Beat the Press/Meet the Press: Heady Hoopers Entering Petty Political Arena

Following are politicians/political appointees and clery/educators who played intercollegiate basketball while securing their diplomas:

MICHAEL H. ARMACOST, Carleton (Minn.)
Former U.S. ambassador to Japan became president of the Brookings Institution. . . . Two-time All-Midwest Conference performer in 1957 and 1958. Named the 91st most influential student-athlete in 2006 when the NCAA celebrated its centennial anniversary.

SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky
Mayor of Lexington, Ky., for 10 years before representing Kentucky's Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting more than 60% of the vote in 1992. The Democrat ran for governor in 1994 and narrowly lost against Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning for a Senate seat in 1998. . . . The 5-11, 180-pound guard averaged 8.4 points per game in three varsity seasons (1960-61 through 1962-63). He scored 26 points as a junior against Southern California. Senior captain hit 16 of 17 foul shots in a game against Vanderbilt en route to leading the Wildcats in free-throw accuracy (85.5%). Played for NCAA Tournament regional runner-up teams as a sophomore and junior before pacing UK in assists his final season with 4.3 per game. Sketch in school guide: "Typifies the 'we ain't scared of nothing' attitude of 'Fearless Five.' The self-made man type that sportswriters like to laud in success stories."

JAMES "JEB" BOASBERG, Yale
In 2011, he was appointed U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia. Boasberg served as Presiding Judge of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2020 and 2021. In late April 2012, he ruled the public had no right to view government photographs of a deceased Osama Bin Laden. . . . The 6-5 Boasberg averaged 2.7 ppg and 1.9 rpg from 1981-82 through 1984-85.

BILL BONER, Middle Tennessee State
Flamboyant Democratic politician gained notoriety in 1990 because of his relationship with country crooner Traci Peel. State legislator from 1971 was elected to Congress in 1978 and as mayor in his hometown of Nashville in 1987. He served in the House of Representatives after winning largely because the incumbent died following the filing deadline. In the mid-1980s, the Justice Department investigated him for alleged financial wrongdoing, but no indictment was sought. . . . The 5-10, 155-pound guard averaged 14.6 ppg for MTSU's freshman squad in 1963-64. After sitting out a season, he averaged 3.5 ppg in one season of varsity basketball in 1965-66.

BILL BRADLEY, Princeton
Three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995 was a tax and trade expert with a strong voice on race issues and campaign finance reform. The presidential candidate against Al Gore in 2000 authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998). . . . Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. Averaged 30.2 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in three varsity seasons as a 6-5 forward. Scored 58 points against Wichita State in the national third-place game in 1965 when he was named Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament. Averaged 33.7 points in nine playoff games from 1963 through 1965. Named college player of the year as a senior in 1964-65 season by Associated Press, United Press International and the United States Basketball Writers Association. . . . Member of gold-medal winning U.S. basketball team in the 1964 Olympic Games. Rhodes Scholar played 10 seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks, averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. Key contributor to 1970 and 1973 NBA championship teams. "The lessons learned from it (basketball) stay with you," Bradley wrote of the sport he still loves. "I was determined that no one would outwork me."

SCOTT BROWN, Tufts (Mass.)
Stunning upset victory in special election in January 2010, becoming the first Republican elected to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 1979. Brown, filling the Senate seat that opened when Ted Kennedy died the previous August, drove his GMC Canyon pickup with over 200,000 miles on it everywhere during a savvy campaign. Authored a book "Against All Odds" released in 2011. . . . At Tufts (class of '81), he was known as "Downtown" Scotty Brown because of his long-range marksmanship. Averaging 9 ppg as a freshman in 1977-78, he earned an ECAC Rookie of the Week award that season. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.9 ppg and scored 35 points in a victory against Bowdoin. As a junior, he made 54.3% of his shots and had back-to-back games of 26 and 25 points against Curry and Trinity, respectively, en route to averaging 10.8 ppg. Senior co-captain capped his career with a 10.3-point scoring average, including a 35-point outburst against Brandeis. "He was not born with great basketball attributes," said his coach (John White) in a feature about Brown during his senior season. "He has gone beyond his limitations, which is very admirable." Converted more than half of his career field-goal attempts (422 of 853). Brown's 6-0 daughter, Ayla, was a starting guard most of her career with Boston College from 2006-07 through 2009-10, posting career highs of 18 points against Clemson and 14 rebounds against Wake Forest. Ayla has also released three albums after being a semifinalist in the fifth season of "American Idol," impressing the judges with her rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection."

FRANK BURGESS, Gonzaga
U.S. District Court Judge in Tacoma, Wash. . . . All-American as a senior when he led the nation in scoring with 32.4 ppg after finishing 11th as a sophomore and fifth as a junior. Selected in the third round of the 1961 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of rebounder deluxe Bill Bridges (Kansas).

JAMES B. BURNS, Northwestern
U.S. attorney for the Northern Illinois District. . . . Career average of 19.5 points per game in leading the Wildcats in scoring each of his three varsity seasons (1964-65 through 1966-67). The 6-4 guard, a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection (second-team pick as a junior and first-team choice as a senior) was Northwestern's all-time leading scorer when he finished his career. Named to third five on AP and NABC All-American teams as a senior. . . . Sketch in school guide: "Converted forward is especially effective driving the baseline for acrobatic layups." . . . Played briefly in the NBA and ABA in the 1967-68 season.

JOHN BURTON, San Francisco State
Chairman of the California Democratic Party since spring of 2006 previously had Sen. Barbara Boxer as an aide. Burton, who served a stint in rehab for drug addiction, settled a $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the executive director of his charitable foundation. . . . All-Far West Conference selection in 1953-54.

ED CAHN, Lehigh
After graduating Magna Cum Laude, he became a chief judge in Philadelphia, responsible for overseeing 35 federal district judges. . . . First player in Lehigh history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Cahn, who earned second-team All-Pennsylvania honors, became his alma mater's all-time leading scorer in only his junior season in 1953-54.

ROBERT CASEY SR., Holy Cross
Pennsylvania's 42nd governor served two terms from 1987 to 1995 after winning in his fourth attempt for the office. Casey, a coal miner's son, ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 1996. Pro-life candidate suffered from a rare hereditary disease that caused him to become a heart-liver transplant recipient. He died in late May, 2000, at the age of 68. . . . He was a 6-2 freshman in 1949-50 when Holy Cross senior Bob Cousy was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American. (insert text on any stats for the two-year letterman in 1951-52 and 1952-53!; did he play in 1952 NIT before appearing in two NCAA Tournament games in 1953?) Excerpt from Casey's 1996 autobiography Fighting for Life: "I remember best the moments I was on the court with Cousy. He was an icon in the making--a genius with a basketball. Our freshman team provided cannon fodder for Cousy and the rest of the varsity team in practice. What I remember most about Cousy was that he was always the first guy on the court at night, refining his moves a hundred times before practice even started."

