National Collegiate Athletic Association |
The NCAA News - News and FeaturesDecember 8, 1997 Six honored with Silver Anniversary Awards
Three men, three women to be recognized by NCAASix former collegiate stars who have enjoyed prominent professional careers in journalism, medicine, sports and science are this year's NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipients. The Silver Anniversary Award recognizes former student-athletes who have distinguished themselves since completing their college athletics careers 25 years ago. The award winners were selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes. This year's honorees are Gary Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, swimming; Lawrie Mifflin, Yale University, field hockey; Drew Pearson, University of Tulsa, football; Cynthia Potter, Indiana, diving; Sally K. Ride, Stanford University, tennis; and Harry Smith, Central College, football. These individuals will be recognized January 11 at the honors dinner during the NCAA Convention in Atlanta. Gary Hall Indiana University, Bloomington Swimming
Captain of the 1972 and 1976 United States men's Olympic swim teams, he won silver and bronze medals at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Games. Hall set nine individual world records in three different events -- butterfly, backstroke and individual medley -- from 1968 to 1972. He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1969 and 1970. Hall went on to graduate from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine after completing his undergraduate degree at Indiana. Now operating the Gary Hall Eye Surgery Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, he has become a much-sought-after lecturer at eyesight symposiums and conventions and is the author of four books on eyesight. Hall is chairman of the board for the Children's Legal Foundation, a member of the Board of References for the Americans for Decency/American Family Association and spokesperson for the National Society to Prevent Blindness and the American Heart Association's American Heart Walk. Hall serves as honorary chairman for Swim for Diabetes, sponsored by the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland.
Yale University Field hockey
Graduating magna cum laude in the first class of women at Yale in 1973, she went on to work as a reporter for The New York Times. In 1976, she became the first woman sportswriter for the New York Daily News. Mifflin has covered four Olympics and two World Cup soccer tournaments. She is currently a culture reporter for the Times. As creator and director of The New York Times Work-Life Services Office, she formulated, codified and promoted new family-friendly and flexible work policies for the Times. Mifflin serves on the executive committee for the Parents Association of the New York City Laboratory School and the executive board for the Brooklyn Region of the American Youth Soccer Organization. She is a founding member of the Professional Soccer Reporters Association of American and also a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media.
University of Tulsa Football
In an 11-year professional career with the Dallas Cowboys, he went to three Super Bowls and had 489 career receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns. He was All-Pro in 1974, 1976 and 1977. In 1980, he was voted the Cowboys' NFL Man of the Year by fans. The Pro Football Hall of Fame named him to its NFL All-Decade Team of the '70s. Pearson is chairman of the board of Drew Pearson Marketing, a $50 million company that manufactures and distributes officially licensed pro sports headwear for adults and children. In 1994, his company was recognized as the 20th largest black-owned business in the United States by Black Enterprise and as the second-fastest-growing business in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He serves on the NFL Commissioner's Former Player Advisory Committee and Advisory Board of Wednesday's Child. He is a member of the Rainbow Coalition for Fairness in Athletics Commission; serves on the boards of directors for the Dallas International Sports Commission and Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, Texas; and is a member of the board of regents for the Texas Business Leaders for Educational Choice. Pearson is also on the national selection committee for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate running back.
Indiana University, Bloomington Diving
She won more than 20 gold medals in international world diving competition between 1967 and 1980. In 1987, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and in 1989 into the Indiana University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Serving as a television commentator since 1983, Potter has worked at the Olympics, NCAA swimming and diving championships and Goodwill Games. From 1984 to 1996, she was head men's and women's diving coach at the University of Arizona and was named Pacific-10 conference coach of the year in 1993. Potter was a member of the executive board for the U.S. Olympic Committee and currently serves as trustee and chair of the U.S. Diving Foundation. She is an active volunteer in the fight against illiteracy, United Way, children's and Veterans Administration hospitals, and Special Olympics. She also is a volunteer for the East Lake Community Foundation in Atlanta, working to restore a community and educate young people in healthy living.
Stanford University Tennis
After graduating in 1973 with a bachelor of science degree in physics and a bachelor of arts in English, Ride earned a master of science degree and doctorate at Stanford. In 1978, Ride was selected for astronaut training. As a member of the Challenger space shuttle crew in June 1983 and October 1984, Ride became the first American woman to travel in space. In June 1985, Ride was assigned to a third space shuttle flight, but training for that flight was interrupted in January 1986 by the accident that destroyed Challenger. She subsequently served on the Presidential Commission that was convened to investigate the accident. Ride then was assigned to Washington, D.C., as assistant to the NASA administrator for long-range planing. Ride is a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, and director of the California Space Institute, a research institute of the University of California. She has written a children's book, "To Space and Back," as well as two other books on her space travels. She has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and the National Women's Hall of Fame. A member of the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, Ride has received the Jefferson Award for Public Service in recognition of her advocacy of improved science education, the NASA Leadership Award, and the Lindbergh Eagle.
Central College (Iowa) Football
At Central, Smith also worked at the campus radio station and hosted his own show. In addition, he was an active participant in theater productions, sang in the a cappella choir and was residence-hall advisor. He spent the summer of 1972 in Taiwan teaching English though a program sponsored by the Presbyterian church, and was a member of Beta Kappa Epsilon and the campus church board. After graduating from Central, Smith hosted radio talk shows before becoming a reporter in 1985 at KMGH in Denver. In 1986, he moved to Dallas as a correspondent for CBS News. Smith became co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" in 1987. Smith now can be seen as a correspondent on CBS News and in his weekly feature, "Travels with Harry," on CBS Evening News. He also hosts a series of documentaries for the History Channel and the "Biography" series on the A&E cable channel. Smith has won three Emmy Awards for reporting. He is a member of the Illinois Broadcasters Association hall of fame. In 1984, he received the Central College Distinguished Alumni Award and in 1985 received the Service to Central College Award. He has volunteered for several years as a reading tutor in New York City public schools and hosted fund-raising events for the Salvation Army. He also does volunteer work for the Lombardi Cancer Center in Wisconsin and hosts the Free Concert for Peace every New Year's Eve in New York City.
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A seven-time NCAA champion for the Hoosiers, Hall won the NCAA Today's Top Five Award and was awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. During his collegiate career, he also won 10 Big Ten Conference individual championships and 23 national AAU titles.
Initiating the women's field hockey program at Yale University, Mifflin became the first captain of the women's team.
As a sophomore quarterback at the University of Tulsa, Pearson completed 36 of 86 passes for 423 yards and one touchdown. During his junior season, switching to wide receiver, he caught 22 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns. Pearson then led the Golden Hurricanes his senior year with 33 catches for 690 yards and five touchdowns.
Potter has won the most national diving championships of any woman, with 28, and is second overall only to Greg Lougainis. She also was a member of four U.S. Olympic diving teams (1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980) and won a bronze medal in 1976. From 1970 to 1972, Potter won World Diver of the Year honors while diving at Indiana.
A two-sport athlete, Ride also played rugby at Stanford and helped start the school's club team in that sport. Before transferring to Stanford, she played field hockey, basketball and tennis at Swarthmore College.
Smith was a three-year starter at defensive tackle for Central (Iowa). The team finished 24-11 during his four-year career.