“Running to Harvard” Upcoming Documentary
A Man, a Family and a Colorado Community that Dared to Dream of a Better America
“Running to Harvard,” Executive Producer
Frank Shines
I am Frank Shines, the executive producer of “Running to Harvard” and the grandson of Tandy Stroud, a WWII Army veteran, newspaper publisher, real-estate developer and statistician who trained and alongside his older brother, Dolphus.
Both Tandy (5’4″) and Dolphus were scholar-athletes with Olympic dreams, growing up in Colorado Springs during the 1920s and 1930s.
Kelley Dolphus Stroud was born in “Indian Territory” just a few months before Oklahoma received statehood, and preferred to be called Dolphus.
In 1910, his parents (K.D. and Lulu) fled Oklahoma for Colorado Springs to escape the escalating racial violence, Jim Crow laws and the segregated public school system that was spreading throughout the state. The couple understood that hard work and education would be crucial to their children’s success. The city of Colorado Springs, under the leadership of General Palmer, provided this opportunity for the Stroud family.
K.D. assisted in building and later graduated from Langston University with a degree in education. He proceeded to study theology and practice law under the guidance of an accomplished white lawyer near Chandler, Oklahoma. Once in Colorado Springs, he taught his eleven children math, science, literature, and the arts well before they began formal schooling. All eleven children excelled academically and went on to achieve pioneering accomplishments in business, academia, science (including the Apollo missions), public service, publishing, and the arts.
The most famous of the eleven siblings was my great-uncle Dolphus, who won the Rocky Mountain region qualifying race for the Olympic Trials held at Harvard Stadium. Due to his race, he was denied funding for travel and not allowed to ride the train with the other White athletes.
Undeterred, Dolphus ran, walked and hitchhiked 2,000 miles from Colorado to Cambridge for an opportunity to compete in the 1928 Olympics. Running to Harvard chronicles his inspiring journey.
RTL Foundation
Non-Profit Fiscal Sponsor
Richard Lewis, founder of the RTL Foundation, is a fellow Air Force Academy graduate and friend of Frank Shines, the executive director of “Running to Harvard.”
Mr. Lewis is also a long-time friend of the Stroud family, military vet and a successful Hi Tech CEO with his business headquarters, RTL Networks, in Denver.
We welcome your support by Donation.
Creative Team:
Ralph, Ky and Mike
Ralph-Michael Giordano, a 35-year resident of Colorado Springs, is the Executive Director of “Running to Harvard.”
Mike Pach is the Assistant Director for the upcoming documentary and Ky Hanchett is the Cinematographer.
In an era of violent extremism and political polarization in the United States, “Running to Harvard” aims to promote safe and civil discourse on crucial issues concerning family, country, and community.
While viewpoint diversity and democracy are inherently difficult, frustrating and inefficient, Dr. W. Edwards Deming reminds us, “We dare not have it any other way.”
Dolphus Stroud’s 2,000 Race for the 1928 Olympics
Inspired by the life stories of Dolphus Stroud, his Aunt Jenny of the Creek Nation and his siblings Effie Stroud and Tandy Stroud, we follow Dolphus’ 2,000-mile cross-country journey for a chance to compete in the 1928 Olympics, eight years before Jesse Owens‘ historic Berlin Olympic performance.