Edward J. "Ed" Hickox

In 1968, Ed Hickox laid the groundwork for building the first Basketball Hall of Fame on the campus of Springfield College where the game was invented. Dedicated to improving basketball as a coach, rules architect, and historian, Hickox began his coaching career at Springfield College in 1926 and helped the team win five New England Championships during his 16 years on the sidelines. He led the team as the New England representative at the Olympic Trials in 1936. In 1940, Hickox led Springfield to the NCAA Tournament in only the second year of the event, a remarkable feat for a small school. From 1930 to 1948, he served on the National Basketball Rules Committee and was chairman from 1945-48. He was also a charter member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1927, NABC president from 1944 to 1946 and historian from 1944 to 1966 and NABC Man of the Year in 1949. A longtime basketball administrator, Hickox was the volunteer executive secretary of the Basketball Hall of Fame from 1949 to 1963 and served on its Board of Directors from 1959 to 1966.