JERRY WEST, ALL-TIME BASKETBALL GREAT, HAS DIED AT 86

            This news struck me because West has always been a symbol of basketball, not only because that’s his image on the NBA logo, but because I grew up with basketball and he was almost always in the center of it, one way or another. He was an All-American at West Virginia, coming from a little town known as Cabin Creek. His team mate on the Lakers, the great Elgin Baylor, called him “Zeak from Cabin Creek”. His first name being Jerry has had nothing to do with my special admiration for him. :O)

            Perhaps the thing I remember most, aside from the fact that he helped win more NBA Championships for the Lakers than any team except the Boston Celtics, is that he once won a game by making a 65-foot shot on the run to win the finals championship series. And that was before there were three-pointers. Don’t get me wrong, I have never been a Lakers fan. I have always been a Celtics fan from back in the days of Cousey, Russell, Sharman, and Havlicek. And sometimes the Seattle Super Sonics when my friend Les Habegger was the Assistant Coach. But it was hard to root against the talent of West, Baylor, and Kareem.

            For the last twenty years of his life, West was in the front office of the Lakers in various capacities. He guided them to many championships and special record setting seasons. Besides all this, Jerry West was always known as a fine gentleman, never getting into fights or scandals. I sit now waiting for the end to come to Bob Cousey, who is still with us while being well over 100 years of age. All the others from that era, including Russell and Chamberline, have gone on ahead, but “the Cous” continues to hold out. Although he and Jerry West were sometimes opponents, they shared that special something that makes basketball players great – talent and the drive to do better. Thanks for the memories, Jerry West !!           

WARRIORVILLE WAYBACK WHEN

            I came to Westmont College in Santa Barbara CA, in the Fall of 1952 as a relatively recently newborn Christian and something of a high school athlete. After four years I graduated and went on to graduate schools studying to become a college teacher. I taught for 65 years and am now in my 92^nd year. I have clear and positive memories of Westmont in those days. Here are some of them.

            There were about 300 students, almost all from the West coast, especially Southern California. We lived in several large buildings as dormitories left over from a couple of very fancy garden estates. Most of the women were housed in Emerson Hall and some freshmen lived in several Quonset huts near where the baseball field is now. We had Chapel every day in the front lounge and hallway near the switchboard. All classes except labs were held in Kerrwood Hall, as were the library and small cafeteria.  Needless to say, Westmont then was a shoe-string operation. We played all the sports downtown in other peoples’ facilities.                   

     In regard to academics, I was only an average student – half Cs and half Bs. I majored in religion and minored in philosophy. My main teachers were Dr. Monroe, who taught philosophy and Dr. Cleveland, who taught religion. They were the only professors with doctorate degrees at that time. I took Greek for two years from Mr. Seager and history from Dr. Hieronymus. Every class began with a brief, student led devotional. Since I had not been a Christian for very long, I often felt quite out of place, especially in chapel since I could not sing and never had been around so many really fine singers.

            I finally ended up with a Bachelor’s degree, but without much distinction. Social life was pretty minimal, since we were not allowed to go to movies and there were no dances. There were “Literary Societies” that provided much of the “entertainment”, as well as some concerts, nearby church functions, and the beach. In addition to my major professors, I very much enjoyed the classes of one Lucy Campbell who chaired the education department. Later there were other new professors who brought light and energy to the academic life. One was young, Ken Richardson in literature and another was Professor Wayne Hayden in psychology and education. Mr. Harley taught psychology as well.         

            From a theological point of view Westmont was strictly a fundamentalist school. Other, more “liberal” ideas were frowned upon and not considered to be Christian. On Sunday morning everyone went to Church, mostly at Baptist Churches. Saturday nights many students went to Youth for Christ rallies. As I grew, both as a student and as a Christian I, along with many others, began to explore broader point of view theologically. I did my Master’s Thesis at the University of Washington and wrote on Reinhold Niebuhr’s view of reason and faith. It was a real eye opener to thoroughly explore the thought of a major thinker who was not thought to be a Christian at Westmont in those days.

            I made the basketball team my first year and the starting five as well. We did not have a great team, but we had two very outstanding players. One was Johnny Crew, who averaged 26 points a game in his junior year and the other was Tine Hardeman, who led us to a one-basket loss to the University of California at Santa Barbara. Our coach was Jack Siemens, a truly fine man and a good coach. In my senior year I managed to average ten points a game. I went on to play informally in various organized games throughout my career as a professor. I finally hung ‘em up when I reached 60 years of age.

            In track and field, I did a bit better, setting the school record in the long jump with a jump of 22’6”. As team captain I also did the high jump, both high and low hurdles, and the relay in nearly every meet. In my senior year I was asked to coach the track team since I had already used up my eligibility. We had a great year, winning the Southern California Small College Championship. I “inherited” several fine athletes, such as Harold Spencer, a 13-foot pole-vaulter; Chuck Smith a really fine weight man along with Jerry Varnell who ran the 440 (a quarter mile) in 49 flat; Bill Shrode, a really good hurdler; George Terzian a 6’3” high jumper; Royce Cox in the half mile, and Kenny Paul in both the mile and the two mile.

            Perhaps the most important person in all my Westmont experience was Rathburn Shelton, who for a while was the baseball coach, Public Relations and Alumni Director. Rath was surely the most popular fellow on the Westmont staff in those days. He was jovial, honest, and always glad to see you. He and his wife Peggy generously opened their home to students. I stayed in touch with Rath a true friend and an inspiration for many years after leaving Westmont. His children all live in and around the Westmont campus and participate fully in the cultural life of Santa Barbara. Ron, in addition to almost making it as a big-league baseball player, is now well-known as an important film maker of “Bull Durham” fame.

            Over the decades I have tried to maintain my connection with Westmont, occasionally speaking on campus, but mostly by staying in touch with Rathburn and then his family. Both theirs and my interpretation of Christian faith may have grown since those early days, but the commitment to the faith lived by Jesus still remains in place. His life and major teachings are always appropriate to reinterpretation, but the heart of his Gospel to love God and others stands fast. I remain ever grateful to Westmont for the vision and spirit it instilled within me to grow and serve. It is still true, as it says on the speaker’s podium: “Sir, we would see Jesus.”