of Duke Slater on the north end of Kinnick Stadium. The relief depicts Slater's famous block against Notre Dame in 1921, captured in the photograph by Kent. A plaque next to the relief reads, "Slater drives the opposition back in calm determination. His life in football and beyond was defined by triumph and relentless breaking of boundaries."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2019/08/08/football-slater-relief-enhances-north-end-zone-renovations/|title=Slater Relief Enhances North End Zone Renovations|date=August 8, 2019|website=University of Iowa Athletics}}</ref>

An apartment complex in Chicago, Judge Slater Apartments, is named in his honor.<ref name=Bio179>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 179</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Illinois/Chicago/Judge-Slater-Apartments/lnp001E000000nyMSzIAM/ | title=Judge Slater Apartments - Chicago, IL 60653 }}</ref>

The [[Professional Football Researchers Association]] (PFRA) elected Duke Slater to their second Hall of Very Good class in 2004. Slater was also one of four players the PFRA officially endorsed for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with [[LaVern Dilweg]], [[Mac Speedie]], and [[Al Wistert]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballresearchers.org/hall-of-very-good.html|title=HALL OF VERY GOOD &#124; PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL RESEARCHERS ASSOCIATION|website=www.profootballresearchers.org}}</ref>

Before the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in 1963, Duke Slater was mentioned by United Press International as one of nine candidates that had been nominated for election to the new Hall.<ref name=Bio186>Rozendaal, ''Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge'', p. 186</ref> Duke was also listed as one of six "strong candidates" for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the Associated Press in 1964.<ref name=Bio186 />

Slater was a finalist for the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and 1971, the first two years finalists were publicly announced by the organization.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/heroes-of-the-game/hall-of-famers-yearly-finalists/|title=Hall of Famers: Yearly Finalists - Hall of Famers &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref> In 1972, the Hall created a Seniors Committee, which would provide the exclusive nominations for players who retired over 25 years ago.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/heroes-of-the-game/selection-process-faq/|title=Selection Process FAQ - Selection Process &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref> From 1972 to 2019, the Seniors Committee declined to nominate Slater as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/heroes-of-the-game/senior-finalists/|title=Senior Finalists - Selection Process &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>

On January 15, 2020, Duke Slater was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Centennial Class.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/centennial-slate-for-class-of-2020-revealed/|title=Centennial Slate for Class of 2020 Revealed &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>

In July 2021 it was announced that the field of Kinnick Stadium would be named Slater Field in his honor.

==See also==
*[[List of African-American jurists]]

==Notes and footnotes==
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{cfbhof|id=1415|name=Duke Slater}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=2525810 |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=S/SlatDu20 |rotoworld= }}

{{1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football navbox}}
{{2020 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Duke}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:American football tackles]]
[[Category:Chicago Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Badgers players]]
[[Category:Rock Island Independents (AFL) players]]
[[Category:Rock Island Independents players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Clinton, Iowa]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Normal, Illinois]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Iowa]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Illinois]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:American male hammer throwers]]
[[Category:American male discus throwers]]