Undisputed Champions

Undisputed Champions. . Fred C. Campbell became superintendent of the Fort Shaw Indian School in 1898. He was a progressive teacher and administrator skilled in public relations; and he quickly recognized the ability of the young women's basketball team. By 1902 he was scheduling interscholastic games with high school and college teams throughout Montana. , The girls' basketball team won games with such regularity during the next two years, Superintendent Campbell, now with the added title of Coach Campbell, challenged them to meet their academic requirements with the promise of taking the girls' basketball team to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis during the summer of 1904. , That dream was realized in June 1904 when the team boarded the train bound for the St. Louis World's Fair. , The exhibition games played by the ten young women from Fort Shaw proved to be of great interest to fairgoers. Toward the end of the exposition, the Indian team from Fort Shaw was challenged to a three-game series by a team of Missouri All-Stars. The winner would be named Champions of the World's Fair. , People thronged to the games played outdoors and cheered the Indian girls to victory over the Missouri All-Stars. , The Fort Shaw champions proudly brought the silver trophy home to Montana. , The boundless spirit of these extraordinary young women lives on in generations of their descendants.