Commencement 2007 - Villanova University

George W. Tomlinson Jr. ’96M.B.A., on January 18.Thomas Broomall ’00 VSB, Acct.,on February 16.Luis Ubilla ’02 VSB, Mkt., onApril 11.Thomas Inge ’03 M.E.E., on April 18.Robert Rothschild ’05 A&S, Engl.,on February 24.StudentsJonathan L. Padget, on December11, 2006.Faculty and StaffDr. Paul B. Ambrose, formerprofessor of political science, onDecember 24, 2006.Catherine “Cass” Oblaczynski, whotaught in the College of Nursingfor more than 30 years and retiredas a tenured associate professor, onJanuary 14.Robert Rowland, Ph.D., foundingdirector of Villanova’s HonorsProgram and former professor ofLatin and ancient history in theClassical Studies Program, in March.Marion M. Schrum, Ed.D., firstdean of the College of Nursing(1960-68), on February 3.Nellie Chrinka Wolfrom, retiredcustodial department employee,on February 14.Memorial Tribute: Howard Porter ’71 A&S, Edu.Death of a LegendBY OSCAR ABELLO ’08 A&SConsidering the life of St. Augustine, Villanova University knows a legend’slife isn’t always on the straight and narrow. The University andsports fans nationwide were already shaken upon learning in May thatWildcat basketball legend Howard “Geezer” Porter ’71 A&S, had been attackedand found badly injured in a Minneapolis alley. One week later, during theMemorial Day weekend, his death on May 26 sent waves of sorrow that reachedacross the country. He was 58 years old.“The entire Villanova family is saddened by the news of Howard’s death,”said Jay Wright, head coach of men’s basketball, in a public statement. “Howardprovided so many Villanovans with thrills on the basketball court playing forCoach [Jack] Kraft. Since his playing days ended, he has been an outstandingrole model for our current players and coaching staff.”Two rewards of $25,000 were announced for information leading to the arrestand conviction of anyone involved with what authorities declared a homicide.On the afternoon of June 5, his teammates, fans and families filed into theSt. Thomas of Villanova Church on campus for a celebration of Porter’s life,one of three services held in three states. Wildcats of two generations walkedtogether, each aware in his own way of Porter’s legacy and relevance to studentsand athletes of all generations.“I usually speak about Howard to my Sport and Spirituality class,” said Dr.Edward Hastings ’73 A&S, a member of the 1971 team and an assistant professorof religious studies at Neumann College. “I speak about him as an awesometalent and a gentle soul. It is hard to combine the two, but he somehow did it.”Porter’s life began in Stuart, Fla. After his family moved to Sarasota, he ledhis Booker T. Washington High School—still segregated then—to a statechampionship in 1967. Standing at 6 feet, 8 inches, he came to Villanova as ahighly touted freshman during the heyday of the Big Five era, when each ofthese regional rivals was a national powerhouse.At the time, freshmansquads were stillused to groom studentathletes.Porter hardlyneeded the extra step; inhis first year, he recordedtwo 50-point games, onthe way to averaging 30.5points and 14.2 reboundsper game. It didn’t matterthat he was on the freshmansquad; the regionFor Howard Porter ’71 A&S and the 1971 men’sbasketball team (above), their NCAA tournamenttriumphs turned into asterisks in therecord books. On June 5, Porter’s teammates,and many other fans and members of the Villanovafamily, gathered to celebrate his life at aservice at the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.was already crowding into see him play.Coached by Kraft,Porter ended his firstvarsity year with anaverage of more than22 points and more than14 rebounds per game,earning a spot onthe All-Big Five team and honorable mention on several All-American teams.Porter’s reputation on offense was exceeded only by his defense as a vaunted shotblocker. His Villanova career ended after 89 games, averaging 22.8 points and14.8 rebounds per game. His path seemed to head straight to Springfield, Mass.,home of the National Basketball Hall of Fame.The highest and lowest points of Porter’s college basketball career became oneand the same. In the 1971 NCAA tournament’s East Regional semi-final, he ledVillanova to a 92-89 