Keeping Legacy Alive for Incredible Syracuse Student-Athlete Veteran
What if one of the greatest student-athletes in Íř±¬ĂĹ’s storied history—its first Black sports star—was one of the world’s least-known legends? Wilmeth Sidat-Singh ’39 is partially recognized within the University community, but his full story hasn’t ever been told—until now, thanks to two alumni. It’s a tale that involves a former Orange football and basketball standout who dies tragically during World War II.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Sidat-Singh’s death, which occurred a year after his entry into the U.S. military. Following rigorous testing, he joined the elite Tuskegee Airmen. His P-40 fighter went down during a training mission in 1943, killing the young airman, just four years after earning a bachelor’s degree from the .
Sidat-Singh’s life and legacy was recently honored during an event at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building (NVRC), marking the 75th anniversary of desegregation of the U.S. military.
Even so, much of Sidat-Singh’s life remains undocumented. Award-winning journalist and author Scott Pitoniak ’77 and , the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the , have written a years-in-the-making book that fills in the blanks of Sidat-Singh’s extraordinary but largely forgotten life.
Predicated on extensive research and interviews, their historical novel, “,” recently was published by Amplify/Subplot and is available online and in bookstores. The book was unveiled during the NVRC event, at which both authors discussed this remarkable student, athlete and veteran.
