Duke Slater
Clinton High School Athletic & Academic Hall of Famer
How To Donate
Check or Money Order
Make payable to
River Kings & Queens
Athletic Booster Club
Mail to
Duke Slater Memorial Statue Fund
1442 Lincoln Way, Clinton, Iowa 52732
Credit Card
Fill out the donation form or call Citizens First Bank and they can process your credit card.
GoFundMe
Currently not active. To make a donation with a credit card, please fill out the form to the left or contact Citizens First Bank.
The IRS has designated River King and Queen Athletic Booster Club a 501 (c) 3 organization Tax ID#: 42-1417260 - qualified to receive tax deductible contributions.
Beacon of Hope: Discover Duke's All-American Life
The Duke Slater Fundraiser Event (May 2024)
The Duke Slater Statue Reveal (September 2024)
About Duke
Frederick Wayman "Duke" Slater | December 9, 1898 – August 14, 1966
Born in Normal, Illinois, and moved to Clinton in 1911
Led the Clinton High School football team to two state championships, 1913-14
Attended the University of Iowa and earned three All-Big Ten selections, 1919-21
Named a first team All-American in 1921 after Iowa’s national championship season
Joined the National Football League in 1922, becoming the first African-American lineman in NFL history
Played in the NFL for 10 years and achieved All-Pro status six times
Started 96 of the 99 career pro games he played
Earned his law degree from Iowa in 1928 and practiced law in Chicago while still playing in the NFL
Became an assistant district attorney and an assistant Illinois commerce commissioner after retiring from football
Elected as the second African-American judge on the Cook County Municipal Court in Chicago in 1948
Elevated to the Cook County Superior Court in 1960, becoming the first African-American to serve on that court
Moved to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1964, where he served until his death in 1966
Named to the inaugural class of the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame in 1980
Inducted as the first and only African-American in the inaugural class of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951
Elected to the centennial class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020
Became the namesake of the football field at the University of Iowa when it was named Duke Slater Field in his honor in 2021
Clinton High School Athletic & Academic Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Judicial Hall of Fame & Civil Rights
Statue FAQs
The committee has raised the money to build the statue. Thank you to the major donors:
Clinton County Development Association
Arizona Cardinals Football Club
Craig A. Smith
First Central State Bank
Clinton Community School District
Clinton LumberKings Baseball Club
Clinton National Bank
Citizens First Bank
National Football League Foundation
Air Control, Inc.
Eric and Janis Johnson
John and Ann Eisenman
Ivagene Griswold
The Tubbs Family
William Pesetski
Dick McLane
The Cassidy Family
The Howes Family
The Veenstra Family
The Lonergan Family
NelsonCorp Wealth Management
Beth Griswold
The Fuller Family
Patrick and Melissa Parker
Friends of Riverview Stadium
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Chuck and Brenda Thornton
Ted and Ruth Tornow
Gary and Barb VandeKamp
Dave Sivright
Tim McLaughlin
Josh and Marissa Mussman
The Holesinger Family
Katrina House
Duke Slater Statue Details
Brodin
Each of our bonze sculptures uses the ancient “Lost Wax” process of hot bronze casting. This method ensures a level of detail and quality that is unsurpassed. It allows us to “customize” each sculpture for any department and every individual – with your uniform, your badges, your patches, and the equipment you wear, uniform or plain clothes, every statue of thousands “unique.”
Location
Street Location
We want every Clinton High schooler to walk by Duke as they enter the school. We also want the statue to be accessible to the general public for photos and reflection.
Purchase a Commemorative Brick
There will be a pocket park with seating surrounding Duke. Purchase a commemorative brick today to honor your family or someone in your life. Download the form here.
Duke Slater Statue Dedication
September 2024
Activity | Timeline | Details |
|---|---|---|
Design of Statue | Began December 1, 2022 | $49,000 |
Pocket Park | Winter 2023-2024 | Finished, but still looking for improvements |
Statue Fund | May 9, 2024 | Kirk Ferentz Kickoff Luncheon to raise money for statue. The goal is to have an annual golf outing. |
Duke Slater Statue Reveal/Dedication | September 6, 2024 | Installation and dedication of the statue |
Duke Slater Statue & Scholarship Fund
Consider donating today!