double-overtime victory over favored Western Kentucky. A BigFive showdown against Penn followed, but it was a no-contest 43-point victory forVillanova. Although the Wildcats were outmatched inthe final game against legendary coach John Wooden’sUCLA team, Porter’s hard play earned him MostValuable Player honors for the tournament.But Porter never got to see that MVP trophy.The National Basketball Association (NBA) wasin a heated competition with the upstart AmericanBasketball Association for the best college players, andit wasn’t always a pretty fight. In a deal Porter wasn’t sosure about to begin with, according to a 2001 interviewwith the Minneapolis Star Tribune, he signed on withPorter as a Wildcat an agent near the end of his senior season at Villanova.The move violated NCAA rules, and a monthafter the tournament’s final game, Porter wasstripped of his title, and Villanova stripped of its runner-up status. Porter took itto heart, claiming full responsibility. “I don’t want to blame anyone,” Porter isquoted as saying in that 2001 interview. “That was the decision I made.”Porter eventually was drafted into the NBA, recording seven injury-riddledyears with four different teams. Complications from a blood clot ended hisNBA career in 1979.In 1985, Rollie Massimino, at the time head coach of the Wildcats, invitedthe 1971 team to Lexington Ky., for the NCAA Tournament, in which Villanovawould defeat Georgetown for the national championship. Massimino hadintended for the legendary Wildcat to speak with the team, but Porter was tooashamed to even get on the plane in Florida.“It is not a perfect story and perhaps not even a happy ending,” said Hastings.“But being a part of the team was a very meaningful time in our lives.”In 1985, Porter was broke, divorced and hooked on cocaine. He was livingwith his mother and pawned his Final Four prize watch for drug money. The late1980s found him serving a brief prison sentence for parole violation after beingconvicted of drug possession. “The demons had me,” Porter often told friends.“I took a ride with the devil,” Porter recalled in that 2001 interview. “Andthe devil picked me up and rolled me for a while, but I always knew, deep downinside, I felt God wasn’t through with me yet.”It turns out Porter was right. While in prison, he took it upon himself to turnhis life around. Soon after he was released, he moved into a halfway housenear St. Paul, and 28 days later came out clean and sober. He was hired as aprobation officer for Ramsey County, Minn.Porter and his wife, Theresa Neal, a school principal, were “pillars of theSt. Paul community,” noted ESPN.com in a caption for a June 2 story.It was in these later years that Porter became the role model who in 2006visited the Wildcats’ locker room after their final game defeat by Florida. “Hejust came in and gave every player a hug,” Wright said. “No speech, just hugs.”Porter’s renewed relationship with his 1971 teammates was a joy for all sides.“Howard and the team went a long time without speaking,” said Hastings. “Buteach of us knew deep in our hearts that if it was not for him, we would neverhave gotten as far as we did.”Far—not only as a legendary basketball team, but far as a family. Literally.Another member of the team, Tom Ingelsby ’73 VSB, went on to marryHastings’ sister, Rosemarie.“I was proud to be there when we retired Howard’s number and I was proud tohave him there when we retired mine,” said Inglesby. “Howard was a basketballlegend from the moment he stepped on Villanova’s campus—everyone knewthat.” In 2002, Porter’s teammates presented him with his 1971 MVP trophy.Social critics often look upon today’s world of sports and say that it is toocompetitive, with too much emphasis on winning or making money and notenough focus on the process of growing together as a team. That evening at thememorial service for Howard Porter, the focus on that process was overpowering.Oscar Abello ’08 A&S is pursuing a double major in economics and theology withminors in Peace and Justice Education and Africana Studies. He interned in the Office ofCommunication and Public Affairs. His aspirations include a journalism career, graduateschool in economics and volunteering.80 Villanova Magazine