Higher Education: Turner Among School Presidents Who Played College Hoops

The stereotypical view depicting educators as know-nothings when it comes to athletics isn't always accurate. Lost amid the hoop hubbub of Larry Brown's hubris bringing Dallas a new soap opera is the fact that R. Gerald Turner, Southern Methodist's President since 1995, is a former college basketball player.

Time will tell if Turner is remembered more for luring Brown to campus, giving A.D. Steve Orsini a pink slip or his efforts to attract the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Turner, co-chair of the Knight Commission, was Chancellor at Mississippi when he hired Rob Evans as Ole Miss' first black head basketball coach in 1992 after being his junior college teammate at Lubbock (TX) Christian.

After junior college, Turner attended Abilene Christian (TX) but didn't play there because of a knee injury (class of '68). He is in a group that could be called "students of the game." Following is an alphabetical list of college presidents/chancellors who made more of an impact than Turner as college basketball players for a four-year school:

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. For more than a decade, he oversaw campuswide administration, including facilities management, environmental health and safety, financial services, housing and hospitality services, transportation services, administrative information systems and campus police. Starting forward and team leader in field-goal shooting (50.2%) for 1962 NCAA Tournament team when the John Wooden-coached Bruins finished fourth. The 6-5 Blackman averaged 7.5 points per game in four playoff outings to finish the campaign with averages of 11.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg.

JIM BOND, Pasadena (CA)
Received a doctorate in the ministry and served as a minister and president of his San Diego-based alma mater, now known as Point Loma Nazarene College. Later became the top executive for the Nazarene Church worldwide. Texas native was a two-time NAIA All-American (class of '54) who averaged 19.3 ppg.

DR. CALVIN W. BURNETT, St. Louis
President of Coppin State in Baltimore from 1970 to 2003 was 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."

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 for 10 years before serving as SWAC commissioner from 1983 to 1998. 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.

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."

JOSEPH JOHNSON, Grambling
President of his alma mater from 1978 until 1991 and served in a similar capacity at Talledaga College (AL) from 1991 to 1998. In the mid-1950s, he was a teammate of Bob Hopkins, the nation's leading scorer.

REV. EDWARD A. MALLOY, Notre Dame
As Notre Dame's 16th president, he led the university from 1987 to 2005. 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 Jr., 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.

DR. HUNTER R. RAWLINGS III, Haverford (PA)
President of the University of Iowa from 1987 until 1995 before serving in a similar capacity with Cornell from 1995 until 2003. 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 (MA)
President of Morningside College (IA). Three-year letterman (class of '75) became the winningest coach in his alma mater's history.

DR. JAMES M. 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 the fall of 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 serving as President of Bethany (KS), St. Olaf (MN) and Moravian (PA). 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, 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.