Karl Downs was an influential minister and educator who impacted the lives of many children and young adults through his work in the community, his church, and as president of Samuel Huston College.
Downs held degrees from Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson College), Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, and Boston University. He later received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary. At the time of his death, he was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California.
After graduating from Boston University in 1937 with a master's in sacred theology, Downs worked as a recruiter for the Methodist Board of Foreign Missions before moving to Pasadena, California, to serve as pastor for Scott Methodist Church.
In Pasadena, Downs focused on helping children and teenagers by organizing a nursery, building a church recreational yard, and providing toys for kids. He observed that young people were generally part of church life only because of their parents. To change this dynamic, he planned dances at the church and installed a badminton court. These changes made the church more engaging for younger individuals and provided them with an alternative to spending time on the streets. Despite some objections from older church members, these initiatives brought in new families and improved the church's finances.
One notable individual Downs reached out to was legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson. Robinson described Downs as "stubborn" and "courageous," noting his commitment to creating change despite criticism.
Downs often bonded with youths like Robinson through sports while listening to their concerns. He would apply Bible stories to real-life situations to provide guidance. This investment led Robinson to become more involved in the church; he even volunteered to teach Sunday school while attending UCLA. According to Robinson, it was impossible to slack off when Karl Downs was involved.
Downs continued to influence Robinson's life after they both left Pasadena. When Robinson was discharged from the Army in 1943 while stationed near Samuel Huston College, where Downs had just been selected as President, Downs hired him as basketball coach and athletics director. After Robinson joined the Dodgers' farm club, Downs traveled to Pasadena to preside over Robinson’s marriage to Rachel Isum.
During his tenure as president of Samuel Huston College, enrollment rose from 174 students to over 600 students within four and a half years. Downs was also active in various organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha, the American Sociological Society, the National Association of College Presidents, and the NAACP. He published religious articles in various publications and authored "Meet the Negro" in 1943—a collection of biographical sketches of prominent Black Americans from the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 1947, while traveling to Ebbets Field in New York City for an event honoring Jackie Robinson by the Brooklyn Dodgers after winning Rookie of the Year, Downs became ill. He recovered at a Brooklyn hospital but fell ill again upon returning to Austin. Admitted for an emergency operation at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin—a segregated facility—he faced complications post-procedure but was not allowed into a recovery room due to segregation policies enforced by his white doctor.
Transferred instead into a segregated ward without adequate observation following surgery complications led to his death on February 26, 1948. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery near where his mother would be interred two years later.
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