ALBERT B. "HAPPY" CHANDLER, Transylvania (Ky.)
Twice governor of Kentucky (1935-39 and 1955-59), U.S. senator (1939-45) and commissioner of baseball (1945-51). He oversaw the initial steps toward integration of the major leagues. Democrat embraced the "Dixiecrats" in the late 1940s. . . . Captain of Transylvania's basketball team as a senior in 1920-21.

WILLIAM COHEN, Bowdoin (Maine)
Moderate Republican was Secretary of Defense in President Clinton's administration after serving as a Senator from Maine. He moonlighted as an author and had a stint in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. Cohen's first bask in the national spotlight came when he voted, as a House member, to impeach President Nixon. In 1992, he pushed to reauthorize the "independent counsel" law and became a founder of the Republican Majority Coalition. "In team sports, there's a game plan," Cohen said in Ira Berkow's Court Vision. "When you're talking military it's still a game plan, but it's a war plan. It's either how to prevent a war from taking place or what happens if you have to go to war and how you structure your forces, what happens if, what are the contingency plans, what is the escalation. All of that is not identical to a game plan, but it's training and practice." . . . The New England Basketball All-Star Hall of Fame inductee led Bowdoin in scoring all three varsity seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62. "A two-handed set shot was obsolete in college when I was playing, but I shot it," Cohen said. "I was able to shoot it from very far and get it off very fast. Dolph Schayes was kind of a role model for me."

BOBBY CONRAD, Clemson
In 2003, he was nominated to a federal judgeship in North Carolina by President George Bush. . . . Illinois native averaged 4.7 ppg and 3.5 apg from 1976-77 through 1979-80. He led the Tigers in assists as a junior and senior. His son, Branden, played for Navy and South Carolina.

JOHN SHERMAN COOPER, Yale
Liberal Republican was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky for 20 years. Served as a member of the Warren Commission and as U.S. ambassador to India and Germany. . . . Yale basketball captain in 1922 and 1923 after transferring from Centre (Ky.).

RICHARD COOPER, Haverford (Pa.)
Rhodes Scholar became chief counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the late 1970s. Subsequently became a partner of William & Connolly, LLP, in Washington, D.C., specializing in food and drug law, criminal law and general litigation. . . . Basketball team captain in 1963-64.

KRESIMIR COSIC, Brigham Young
Deputy Ambassador to the United States for Croatia. He died of cancer in May, 1995, at the age of 46. . . . A 6-11, 195-pound center, he averaged 19.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in three-year varsity career (1970-71 through 1972-73). Cosic led the Cougars in rebounding all three seasons and led in scoring as a junior and senior, earning All-American honors in 1971-72 (Coaches fourth team and UPI third team) and 1972-73 (Coaches fourth team and Helms Foundation 36-man team). The four-time member of Yugoslavia's Olympic team grabbed a 1971 NCAA playoff-high 23 rebounds against champion-to-be UCLA in the West Regional semifinals. Cosic was a fith-round choice by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1973 NBA draft. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 through 2000 - the first Republican to be elected to the seat - from the Fourth District of Arkansas including President Clinton's birthplace (Hope). The Dickey Amendment, prohibiting federal funds to be spent on research involving the destruction of a human embryo, is named for him. . . . Dickey scored eight points in six games for the Razorbacks' basketball team in 1959-60 before stricken with polio.

JOHN DOAR, Princeton
One of the giants of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the No. 2 man in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department for both the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, working behind the scenes in the trenches and in the legal system enforcing laws to protect blacks and using the available laws to point out inequities regarding the treatment of African Americans. He helped thousands of blacks to gain the right to vote and receive better treatment by society. Doar was with James Meredith each time he tried to register at a previously all-white college after a law was passed in 1962 to desegregate universities. After Medgar Evers' funeral in Jackson, Miss., in June 1963, Doar was instrumental in dispersing a rioting crowd. The major motion picture film, "Mississippi Burning", was based on Doar's efforts in a landmark case to convict the murderers of three students in Mississippi in 1963 for violating their civil rights. Served as counsel to the House Watergate impeachment committee before being involved in a bizarre incident when a prestigious Manhattan law firm charged with malpractice paid its client (Kodak) a $675,000 out-of-court settlement stemming from a New York-based photo-finishing company suing Kodak in 1973 for monopolizing the market. . . . Earned basketball letters in 1942-43 (averaged 7 ppg) and 1945-46 (8 ppg before breaking his hand and missing the last half of the season) with his career interrupted by a stint as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.

ROBERT J. DOLE, Kansas
Represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1997. Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and again starting in 1995 when he began his third quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He was the Republican nominee for Vice President as Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976. . . . Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ben Cramer described Dole as a good player who "could handle the ball, shooting that newfangled one-hand push shot, and big and tough under the boards." Member of Kansas freshman basketball team in 1942-43 for one semester before enlisting in the Army during World War II, where his right shoulder was destroyed in a mortar barrage in the Italian mountains. He spent 39 months in and out of hospitals, returning to his hometown of Russell, Kan., to recuperate from the wound that also cost him a kidney. A book about his recovery, "A Soldier's Story," was published in 2005.

ARNE DUNCAN, Harvard
Secretary of Education in Barack Obama's administration after being appointed CEO of the Chicago Public Schools by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2001. Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. . . . Co-captain as a senior in 1986-87 (team-high 16.9 ppg), the Academic All-American scored 20 points against then nationally-ranked Duke. Played professionally in Australia.

DR. EDDIE DURNO, Oregon
U.S. Congressman in 1961 and 1962 lost primary for U.S. Senate before serving as Oregon chairman for Barry Goldwater's Republican presidential campaign in 1964. Durno was a physician in Medford, Ore., for more than 30 years after graduating cum laude from Harvard Medical School. . . . Scored half of Oregon's entire point total as a sophomore forward in 1918-19 when he led the league in scoring for the Pacific Coast Conference titlist. Named to Helms Foundation 10-man All-American team for the 1920-21 season (selected in 1943). Excerpt from Spalding Basketball Guide: "He is small, but makes up for the handicap with his speed and clever dodging and dribbling. He makes long shots as well as short ones from any angle on the floor."

JOSEPH D. EARLY SR., Holy Cross
Democrat was U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts' Third Congressional District (1975-93). He lost to Republican Peter Blute in the 1992 election after being tainted by 140 overdrafts in the wake of an ethics committee investigation of members who overdrew their House bank accounts. By Massachusetts standards, Early was a conservative who prided himself on his independence from any Democratic faction. He was against abortion and busing and skeptical about foreign aid. But when it came to labor and domestic spending, Early was a New Deal Democrat. The portly, rumpled cigar smoker served in the state House from 1963-75. . . . Three-year letterman averaged 3.8 ppg and 1.4 rpg from 1952-53 through 1954-55. Captain of 1954 NIT champion collected one point in final against Duquesne. He scored six points for the Crusaders in their 81-73 East Regional final loss to Bob Pettit-led LSU in the 1953 NCAA Tournament.

