Tag: j. samuel walker

J. Samuel Walker: The ACC’s Greatest Game

Forty years ago in the ACC tournament finals, the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the University of Maryland Terrapins played a game that experts generally consider the best ever played in conference history. NC State was ranked number one in the country and Maryland was close behind at number four. The game was so memorable not only for the exceptional quality of play but also for the magnitude of the stakes. At that time, only one team per conference qualified for the NCAA tournament, and winning the ACC tournament was essential to compete for the national championship. Continue Reading J. Samuel Walker: The ACC’s Greatest Game

Interview: J. Samuel Walker on the History of ACC Basketball

The ACC benefited from the economic growth and unprecedented prosperity in the South after World War II. Southerners generally had more disposable income than ever and many used it to attend basketball games at ACC schools, or at least to buy television sets that broadcast ACC games. Further, the stronger economic status of Southern states encouraged much-needed improvements in education, including the allocation of greater resources to public universities. One result was that members of the ACC took steps to upgrade their academic programs and prestige. Another result was the ability of several ACC schools to build modern basketball arenas. Continue Reading Interview: J. Samuel Walker on the History of ACC Basketball

J. Samuel Walker: Why ACC Basketball Fans Should Care about the Early History of the Conference

The first two decades of ACC basketball laid the foundations for the success on a national stage that the league has enjoyed ever since. Continue Reading J. Samuel Walker: Why ACC Basketball Fans Should Care about the Early History of the Conference

The Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki

Saturday, August 9, marked the 64th anniversary of America’s WWII bombing of Nagasaki, Japan. In the following guest post, J. Samuel Walker, author of Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs against Japan, discusses the controversy over whether the use of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki served any military purpose and considers what did and didn’t… Continue Reading The Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki