Hall of Fame
The Dowling College Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2000 to recognize the contributions of former athletes, coaches, administrators and supporters of the athletics program. During the last three decades, Dowling College has had a great deal of success and has developed into one of the strongest athletics programs in the northeast. The deserving individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame were the pioneers, those who paved the way for that success. While their backgrounds vary greatly and their legacies range from on-the-court heroics to behind-the-scenes contributions, all of the inductees share one special trait – helping to build the foundation that has become Dowling College Athletics.
The induction ceremony, which is held in conjunction with the athletics alumni reunion, takes place in October. In the months following the event, the process of selecting the new inductees for the following year begins. Vice President for Athletics Melody Cope sends a mailing to solicit input from alumni, athletes, supporters, former coaches and administrators. Nominations are received and are then reviewed by the Hall of Fame Induction Committee. After careful consideration, discussion and research into the nominees’ overall contributions to the athletics program, the inductees are selected and notified of their impending honor. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, the committee, along with input from the president and board of trustees, may also choose to honor an individual with a special Golden Lions Award. In 2004, the founder and president for Ride For Life, Chris Pendergast was presented with the Golden Lions Award for his work with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Plaques honoring the inductees can be found in the main corridor of the Racanelli Center for Learning Resources on the Rudolph Campus in Oakdale.
For more information on the Dowling College Athletics Hall of Fame, call Jason Trufant at (631) 244-1113.
Inductees Alphabetically