STEVE EHLMANN, Furman
Circuit judge in St. Charles County (Mo.) until January, 2004, when he became the county's Director of Administration. Two years later, Ehlmann was elected County Executive. Previously, he served in the Missouri House of Representatives for four years and the Missouri Senate for eight years (serving two terms as the Republican floor leader). . . . Forward averaged 1.4 ppg and 0.9 rpg in 36 games from 1970-71 through 1972-73. Played briefly in 1971 NCAA playoffs against Digger Phelps-coached Fordham.

JOUNI EHO, Davidson
Elected Mayor in 2018 of one of Finland's most ancient towns (Phytaa - founded in 1347 - about 45 minutes from the Russian border near "top of the world"). . . . Averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg from 2000-01 through 2003-04 under coach Bob McKillop. Member of 2002 NCAA tourney team but did not participate in playoffs.

BOB ETHERIDGE, Campbell (N.C.)
Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina's 2nd District apologized in June 2010 and lost his re-election bid later that year after taking heat when a conservative blogger posted video on YouTube showing him in a confrontation with a couple of college students carrying cameras on a Washington street. When they refused to identify themselves after asking about Obamacare, Etheridge grabbed one around the neck and then the shoulders refusing to let him go. He served on Agriculture and Science Committees after being elected to the 105th Congress. . . . Averaged 9.9 ppg and shot 80.9 percent from the free-throw line from 1961-62 through 1964-65. He averaged 11.8 ppg and shot 87.2 percent from foul line as a junior before averaging 12.8 ppg as a senior. Etheridge scored a career-high 28 points at Methodist on February 16, 1965, four games after hitting all 12 of his free throws against Atlantic Christian.

JOHN FEDDERS, Marquette
SEC enforcement director in Reagan Administration before quitting federal post following testimony in divorce proceedings that he repeatedly beat his wife. In his efforts to crack down on insider trading before resigning, Fedders engineered an unprecedented agreement with Swiss authorities making it more difficult for inside traders to hide behind Swiss banking secrecy laws. . . . Member of MU's basketball roster in 1960-61 and 1961-62 under coach Eddie Hickey.

RAY FLYNN, Providence
Mayor of Boston from 1984 to 1993 disagreed with President Clinton on the abortion issue while serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. Lost Democratic 8th district congressional bid in 1998 to try to succeed Joe Kennedy. Flynn was president of Catholic Alliance in 2000 when he endorsed George W. Bush for president. . . . Averaged 12.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game as a 6-0 guard in his three varsity seasons with the Friars from 1960-61 through 1962-63. As a senior captain, he tied with John Thompson for team scoring honors with an average of 18.9 ppg. Member of NIT championship teams in 1961 and 1963, winning the NIT Most Valuable Player award in 1963 after leading tourney in scoring with 83 points in three games. Selected by the Syracuse Nationals in the fourth round of the 1963 NBA draft. Sketch in school guide: "One of the fiercest competitors and greatest outside shooters in Providence history. Admired by his teammates for his intense devotion to basketball, manifested by his constant effort to improve."

ROBERT FOLSOM, Army/Southern Methodist
Former Dallas mayor (1977-81) was instrumental in building Reunion Arena, the home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Folsom was chairman of the board of Folsom Investments, Inc., which specialized in real estate developments. He owned the Dallas Chaparrals (now the San Antonio Spurs) and was among the SMU officials who joined Gov. Bill Clements in the decision to continue illegal payments to Mustang football players after the school was placed on probation in 1985. . . . Folsom was a letterman for SMU's basketball squad for coach Doc Hayes' first team in 1947-48 when he scored 49 points in 14 games. Previously, Folsom was Army's third-leading scorer in 1945-46 (7.4 ppg) and 1946-47 (5.8 ppg).

GARY FRANKS, Yale
Republican member of 102nd and 103rd Congresses from a 90% white district (5th Connecticut). In 1990, the prosperous real estate investor became the first black GOP House member since 1935, serving until 1997. He ran for the Senate in 1998, losing to incumbent Chris Dodd. . . . The 6-1, 175-pound guard led the Yale freshman squad with a 25-point scoring average in 1971-72. He averaged 7.8 ppg in 59 varsity contests in the next three seasons and was captain of the team as a senior.

MARK FUNKHOUSER, Thiel (Pa.)
Mayor of Kansas City took office in May, 2007. He wore an orange tie during the campaign as reference to the Ukraine Orange Revolution and as a symbol for change. . . . The 6-8 Funkhouser was a varsity letterman with Thiel in the 1970s.

HERB GALCHINSKY, Denver
Spent 16 years as Denver County Court judge. Mandatory retirement at 72 didn't prompt Galchinsky, nicknamed "Herby the Love Judge" by co-workers, to relinquish his weekend passion of performing weddings. "You get to see happy people for a change," he said. "You see a lot of things that are nasty in the courthouse. It's good for me to see happy people at the wedding and reception." . . . The 6-1 Galchinsky averaged 5.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg from 1957-58 through 1959-60.

ALEXI GIANNOULIAS, University of Chicago/Boston University
State Treasurer is a Democrat who lost to Mark Kirk in 2010 for President Barack Obama's old Illinois U.S. Senate seat. . . . Averaged 17.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg while shooting 47.8% from three-point range for U of C as a freshman in 1994-95 before transferring to BU. Scored 18 points in 20 games for the Terriers in 1996-97 and 1997-98 under Dennis Wolff, the school's all-time winningest coach.

EARLE GIBBONS, California
In 1969, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him as a Municipal Court Judge. . . . Gibbons averaged 2.6 ppg for Cal from 1948-49 through 1950-51.

JOHN H. GLENN JR., Muskingum (Ohio)
U.S. Senator (Democrat from Ohio) for 24 years and former astronaut. In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Nearly 40 years later, he became the oldest human to enter space when he joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Among the seven candidates who lost to Walter Mondale for the 1984 Democratic Party nomination. . . . In Glenn's memoir, he wrote: "I went out for the freshman basketball squad and made that, but I noticed that while I had not gotten any faster or grown any taller, the other players had." He also played freshman football in college before World War II interrupted his career. "Each individual has to prepare himself to do his very best, whether it's in an individual or team sport," Glenn said. "In team sports, you have to have great teamwork to reach any goal, which is exactly what we have to do in life after athletics and college."

AL GORE JR., Harvard
Democratic Presidential nominee against George W. Bush in 2000 waged a long-shot campaign for president in 1988, when he was 39. Vice President in Bill Clinton's administration was a Senator from Tennessee after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985. Shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize after his film "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary on global warming, won an Academy Award. . . . Gore averaged 2.8 points per game for Harvard's 12-4 freshman team in 1965-66. In the biography Inventing Al Gore, he was described as "rarely playing but working on his game incessantly." His competitive drive led him to challenge roommates "out of the blue" to push-ups, a vestige of the boyhood regimen imposed by his Senator father. He "wanted to challenge you or himself, intellectually or physically. He was always, 'I bet I can beat you at the last thing you did.'"

