St Gregorys University - Knight Life Yearbook (Shawnee, OK)

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Honore Letterman Joseph Robert Trosper '36 39 If was a Februar nighl' in l938 wiih one of ihose games +ha+ everyone 'lhrills io, ch-eads, and generally burns a lol of calories over-boih ieams playing iheir hearis our and doggedly maiching baskei 'for basket Twelve seconds bragged fhai rhe even-siephen fill was siill on, and mosi' fans had sefiled fo ihe idea of an over- fime, Si. Gregory's coach, however, did noi aniicipaie any such ouicome, and now as he dug his fingernails deeper inio his palms, he wondered jusl when 'lhaf guard would break for ihe all imporfani shof. Five seconds . . , ihe S+. Gregory guard raced foward 'rhe baskei, buf ihe spur? was 'loo sudden, for if resulied in an ignomin- ious skid ending in a sii-down-hard, buf wifh baskefball sfill under conirol -righf on ihe free ihrow line. Like a iired mule ihe slands shuddered anew under ihe impacf of siamping feef and hoarse yells, fhe coach groaned, 'Phe man 'lor man defense gawked, and Joe Trosper, back sfraighf, arms slraining, legs askew, looking for all fhe world like a li'Hle boy playing af ihe beach, aimed for fha? score. Up, up, coniacf-ihe ball spun on The rim and 'lhen clung fo ihe hoop of fhe baske? like a gourd in a whirlpool-down, down info fhe spongy nef, buner sounding-Sf. Gregory's viclorious . . . Joe siill siHing on ihe floor! Roberf Joseph Trosper '39 is noi ihe LeH'ermen's Club's choice as disfinguished aihlele for feais of freakish and 'Fabulous shofs in frighfful circumsfances fha! call for his brand of cool ihinking. Joe was selecfed primarily because he represenis ihe finesi kind of sporismanship and characfer, ihe kind of 'iraining fhai- makes aihleiics esseniial 'lo ihe well-rounded man, 'lhe kind of achievemeni fo which every S+. Gregory le'Herman aspires, An impressive record, of course, emphasizes ihe accomplish- menis ihai' developed Joe Trosper, fhe G-Club's Man of 'the Year. Joe eniered Sf. Gregory's in Sepiember, I936, and remained uniil graduaiion in June, I939. All ihree years saw le'Her awards in bas- keiball, and he meriied le'Hers in- fooiball and iennis his laHer iwo years ai Sf. Gregory's. ln his senior year Joe held The disiinclion of being chosen capiain of ihe fooiball and ihe baskeiball ieams. ln passing, if is well worih noiing fhai' his free ihrow record ai Si. Gregory's l90 per l00l is sfill unbroken. Honors came from 'lhe inierscholasiic world loo, for Joe was named 'lo 'I'he Cafholic All-Conference Baskefball ieams in l93B and I939. Some of his mosl' vivid recolleclions baskeiball-wise are of lhe games he played for Sf, Gregory's in ihe Naiional Caiholic High School Tournamenf, Chicago, I939. Ai iis conclusion Joe was named io lhe All-Slar ieam. Aihleiic skill coniinued io develop wiih varsiiy baskeiball for Oklahoma Ciiy Universify from I940-l942. War came, and 'lhe U. S. Navy mei Joe Trosper. Firsi' fhere were siaiion ieams ai' Naval Air slaiions in Hufchison, Kansas, and Jacksonville, Florida. While wiih 'lhe laH'er ieam, Joe sparkled in 'ihe nafional AAU iourna- menf ai Aflanfa, Georgia, Again he was picked for fhe All-Siar feam. Following his discharge from 'lhe U. S. Navy, Joe played AAU baske+baII for ihe M 8: O Smokies of Kansas Ciiy. Excepi' for occasional refereeing engagemenfs, Joe is rarely on 'lhe baskefball couri ihese days, for lhe execuiive aspecis of his posiiion wiih fhe Askew Adiusfmeni Co. of Oklahoma Ciiy claim mos? of his valuable working iime. There is, ihough, a Trosper quinieh Joe, fhe Mrs. lihe former Doroihy Anne O'Brien of Ridgefield Park, N. J.l, Kaihleen Marie, 3V2g Roberfl Joseph, Jr., ZVZ7 and Daniel Eugene, 8 mos, Unassuming in appearance and manner, Joe Trosper coniinues quieily and eiieciively 'ro gain ll-ne profound respeci oi all who know him. Chrislian humiliiy, ofien designaied a minus quanii-ly in aihleies, is his forie. Ceriainly if musf anfedaie ihal nighf aifer a championship viciory in which Trosper had siarred. Leaving ihe dressing room afier fhe shower, Joe unobirusively ioined a group of his ieammales who were being lionized by a ierveni Gregory ian, Noiicing him ai his approach, she asked, in all sinceriiy, And do you play baskeiball foo, liille boy? Thai quesfion would have cu? 'io 'lhe heari a self-cenfered aihlele. Joe Trosper saw 'lhe humor insianily and sfill remembers ihe incidenl' as a very 'funny siory. The poini is ihai' Joe Trosper didn'f look for personal glory: 'lhe game was ihe Thing: ihe school was ihe vicfor. Thai's why he is ihe disiinguished aihleie of l956: ihaf's why his name is a iradiiion af Sf, Gregory's. This page is sponsored by the Letterman's Club

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Four lettermen and a good number ol B team boys reported for the beginning of basketball prac- tice. They opened the season by losing to Dale, but came back to win the Holdenville Basketball Festival. lnspite oi sickness and injuries, they won the Western Catholic Conlerence with a record of five wins and one loss. Their record tor the year was ten wins and nine losses. John Vosburgh, 6'6 center and captain, lead the Knights in scoring with a twenty point average and did a tremendous iob on the backboards. A good deal ol credit must also be given to Hank Bradley, Dan Kavanaugh, Tom Stark, Bob Whitson, Tom Goodall and Jlm Vosburgh. Each one, at various times, showed outstanding work, hustle and ability. To the entire squad we extend our congratula- tions, to the seniors we express our appreciation for your hard work and wish you much success in the future. And to the underclassmen we express the hope that you have the spirit of we'll show them next year. Leliermanrs Club 'X t Barenberg and Goevert, as managers charge of the equipment Jim Vosburg h, Center ffm' 'A' ' ' 1 . ii-

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Special Programs un January 21 the Players, lns., formerly ot Catholic University, presented Shal4espeare's King Lear . lvlr. Claude Riley and two sons ol Ada gave a show lea- turing slight ol hand tricks on November 11. Shea and Dully were part ol an act. On November 19 Christopher Lynch, lrish tenor, loan Walker, soprano, and Volya Cassack, pianist, presented an enioyable program. tNot picturedl Father Frederic Wilcock, SJ., ol Fordham University des- cribed his work in the Russian Rite. On the morning ol February 2 he celebrated a mass in this Eastern Rite. l