Black History Month Spotlight: Arthur “Scrapper” Broady — A Smyth County Trailblazer

Posted by: Marion Middle https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Er7LqiPo2/ Black History Month Spotlight: Arthur “Scrapper” Broady — A Smyth County Trailblazer

Arthur Theron “Scrapper” Broady is a Marion, Virginia native whose story is deeply rooted in Smyth County and whose impact has reached far beyond it.

Broady attended Douglass High School in Bristol, Virginia before completing his senior year at Marion Senior High School, returning home to graduate in his hometown. Those formative years helped shape a young man who would go on to break barriers and set lasting standards of excellence.

Known as “Scrapper” since infancy, Broady made history in the late 1960s at Emory & Henry College, located just 20 miles from Marion. In 1966, he enrolled as the first Black male full-time student at the college and became the first African American to wear the Wasps’ blue and gold football uniform.

On the field, Broady was a force in the defensive backfield. He still holds the school record with 21 career interceptions, including an extraordinary eight interceptions during his freshman season in 1966, a total believed to be unmatched that year. His play set the standard for future Wasps and rightfully earned him induction into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

A member of the Emory & Henry Class of 1970, Broady earned his degree in English and elementary education before being drafted into the United States Air Force. During his service, he earned the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal and received an honorable discharge at the end of the Vietnam War.

Following his military service, Broady built a career in human resources, working on the Alaskan Pipeline, with the Westinghouse-Hanford Company, and serving as a special assistant to the mayor of Anchorage.

Despite his national impact, Broady has never lost his connection to home. Most recently, he returned to Marion’s Lincoln Theatre to share his research on his ancestor John Broddy (Broady), a story we’ll feature later this month.

From Marion to history-making milestones, his legacy continues to inspire.