PAUL GRANT, Utah
At the age of 33, he was elected a city court judge. Eventually, Grant rose to the circuit court, where he earned a reputation as a decisive, no-nonsense judge with quick, dry wit. At the age of 56, he retired and moved to Wyoming in 1992. "I expected to stay on the bench for eight years, but there's the tyranny of the paycheck," Grant said. . . . Following a Mormon Church mission, Grant played sparingly for the Utes in 1958-59 under Hall of Fame coach Jack Gardner before quitting to enter law school. Father of 12 including three NCAA Division I players (Greg/18.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.7 apg and 2 spg for Utah State from 1982-83 through 1985-86; Nate/5.7 ppg and 4.1 rpg for Utah State in 1985-86 and 1986-87, and Josh/15.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3 apg and 1.5 spg for Utah from 1988-89 through 1992-93).

LEE H. HAMILTON, DePauw (Ind.)
Vice Chairman of 9/11 Commission and co-chair of Iraq Study Group in 2006 was a leading Democratic voice on foreign policy and a steadying force in the House of Representatives for 34 years from 1965 through 1998. He chaired three committees - Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Joint Economic - and was the ranking minority member of the House International Relations Committee. Representing Indiana's Ninth District, he retained not only his crew cut but also his moderate, common-sense approach and a Methodist work ethic that got him to his office nearly every day before 6 a.m. . . . Ranked fourth on DePauw's career scoring list when he graduated in 1952. The 6-4 Hamilton led the team in scoring as a junior (11.4 points per game) and was the second-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.8 ppg) and senior (10.9 ppg).

MULIUFI "MUFI" HANNEMANN, Harvard
Elected twice as Mayor of Honolulu (2004 and 2008). Lost elections for Governor of Hawaii and U.S. House of Representatives (fell in primary to Tulsi Gabbard). . . . The 6-7 Hannemann averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.6 rpg from 1973-74 through 1975-76.

VANCE HARTKE, Evansville
Mayor of Evansville before serving as U.S. Senator from Indiana (1959-77). Democrat ran for President in 1972 as an anti-war candidate, finishing as high as fifth in the New Hampshire Primary. He wrote four books, including "The American Crisis in Vietnam." . . . Graduated in 1940.

WILLIE HERENTON, LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.)
Mayor of Memphis. . . . College teammate of eventual NCAA Division I head coach David "Smokey" Gaines.

BARON HILL, Furman
Democratic Congressman was a member of the Indiana House from 1982 until succeeding retiring Lee Hamilton in the U.S. House of Representatives in a widely watched open-seat contest in 1998. Lost his House seat but recaptured it in 2006 before losing it again in 2010. Hill was an unsuccessful candidate for the Senate in 1990, when he narrowly lost to Dan Coats. . . . The 5-10, 170-pound guard averaged 6.4 ppg, 4.5 and 2.3 in his three varsity seasons with Southern Conference champions from 1972-73 through 1974-75. Hill started every game as a sophomore and junior before suffering a broken arm in a horseback riding accident before his senior year. He scored a total of 14 points in five East Regional games in the NCAA Tournament from 1973 through 1975.

ERIC HOLDER, Columbia
Attorney General in Obama administration after being an assistant AG in the Clinton administration. . . . Freshman squad teammate of eventual All-Ivy League first-team forward Bob Evans. The 6-2 Holder collected three points (all from the free-throw line in seven charity tosses) and 12 rebounds in 10 games in 1969-70. He missed all four of his field-goal tries.

HARRY HOPKINS, Grinnell (Iowa)
Advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45), including stint as Secretary of Commerce (1938-40). Headed the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Works Progress Administration during the Depression. Hopkins played a major role in FDR's dealings with Joseph Stalin as to the shape of the world following World War II. "The Venona Secrets," a book released in 2000, flatly identified Hopkins as a conscious, willing Soviet agent. The "Venona" documents consisted of secret Soviet cable traffic from the 1940s that the U.S. intercepted and ultimately decrypted. . . . Hopkins played varsity basketball for Grinnell in 1910-11 and 1911-12. Scarlet and Black, the school newspaper, said he was the game's "bright and shining light" when Grinnell upset Missouri Valley Conference champion Kansas, 17-16, on February 22, 1911.

PATRICK HURLEY, Bacone (Okla.)
Served as President Herbert Hoover's Secretary of War from 1929 to 1933. Hurley was promoted to brigadier general in 1941 when the U.S. entered WWII. Diplomat was personal envoy from President Roosevelt to Chiang Kai-shek in 1944 before being appointed U.S. Ambassador to China. Republican candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate from the state of New Mexico in 1946, 1948 and 1952, but he lost all three attempts. . . . Five-sport letterman for Bacone.

HENRY "HANK" HYDE, Georgetown
Starting out as a Democrat, he became a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. His towering stature as a lawmaker made him the ideal GOP pointman to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton. . . . He was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record. The 6-3 Hyde scored two points in a 53-49 victory over a Chicago hometown team, DePaul, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss to Wyoming. "I can only say about the way I guarded him (Mikan scored one point in the second half) that I will burn in purgatory," Hyde deadpanned. "The rules were considerably bent." The next season as a Naval trainee at Duke, he earned a letter but was scoreless in the Blue Devils' 44-27 Southern Conference championship game victory over North Carolina. Hyde served as an ensign in the Asiatic and Pacific Theaters during World War II before re-enrolling at Georgetown, where he graduated in 1947. Twenty-one years later, Clinton earned his diploma from the same university. . . . Sketch of Hyde in Georgetown guide: "Possesses a pivot shot, difficult to stop, and a shot made while cutting from the bucket to give his scoring threats a double edge."

CALVIN KELLER, St. Lawrence (N.Y.)
Republican was mayor of Niagara Falls for two terms. . . . Last four-sport letterman in history of St. Lawrence (class of '29).

ALFRED LAWSON JR., Florida A&M
Democratic state legislator from Tallahassee (District 8) since 1982. . . . (insert text on college playing career of '70 graduate).

PATRICK LYNCH, Brown
Assumed office as Rhode Island's Attorney General in January, 2003. Six weeks later, a pyrotechnics display burned a nightclub to the ground, killing 99 people and injuring 186. Lynch, the son of a former mayor of Pawtucket and brother of the state Democratic Party leader, oversaw the criminal investigation for the state. . . . Swingman averaged 9.1 ppg and shot a team-high 86.5% from the free-throw line for the Bruins' 1986 Ivy League champion. He contributed a team-high 17.3 ppg the next season as a senior.

TONY MASIELLO, Canisius
Democratic mayor of Buffalo. . . . Averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in three varsity seasons (1966-67 through 1968-69). The 6-4, 190-pound forward led Canisius in scoring and rebounding as a junior (18.2 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and senior (19.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg). He culminated his college career with 35 points in an 83-79 victory over Calvin Murphy-led Niagara. . . . Excerpt from school guide: "Became captain of the Golden Griffins through concentrated team play and aggressive individual performance. Backbone of the team."

JAMIE MAYO, Louisiana-Monroe
Four-term mayor of Monroe, La. Democrat was an unsuccessful candidate for the state's 5th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. . . . Teammate of All-American Calvin Natt averaged 7.4 ppg from 1975-76 through 1978-79, leading the club in assists and steals as a junior.

