We ran this story in November. There's an update at the end of it now. You may recall the Smiths. Mrs. Smith lives in Alexandria and Bonnie went to JHS in the mid sixties. Thanks to John Herdan for providing the update from the StarTribune.
Sought: A stiff price for Bruce Smith's 1941 Heisman statue
Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune -- November 19, 2005
Bruce Smith's 1941 Heisman Trophy -- the only Heisman won by a University of Minnesota football player -- went up for auction Friday. Gloria Smith, wife of the late Gophers All-America, admits she's curious about public reaction to the sale of one of the most revered trophies in sports.
"I hope there's not a backlash," said Smith, who lives in Alexandria, Minn., and had the family's final say in deciding whether to auction off the trophy. "There might be people who say, 'How can you do that?' But it's time. I can say goodbye [to the trophy], and I feel good about it."
She said that's because the couple's four children came to see the trophy -- awarded annually since 1935 to the best player in college football -- as a means to make certain their mother would be able to continue living in her home and be financially secure.
Gloria Smith, 82, emphasizes that she's "not destitute" and wonders whether people will think such a simple explanation "corny."
No more corny than Smith's real life story. He was the epitome of the All-American boy -- 205 pounds, intelligent and a natural athlete. In 1942, a year after winning the Heisman and leading the Gophers to a national title, he was the subject of a feel-good movie, "Smith of Minnesota." He died of cancer in 1967.
"We all had to think long and hard about this," said Bonnie Henderson, the oldest of the Smith's four children. "We told Mom, 'We don't want you to be worrying about security.' I feel like our father is behind us in all of this -- he'd be honored this could help her."
Corny? Not to Josh Evans, chairman of Lelands, the New York-based sports auction service that negotiated the terms of the auction and will take bids on its website, Lelands.com.
"To me, the most interesting part of the story is the family -- nicest people on the planet, and I mean that," Evans said. "They're totally together on this decision. They want to do this for their mom. It's all pretty amazing when you think that their dad was this real American hero."
Smith's is believed to be the fifth Heisman put up for auction, Evans said. The only one of the previous four that Lelands didn't complete was the O.J. Simpson auction, resulting from the civil suit he lost after his wife's murder. Lelands has auctioned Heisman trophies won by Larry Kelley (1936), Charles White (1979) and one player who requested anonymity.
The top selling price so far has been $384,000 for the trophy won by Kelley, who was the first to receive the infamous statue of the straight-arm running back. White received about $184,000, according to Evans.
There are 17 lots in the Bruce Smith auction, including his university letter sweater, pilot's jacket, several signed photos and movie memorabilia. The Heisman and other items went up for bid on Lelands.com Friday afternoon. Within a couple of hours, the Heisman had drawn a bid of $55,000. Bidding will continue through Dec. 16.
Evans said he expects Smith's Heisman to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000. A replica of Smith's Heisman will continue to reside in the U of M football trophy case.
"We've had [the trophy] in the family for, gosh, our kids grew up with it," said Gloria Smith, 82. "We had the Heisman ever since Bruce and I married in 1945. We didn't move a lot of things around with us over the years, but the trophy went with us. But my kids just decided it would benefit me more to let it go, and let somebody else enjoy it.
"I guess I don't need a trophy to remember what a great athlete Bruce was, and what a wonderful human being Bruce was. I guess, the reason I feel good about this is that it's like Bruce is getting a chance to do something nice with the trophy. We're a very close family, and the kids want me to be comfortable. What can I say?"
Here's the final chapter, Dec. 16:
By Rachel Blount, StarTribune
Like thousands of American boys, Gary Cypres once dreamed of winning the Heisman Trophy. He quickly figured out it wouldn't happen on the football field, but he finally captured the award in another arena of stout hearts and steel wills: the online auction.
Cypres, a Los Angeles businessman, bid $336,375.03 to buy the Heisman won in 1941 by former Gopher Bruce Smith. The price --which totals $395,240.66 when the auction house's fee is added -- is the highest paid for one of America's most storied sports trophies. Bidding on the bronze statue and other Smith memorabilia ended Friday.
Purists should note that the trophy won't be serving as a hat rack in a dilettante's mansion. Cypres, 62, believes in sharing the wealth. The Heisman, and the Smith game-worn jersey and autographed footballs he also purchased, will be placed in a special exhibit within the 27,000-square-foot museum Cypres has created for his vast collection.
"I don't know if this is a rational or irrational decision, but I'm happy I made the purchase," said Cypres, who owns travel and mortgage companies. "My wife says I need a seven-step withdrawal program.
"But I do this as a collector, not as an investor. This is my hobby. You can't put a value on this."
Smith's widow, Gloria, and their children sold the items to ensure Gloria Smith's financial security. The 17 lots in the auction, which also included Bruce Smith's letterman's sweater, autographed photos and Navy pilot's jacket, sold for a total of $429,600 (including fees).
The sale was conducted by Lelands, a New York-based auction house that specializes in sports treasures. Officials anticipated Smith's Heisman would fetch a price between $150,000 and $250,000. Instead, it stiff-armed the $328,110 paid for the 1936 trophy won by Larry Kelley, the highest price brought by any of the four Heismans known to have been auctioned previously.
Even the fabulously wealthy have their limits, and Cypres reached his. Twice. But he kept bidding, determined to buy a statue that evoked nostalgia and sentiment.
Cypres already owned posters from "Smith of Minnesota," a movie made about the All-America halfback who led the Gophers to the national title in 1941.
"I became intrigued by him, and I learned a little about him," Cypres said. "If I was ever going to have a Heisman, this was the one. The [auction] got down to me and someone else pretty quickly, and then it was a marathon to see who was willing to pay the most."
The former basketball player from Hofstra University proved as tenacious as Smith himself. The trophy now will reside in a museum that holds thousands of collectibles gathered over 15 years, including a rare Honus Wagner T206 card and a cornerstone from the original Yankee Stadium.
Cypres, a former corporate executive and Wall Streeter, established the Cypres Family Sports Museum when he ran out of display space in his home. It's not regularly open to the public, but he shows his collection by appointment. Soon Cypres will begin researching Smith's life so he can tell his story through words as well as memorabilia.
And should Gophers fans travel his way -- perhaps for some future Rose Bowl? -- Cypres will be prepared.
"If anybody from Minnesota wants to stop by," he said, "they're welcome."
