Oscar Robertson to speak at Foundation banquet
FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Huntington, Ind. " Basketball legend and entrepreneur, Oscar Robertson, will serve as the keynote speaker at the Huntington College Foundation Annual Dinner on Thursday, September 16, 2004, in the Habecker Dining Commons at Huntington College. The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Nicknamed The Big O , Robertson was voted Player of the Century by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is a member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also named one of the National Basketball Association's 50 greatest players of all time.
Raised in Indianapolis, Robertson led Crispus Attucks High School to two consecutive Indiana state championships and a national championship, marking the first time an African-American school won the Indiana state championship as well as a national championship.
Robertson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of Cincinnati. While playing for the Bearcats, he was a three-time, first team All-American and a National College Player of the Year on three consecutive occasions, leading the NCAA in scoring each of those years. Following his graduation, Robertson co-captained the undefeated 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medalist basketball team in Rome.
Robertson then began a 14-year NBA career, playing ten years with the Cincinnati Royals and four years with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1961, named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1964, and named a 12-time NBA All-Star. Robertson led his teams to 10 playoff appearances, winning the NBA championships in 1971.
During the 1961-62 season, Robertson became the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double (double figures in scoring, rebounding and assists) for an entire season. Upon retirement, Roberston left the league as the all-time leader in career assists and free-throws made.
Today, Robertson is one of the nation's leading small business owners with interests in manufacturing, real estate development, document services, banking and media. He is the author and publisher of the fundamental skill book, The Art of Basketball. Robertson is also involved with the NBA Legends Foundation, NAACP, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, the Salvation Army, HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Equal), Boys and Girls Clubs of America, National Lupus Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation, for whom he acts as an advocate for organ donation.
The cost of the Foundation banquet dinner program is $20 per person. Tables of eight may be reserved for $150. To make reservations, contact Ella Burnett at (260) 359-4069. Reservations will be taken until September 13. Payment should be sent to Huntington College Foundation, 2303 College Avenue, Huntington, IN 46750.