JOE BILLY McDADE, Bradley
Senior U.S. District Court Judge in Central Illinois. . . . Averaged 9.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59 for three NIT teams.

TOM McMILLEN, Maryland
Co-chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness under Bill Clinton. Elected in 1987 as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland. . . . The 6-11 center averaged 20.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in three seasons for Maryland from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Member of 1972 U.S. Olympic team is the only player in Maryland history to have a career scoring average above 20 ppg. . . . Averaged 8.1 points and four rebounds in 11 NBA seasons (1975-76 through 1985-86) with four different franchises.

GEORGE MITCHELL, Bowdoin (Maine)
Devout Democrat assumed position as Majority Leader in 1989 after arriving in the Senate from Maine in 1980. The son of a janitor received more than 80 percent of the vote in 1988. He served as independent chairman of talks that culminated in the signing of the Northern Ireland peace accord in April, 1998. Mitchell was named Disney Chairman of the Board in March, 2004. . . . Wiry point guard earned a basketball letter as a senior in 1953-54 when he scored eight points in eight games. His brother, John "Swisher" Mitchell, was an All-Yankee Conference first-team selection for Rhode Island in 1950-51.

GEORGE MOSCONE, Pacific
Many San Franciscans were outraged by what they believed was the legal system breaking down when there was a ludicrously light sentence for the murderer of their Democratic mayor. Moscone, 49, and Supervisor Harvey Milke, 48, were brutally killed in their city hall offices in 1978 by a former city supervisor. A legacy of the killings was the early parole for the murderer, whose attorney pursued the so-called Twinkies defense, arguing that the criminal was in a "diminished mental capacity" caused in part by eating too much junk food. A lenient jury bought the line and produced a verdict of voluntarily manslaughter rather than murder. Under California's determinant sentencing law, that judgment carried a maximum term of seven years and eight months. Milke became a martyred pioneer of gay politics and a recognized trail blazer of the out-of-the-closet activism that is now both a force and a fashion in the city. U.S. Senator-to-be Dianne Feinstein, who was president of the board of supervisors, automatically succeeded Moscone as mayor. . . . Moscone, a junior college transfer, was a letterman for Pacific in 1950-51 and 1951-52. The Tigers played in the 1951 NAIA Tournament.

HENRY "HANK" NOWAK, Canisius
Democrat never received less than 75 percent of the general electorate vote while representing Buffalo area for nine terms (1975-93) in the U.S. House of Representatives. . . . Leading rebounder for the only three Canisius teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament. The two-time NCAA Tournament All-East Regional selection (1956 and 1957) averaged 19.4 points per game in nine NCAA playoff contests. Nowak led the Golden Griffins in scoring as a senior (51st in the country with 20.1 ppg in 1956-57). The school's all-time leading rebounder (880) is third in career scoring (1,449 points). . . . Excerpt from school guide: "Quiet and unassuming lad when off the court, but when going up for a tap or rebound, he becomes transformed into a whirling mass of arms and legs." . . . Selected in the fourth round of the 1957 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks.

SAM NUNN, Georgia Tech
Democratic Senator from Georgia retired in 1996 after four six-year terms. Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who served in the Coast Guard, helped defeat President Clinton's intention to allow open gays and lesbians in the military. . . . His sketch is included in the 1957-58 Tech guide as a non-scholarship sophomore. However, Nunn is not included in the '57-58 school scoring statistics, which include all players who scored, and is not listed on the '58-59 roster. His son, Brian, played for Emory University in Atlanta.

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, Occidental (Calif.)
U.S. Senator from Illinois outlasted Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election before defeating Republican John McCain to become the nation's first African-American commander-in-chief. . . . The 6-1 1/2 lefthander played on Occidental's junior varsity squad in 1979-80 before transferring to Columbia and subsequently attending Harvard Law School. In "Dreams From My Father," Obama described basketball as a comfort to a boy whose father was mostly absent, and who was one of only a few black youths at his school in Hawaii. "At least on the basketball court I could find a community of sorts," he wrote. Pickup basketball was his escape from the sport of politics. Said NBA Commissioner David Stern jokingly: "He's not as good as he thinks he is." Brother-in-law Craig Robinson, a two-time Ivy League MVP with Princeton, was Oregon State's coach when Obama was elected POTUS.

PETE OLSON, Rice
Republican was U.S. Congressman for Texas' 22nd congressional district from 2009 to 2021. . . . Scored eight points in eight basketball games as a freshman in 1981-82.

TOM OSBORNE, Hastings (Neb.)
U.S. Congressman from Nebraska for six years before Republican lost race for Governor in 2006. . . . Compiled a 255-49-2 record as Nebraska coach while winning 13 conference crown in 25 years from 1973 through 1997. Lost seven straight bowl games prior to having undefeated clubs capture national championships in three of his final four campaigns (1994-95-97). Selected in 19th round of 1959 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers before catching 29 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns for the Washington Redskins in 1960 and 1961. Attending college in his hometown, he scored 1,291 points for Hastings during the last half of 1950s, leading the team in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg) as a sophomore in 1956-57.

ED PAGANO, Vermont
Chief of Staff for Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was named Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Senate Liaison in 2012, serving two years in that White House position. . . . Pagano averaged 1.6 ppg and 1.3 rpg with the Catamounts from 1981-82 through 1983-84.

STEVE PAJCIC, Princeton
Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986 lost to Bob Martinez (only second Republican to win office in state history). Pajcic and his brother's law firm was a major financial contributor to Bill Bradley's failed 2000 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. He hosted one of the first fundraisers for future President Barack Obama, who returned to Pajcic's hometown of Jacksonville 10 years later as a groomsman in the wedding of Pajcic's daughter to Obama's Travel Director and confidant (Marvin Nicholson/also body guy for Sen. John Kerry during his White House bid). . . . Post Bradley's All-American career with Princeton, Pajcic averaged 1.6 ppg in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coaches Butch van Breda Kolff and Pete Carril. Pajcic contributed a field goal in the Tigers' 78-58 victory against Lou Carnesecca-coached St. John's in 1967 East Regional third-place game.

CARL PEED, Pembroke State (N.C.)
Republican appointee was Director of the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) after serving 25 years in the Fairfax (Va.) County Sheriff's Office. . . . Averaging in double figures all four years in college, he was captain and selected team MVP as a senior in 1968-69. Peed established an endowed scholarship in his alma mater's basketball program.

MARVIN PROFFER, Southeast Missouri State
Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives for 26 years (1962-88). . . . Played basketball for SEMO from 1950-53.

MARC RACICOT, Carroll College (Mont.)
Republican was two-term Montana governor from 1993 until 2001. Served as Chair of RNC between Jim Gilmore and Ed Gillespie prior to appointment as chairman of the Bush re-election campaign. . . . All-Frontier Conference first-team guard in late 1960s played under his father (Bill).

EDWARD REED SR., Nevada
Federal judge in 9th Judicial District. School in Sparks, Nev., is named after his son. . . . Four-year basketball letterman. . . . He was a fullback on record-breaking football teams of 1917, '19, '20, '21. Member of first mainland gridiron team ever to play in Hawaii (14-0 victory in 1920).

