Hall of Fame
Richard H. May ’53 – Class of 1995
Flashes of brilliance…
Athletics is punctuated by defining moments…seconds that survive in the mind’s eye, vividly capturing an array of emotions beyond expression, yet more real than any set of facts that can be articulated.
At Le Moyne, such moments sometimes seem fixed in greater proportion among those who wore green and gold in the college’s early years, when “another first” was a common expression. Then, dreams of future glory were abundant and seemed to require only time for fulfillment. Yet, as the college matured, moments of glory, especially among Dolphin runners, could be no less poignant, spiced with the reality of a small student body and a modest budget pitted against larger, more extravagant opposition.
One man was part of defining moments of both sorts. He competed in the era when dreams of the future were bounded only by opportunity; he coached in an era when the Le Moyne David sought glory among the Goliaths of intercollegiate athletics. He left us with flashes of individual and team brilliance that constitute the best of Le Moyne’s athletic heritage.
When “firsts” were seen as the precursors of an unlimited future, he garnered Le Moyne College’s initial individual track championship. When reality seemed to demand more modest expectations, he coached teams to two M.E.C.C.A. cross-country championships and second place in three New York State Conference Championships.
The brilliance of one coaching moment defines what remains today as the height of Dolphin running pride. The vision begins with the possibility of victory dawning on a once – awed green and gold squad at Madison Square Garden. As the University of Pennsylvania Relay Carnival unfolds, they come to realize they can compete with the best in the nation. The coach decides to forsake the sprint medley squad’s experiment with the blind pass - - an innovation at the time. He will sacrifice precious seconds with traditional baton transfers. In the event the Dolphins have the best chance of winning, he will allow his runners to focus on speed afoot.
The tactical decision is made; the gun sounds; the team responds and each runner holds his own until, as the transfer approaches, it’s neck-and-neck. Future Hall of Fame member Bill Ripple ’67, running anchor, looks the baton into his grasp and is not to be denied a Le Moyne victory in the Penn Relays. Together, coach and team know a flash of brilliance will bond them to each other, and to a defining moment in Le Moyne athletic history,
A link from Le Moyne’s “firsts” to a future that is still unfolding, it is fitting that Richard H. May ’53 be inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame.
February 4, 1995