CLAUDE RETHERFORD, Indiana/Nebraska
Appointed mayor of Tulare, Calif., in 1992 and served in that capacity until he died of a heart attack in June, 1998. . . . Leading scorer in the Big Seven Conference in 1949 when Nebraska claimed its only regular-season league championship. Compiled a 17-34 record in three years as Idaho State's coach from 1965-66 through 1967-68.

DEAN RUSK, Davidson
Served as Secretary of State under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War era. Later, he was a professor of International Law at the University of Georgia. Davidson's most noted alumnus died on December 20, 1994, at age 85. His son, Richard, helped him write his memoirs in the book "As I Saw It." . . . Rusk, a Rhodes Scholarship recepient after graduating in 1931, was a star center with former Davidson President Dr. D. Grier Martin (1957 until 1968). "Basketball at Davidson reminds me of the old French proverb, 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose,'" Rusk said. "The game itself has been revolutionized since I played it. We once beat North Carolina 17-12; it was not a slowdown game. We both were trying like everything. What has remained the same has been the sheer fun of it, the stimulation of competition, the experience of losing as well as winning and the recognition that basketball is a sport in which a small college can take on the big fellows."

KENNETH RYSKAMP, Miami (Fla.)
Federal judge who presided over cases in the U.S. Southern District of Florida for more than three decades following President Ronald Reagan's nomination in 1986. President George H.W. Bush twice nominated Ryskamp to the appellate court, but Ryskamp was defeated both times after senators, including Joe Biden and Bob Graham, raised questions about his sensitivity to minority groups. . . . The 6-6 Ryskamp averaged a team-high 9.5 rpg in 1954-55 under coach Bruce Hale.

PAUL SARBANES, Princeton
Democrat served as a member of House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and Maryland Senator from 1977 to 2007. Consistent and staunch advocate for Greek-American issues. His son, John, held dad's old House seat. . . . Teammate of eventual MLB pitcher Dave Sisler scored 19 points in 12 games in 1951-52, including a made free throw against Dayton in East Regional third-place game.

RAYMOND SHAFER, Allegheny (Mass.)
Republican Governor of Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971 before associating with law firms in Washington, D.C., and Meadville, Pa. . . . Four-year letterman led team in scoring for three seasons and was captain as a senior in 1938.

ALAN K. SIMPSON, Wyoming
U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1978-96) was a staunch conservative and loyal lieutenant to Republican leader Bob Dole. Simpson's father, Milward, served in the same capacity (1962-67). The younger Simpson, who garnered 78 percent of the vote in 1984, served as chairman of Veterans' Affairs and Social Security and Family Policy. He charmed the Washington establishment with his earthy wit and folksy wisdom, becoming somewhat of a media darling because of his pithy quotes. . . . Forward-center earned a letter in 1952-53 after scoring seven points in six games for a team that went on to participate in the NCAA Tournament. He also played football for the Cowboys.

MILWARD SIMPSON, Wyoming
Governor of Wyoming (1954-58) and U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1962-67). Prior to holding elective office, he was a member of his alma mater's Board of Trustees and was the board's president for several years. His son, Alan, played basketball and football for Wyoming in 1952-53 before becoming a U.S. Senator. . . . Leading scorer for 1918 Wyoming team with 11.6 ppg. He also captained the school's football and baseball teams. Winner in the sports category as Wyoming Citizen of the Century.

ALBIO SIRES, St. Peter's
Democrat is serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey's 8th congressional district, winning each election with more than 2/3 of the vote. Cuban native is the first Hispanic to serve as mayor of West New York, speaker of the State Assembly and acting governor. . . . Averaged 5.5 ppg and 1.9 rpg from 1971-72 through 1973-74.

GEORGE SMATHERS, Florida
Prominent Washington lobbyist after representing Florida as a Congressman from 1947-51 and Senator from 1951-69. The Democrat was chairman of the Select Committee on Small Business in the late 1960s. He was the best man in John F. Kennedy's wedding. . . . Lettered for Gator teams from 1933-34 through 1935-36. Captain of squad his senior season.

THOMAS SMITH, St. Peter's
Mayor of Jersey City is remembered as a colorful politician who made an unsuccessful run for governer of New Jersey and also boxed an exhibition against Muhammad Ali when "The Greatest" was still an active fighter. Smith is author of a book "The Powerticians," which is considered an excellent chronicle of big-city machine politics. . . . Played in one game for the New York Knicks in 1951-52 after being their fifth pick in the NBA draft (ahead of Al McGuire). Scored 1,304 college points, which still ranks among the top 20 all-time scorers in school history.

LUTHER STRANGE III, Tulane
Republican Attorney General of Alabama served as a U.S. Senator in 2017 and 2018 following appointment to fill position after it was vacated by Sen. Jeff Sessions (confirmed as U.S. Attorney General). Strange ran to finish term in the subsequent special election but lost to former state judge Roy Moore in runoff. . . . The 6-9 Strange averaged 5.3 ppg and 4 rpg from 1972-73 through 1974-75. He was runner-up in rebounding average as a junior.

HANS TANZLER JR., Florida
Former mayor of Jacksonville in his hometown from 1967 through 1978. . . . Averaged 12.2 ppg in his four-year career from 1946-47 through 1949-50. He led the Gators in scoring as a sophomore (13.2 ppg). Tanzler was captain of the team as a senior when he was a third-team All-SEC AP selection.

JOSEPH P. "JOE" TEASDALE, Benedictine College (Kan.)
Democratic governor of Missouri (1977-81) gained national attention by walking across the state while campaigning. He defeated Kit Bond before losing to him in a rematch. . . . Member of 1953-54 Benedictine team (then called St. Benedict's) that compiled a 24-5 record en route to winning the NAIA Tournament. Converted 19 of 20 free throws the next season in a game against William Jewell College (Mo.) on his way to finishing as the team's second-leading scorer with an 11.9-point average.

KYLE TESTERMAN, Tennessee
Republican served two terms as Knoxville mayor (1972-75 and 1984-87), spearheading bringing the 1982 World's Fair to the city. . . . The 6-3 forward played in a total of six games for the Volunteers in 1953-54 and 1954-55. He overcame childhood polio and finished his college experience on a tennis scholarship.

JOHN THUNE, Biola (Calif.)
South Dakota member of House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003 until the Republican defeated Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle in 2004. . . . The 6-4 Thune played two seasons (1979-80 and 1982-83), averaging 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 37 games while shooting 40% from the floor and 73.3% from the free-throw line.

MORRIS "MO" UDALL, Arizona
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961 to 1991) and candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Brother of former Secretary of the Interior Stew Udall served as Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs. . . . He was the Wildcats' captain and second-leading scorer with an average of 10 points per game for the 1946-47 team that won the Border Conference title and finished with a 21-3 record. The next year, he was the leading scorer (13.3 average) on a squad that successfully defended its league crown. The 6-5, 200-pound forward-center was named to the first five on the 1947-48 Border Conference all-star team and finished second in the league in scoring. He played with Denver in the National Basketball League in 1948-49.

STEWART UDALL, Arizona
The first Arizonan to hold a cabinet post was Secretary of the Interior under Democratic presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. After serving in the military, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954. Brother of Mo Udall, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. . . . After attending Eastern Arizona Junior College, the 6-? guard was named to the second five on the 1939-40 Border Conference all-star team when he averaged 7.1 points per game and scored a career-high 18 vs. Texas-El Paso. (insert text on why he didn't play from 1941 through 1945). Member of UA squad that lost in 1946 quarterfinals to eventual NIT champion Kentucky. His career average was 4.7 ppg. Udall helped the Wildcats start a homecourt winning streak that eventually reached 81 in a row until ending in 1951.

RICHARD VINROOT, North Carolina
Re-elected to a second term as Mayor of Charlotte in 1993 with 67 percent of the vote. His accomplishments included the construction of a community center, development of summer jobs program, and creation of a public transit center. Unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor of North Carolina in 1996 and 2004. . . . The 6-7, 210-pound center played briefly for the Tar Heels in coach Dean Smith's first two seasons (1961-62 as a sophomore and 1962-63 as a junior). He scored one point and grabbed two rebounds in nine games. Excerpt from school guide: "Diligent worker. President of junior and senior classes."

WELLINGTON WEBB, Colorado State College
Became the first African-American mayor of Denver in 1991 and went on to serve three terms. Webb had a long track record in state and federal government as a legislator, governor's cabinet member and federal administrator, presiding during what is arguably the best economic period that Denver and Colorado has ever seen. A sharp drop in reported burglaries, successful economic development initiatives and his leadership in solving a variety of local problems boosted the Democrat's popularity to unprecedented levels. . . . Played for the Bears' 1964 NCAA College Division Tournament team as a senior. He had his best season the previous year when he averaged 6.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg for a school now known as Northern Colorado.

BYRON "WHIZZER" WHITE, Colorado
United States Supreme Court Justice for 32 years after being appointed by President Kennedy in 1962. White, a dissenter in the 7-2 Roe vs. Wade ruling, was known for his regard for the power of Congress. On the bench, White was a fierce questioner who seemed to revel in backing a lawyer into a corner. White's most controversial verdict was his 1986 majority opinion upholding Georgia's ban on consensual homosexual conduct. . . . College Football Hall of Famer finished second in the 1937 Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for a national-leading 1,121 yards, passing for 475, returning punts and kickoffs for 746, punting for a 42.5-yard average, intercepting four passes and scoring a nation-leading 122 points. Played three seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1938) and Detroit Lions (1940 and 1941). He led the NFL in rushing in 1938 and 1940 and in punt returns in 1941. White was one of the first big-money players, making $15,800 as a rookie. . . . In a low-scoring era of basketball, he averaged 6.8 points per game for the Buffaloes in conference play in three varsity seasons (1935-36 through 1937-38). White scored 10 points in the 1938 NIT championship game when Colorado was defeated by Temple, 60-36. He was a third-team all-league selection as a sophomore (7.7 ppg in Rocky Mountain) and first team as a junior (RMC) and senior (Mountain States). After Colorado's 48-47 victory over NYU in the 1938 NIT semifinals, the New York Times wrote that "White was the guiding genius of the team and its steadying influence. The Rhodes Scholar, with a build as solid as an oak tree, was all-powerful on defense and an excellent shot when he chose."

JESSE WHITE JR., Alabama State
Member of Democratic Party, he has served as the Secretary of State of Illinois since 1999. White is the longest-serving and first African-American to hold this job. In January 2009, White gained national attention for steadfastly refusing to certify Roland Burris' nomination to the U.S. Senate following corruption charges against former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. . . . Scored 51 points in a Chicago Public League high school game before earning all-league acclaim for Alabama State in 1953-54.

RICK WRIGHT, Princeton
Attorney helped create Department of Energy in Carter Administration. . . . Basketball letterman in 1961-62 and 1963-64. Hit both of his field-goal attempts in the Tigers' 86-60 victory over VMI in the first round of the 1964 NCAA playoffs.

RON WYDEN, UC Santa Barbara
Won the USA's first vote-by-mail congressional election in January 1996 for Senate seat vacated by Republican Bob Packwood after Packwood resigned following a long ethics investigation into sexual harassment and misconduct charges. Democratic member of the House of Representatives from Oregon for 16 years was Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment that dealt with the tobacco industry. Wyden and California Representative Howard Berman were the two most vocal advocates to force the tobacco companies to reveal their research findings on nicotine addictions. Wyden then served on the House Committee on Oversight and Investigations. . . . The 6-3 1/2, 175-pound forward averaged 17.4 points per game for the Gaucho freshman team in 1967-68 before averaging 2.6 ppg as a sophomore. Excerpt from school guide: "Great ability to get offensive rebounds and get the shot back up despite his height limitations. Plays very hard and is a fierce competitor."

GEORGE "SMEDES" YORK, North Carolina State
Mayor of Raleigh, N.C., from 1979 until 1983 was one of the city's most successful businessmen and civic leaders. . . . The 6-4, 200-pounder played briefly for the Wolfpack as a sophomore and junior (1961-62 and 1962-63).

GLENN YOUNGKIN, Rice
Republican became Virginia Governor in 2021 election when defeating former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe. . . . The 6-7 Youngkin averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.2 rpg with the Owls from 1985-86 through 1988-89.

CLERGY AND EDUCATORS

CARLOS ASAY, Utah
Emeritus General Authority in the Mormon Church. Elder presided over the Salt Lake Temple from 1996 until he died of a heart attack in April, 1999. . . . Four-year letterman was sixth man for the Utes' 1947 NIT championship team. He played for them again in 1951, 1952 and 1953 after a Latter-Day Saints mission.

BOB BECKEL, Air Force
Achieved the rank of lieutenant general before retiring to be president of New Mexico Military Institute. . . . USAF's career leader in scoring average with a 22.8-point mark led the Falcons in scoring in each of his three seasons from 1956-57 through 1958-59.

PETE BLACKMAN, UCLA
Vice Chancellor of his alma mater. . . . Starting forward in 1962 NCAA Tournament when the John Wooden-coached Bruins finished fourth. Averaged 7.5 points per game in four playoff outings.

JIM BOND, Pasadena (Calif.)
Received a doctorate in the ministry and served as a minister and president of Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego. Later became the top executive for the Nazarene Church worldwide. . . . Two-time NAIA All-American in lthe 1950s averaged 19.3 ppg.

DR. CALVIN W. BURNETT, St. Louis
President of Coppin State in Baltimore from 1970 to 2003. Listed in Who's Who in America. . . . Three-year letterman averaged 5.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game with the Billikens (1956-57 through 1958-59). The 6-5, 190-pound forward led the team in rebounding with 14.9 per game as a sophomore (19th in the nation in rebound percentage) and retrieved a team-high 18 missed shots in two NCAA Tournament games. . . . Excerpt from sketch in school guide: "Strong, fast and a fine competitor, Cal favors a leaping one-hander from medium range. He is 'sure death' on follows."

JAMES CASH, Texas Christian
Became the first black tenured professor at Harvard in 1976. He was named chairman of the Harvard Business School MBA program in 1992. . . . The first African American to play in the Southwest Conference averaged 13.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in three seasons from 1966-67 through 1968-69. The 6-6, 220-pound center poured in 37 points in one contest and had 26-, 25- and 23-rebound games for TCU. He was the SWC's leading rebounder as a senior with 12.9 per game. Cash grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds when the Horned Frogs lost to Houston in the 1968 Midwest Regional final.

VERNON CHEADLE, Miami (Ohio)
Chancellor of UC Santa Barbara from 1962 to 1977. . . . Three-year basketball letterman in the early 1930s also participated in track and football.

WILLIAM "RED" DEMAREST, Rutgers
Former president of his alma mater. . . . Earned basketball letters from 1931-32 through 1933-34.

DR. JACK DOLAND, McNeese State
President of his alma mater went on to become a state senator. . . . Played for McNeese State when it was a junior college in the late 1940s.

DR. JAMES FRANK, Lincoln (Mo.)
President of his alma mater. . . . Also played baseball and competed in track for Lincoln. Named the 89th most influential student-athlete in 2006 when the NCAA celebrated its centennial anniversary.

KEION HENDERSON, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne
Organized Horizon Baptist Church as pastor while still in college, growing from five members to more than 600 in less than five years. In the fall of 2009, organized The Lighthouse Church in Houston, which had 139 charter members before growing to in excess of 2,300 in four years. . . . Averaged 9 ppg and 4 rpg in 2003-04 when IPFWU made transition to NCAA Division I level.

DR. FREDERICK L. HOVDE, Minnesota
President of Purdue University (1946-70). . . . Fourth-leading scorer for Gophers in Big Ten basketball competition in 1928-29. Described by Spalding's Official Basketball Guide as "a small, hard driving floor man."

REV. EDWARD A. MALLOY, C.S.C., Notre Dame
As Notre Dame's 16th president, he has led the university since 1987. . . . The 6-4, 190-pound guard-forward, nicknamed "Monk," scored two points in three games as a sophomore in 1960-61, 19 in 11 games as a junior in 1961-62 and six in seven games as a senior in 1962-63. He was a high school teammate of John Thompson, a star center for Providence who played briefly in the NBA before becoming coach at Georgetown, and Tom Hoover, who played for Villanova and became an NBA first-round draft choice.

JAMES E. MARTIN, Auburn
The 14th president of Auburn (from 1984 through 1992) was a scholarship basketball player at the same school. The teammate of Vince Dooley started as a 6-6 sophomore center in 1951-52, when Martin was runner-up in scoring (9.1 points per game) and led in rebounding (8 rpg). He averaged 7.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in his three-year varsity career.

REV. JACK O'MALLEY, St. Francis (Pa.)
Catholic priest noted for his work with the poor in the Pittsburgh area. . . . Averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in a four-year career (1955-56 through 1958-59). His best season was as a sophomore (12.5 ppg and 7.7 rpg). As senior captain during a layover on a flight home, he encouraged his teammates to sleep together in the lobby of the Winston-Salem, N.C., airport after it was discerned that African-American members of the team couldn't stay at the same hotel as white players. In a win that helped the Fred Flash reach the 1958 NIT, he hit a pair of free throws with no time remaining in a 65-64 win over in-state rival Duquesne.

DR. HUNTER RAWLINGS III, Haverford (Pa.)
President of the University of Iowa. . . . The 6-7 center was a four-year starter in college. As a senior in 1965-66, he averaged 16.2 points and 16.4 rebounds per game and was named MVP in the Southern College Division of the Middle Atlantic Conference after leading his team to a 13-3 league record.

JOHN REYNDERS, Allegheny (Mass.)
President of Morningside College (Iowa). . . . Three-year letterman (class of '75) became the winningest coach in his alma mater's history.

DR. JIM ROSSER, Southern Illinois
President of Cal State Los Angeles since 1979. . . . Averaged 4.9 ppg in 1959-60 before appearing in four games for the Salukis the next season.

DR. KENNETH A. SHAW, Illinois State
Chancellor of Syracuse University for 13 years from 1991 to 2004 represented the Big East Conference on the NCAA Presidents Commission. He was the first-ever chair for the NCAA Board of Directors. . . . Known as "Buzz" in college, he was a 6-2, 185-pound guard who averaged 12.9 ppg in his varsity career. He led the Redbirds in scoring as a junior with a 15-point average. Shaw set school records (subsequently broken) for most games played (108) and highest career free-throw percentage (.831).

LAWSON SWEARINGEN, Northeast Louisiana
Louisiana District 34 state senator from 1979 until 1991 until he was elected his alma mater's fourth president. . . . Lettered four years from 1962-63 through 1965-66 and played on one conference title team. He averaged 1.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg while shooting 37% from the floor and 49% from the free-throw line.

DR. C. PAT TAYLOR, Tennessee-Martin
Southwest Baptist (Mo.) president since 1996. . . . The 5-11 guard's best varsity season under coach Floyd Burdette was as a junior in 1966-67 when he averaged 3.4 ppg. He averaged 2.3 ppg during his three-year varsity career after averaging 16.3 ppg for UTM's freshman squad. Sketch in school press guide: "Makes up for his lack of size with speed and hustle. Very capable defensive man with quickness and agility. Offensively, he is a fast thinker and is a valuable playmaker."

CHRIS THOMFORDE, Princeton
Lutheran minister was chaplain at Susquehanna University before becoming President of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan. . . . Two-time All-Ivy League first-team selection averaged 13 ppg and 8.9 rpg from 1966-67 through 1968-69. "The quality of this fellow is just mind-boggling," former Princeton coach Pete Carril said. "He's probably the finest human being I've ever met in my life. No one could ever come close. He gave a sermon at Princeton on why one had to believe in God and it was the best presentation. He must be of God's work." The 6-9, 210-pounder was an All-East Regional selection in the 1967 NCAA Tournament after collecting game highs of 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a 78-58 victory over St. John's in the East Regional third-place game. He grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds when the Tigers were eliminated by St. John's, 72-63, in the first round of the 1969 East Regional.

REV. MAURICE E. VAN ACKEREN, S.J., Creighton
Former chancellor of Rockhurst College in Kansas City. . . . First-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection as a sophomore (second-leading scorer in league) and junior (leading scorer) and second-team choice as a senior (third-leading scorer). Creighton tied for the MVC title his first two years and won the conference crown with an 8-0 record and finished with 17-4 overall mark his senior year in 1932 when he captained the team.

HARRISON WILSON, Kentucky State
Grandfather of NFL standout QB Russell Wilson was President of Norfolk State from 1975 until 1997. Said Harrison: "In academics as well as athletics, you need to raise the bar .... set higher goals and work for excellence. The students, the University and the community deserve nothing less than representing ourselves at the highest level of effort." . . . Multi-sport athlete was forward on KSU's basketball squad.