Alumni News and Information

December 2, 2003
Sad news to report from Narragansett, Rhode Island. Former Head Track and Field Coach Doug Raymond passed away on November 25, 2003. The outgoing, enthusiastic coach who led Boston U to many New England Track titles in the 50's and then moved on to Kent State was one of the most outstanding and innovative coaches in the track world. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family. He will be missed. You can see a photo of Doug and his 1956 cross country team by clicking here.
Here is the obituary:

Douglas L Raymond of Narragansett, Rhode Island passed away November 25, 2003, at South County Hospital, following a short illness. Born June 19, 1915 in Beverly, Massachusetts to Lloyd Marsten Raymond and Edith Wilbur Raymond, Doug was married in January 1943 to the late Mary Dowling Raymond with whom he had five children; Martha (Arden) Sommers, Mark Kirk (Janet) Raymond, Kevin (Tracy) Raymond, Mary Louise (George) Remington, and Richard Raymond. He also had 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his brothers Alvin, of Peabody MA, and Wilbur, of Beverly, MA.

A lifelong track and field enthusiast, Raymond was undefeated in both the 440 and the 880 in his track career at Boston University, where he graduated in 1938 and qualified for the 1940 Olympic Games. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy during WWII, serving five years in several major theaters of the war, with duty on vessels ranging from destroyer escorts to battleships and as a gun commander on US merchant ships making the dreaded North Atlantic crossings. He retired with the rank of Lt. Commander.

Following military service, Raymond accepted a coaching berth at Boston University, coaching seven straight New England Intercollegiate Championship teams, 5 straight Eastern Intercollegiate Team Championships, 25 All-Americans, 4 NCAA Record holders, and 1 World Record holder.

In 1960, Raymond moved his family to Kent, Ohio to spend the next 18 years as the Head Coach of the Kent State University’s Track and Field program. While at KSU his team won the Mid-America Conference (MAC) Championship, was twice voted MAC “Coach of the Year,” and produced 34 All-Americans (NCAA-Division 1), 3 NCAA Division 1 records, 3 members of the 1972 US Olympic Team and the all-time High Scorer in the MAC Track Championships. Doug coached the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Teams and the 1969 American Team at the Pacific Conference Championships in Japan. He also coached a team of American athletes who traveled to Finland in 1956 for an international meet.

Raymond retired from Kent State University in 1978 to return to Narragansett, RI, where he continued his interest in track and field, advising several local athletes and pursuing a lifelong enthusiasm for golf. He has been named to five “Hall of Fame” positions; The Boston University Hall of Fame (1959), Ohio Track and Field Association (1987 ), the Varsity K Hall of Fame (1988), the Portage County Hall of Fame, and recently, the United States Track Coaches Hall of Fame (2003). Kent State University continues to host the annual “Doug Raymond Invitational” track meet, which will be held the weekend of Jan. 30,2004.

During that weekend event there will be a memorial service at Kent State with the details to be announced at a later date.

Visiting hours will be held at Nardolillo Funeral Home, 1111 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett, RI, on Friday, Dec. 5 from 7-9 pm and Dec. 6 at 9:00 am with a Memorial Service at Exeter Veterans Cemetery, Exeter, RI at 11:00 am.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to “Doug Raymond Memorial Scholarship Fund” for Kent State University Track and Field in care of KSU Athletics Blue and Gold Fund, Box 5192, Kent OH 44242-001. Attention: Laing Kennedy, Athletic Director

News from Former Team Members

July, 2004
Carlos Cox '01 is back from Iraq, after serving time with the Air Force group there. Presently he is again stationed down in Georgia and hopes to visit BU again in January of 2005.

Johann Jack '99 is now a Marine! After doing basic training in South Carolina and competing in some track meets on the east coast, Johann was transferred to San Diego in July.

September, 2003:
Chip Huckins '84 has been in regular contact and would like to hear from former team mates. Contact the track office for his email address. Here is his initial note to our alumni group.

I was perusing the internet this morning and stumbled on the BU Track & Field Alumni page and I thought I would say hi! It's been many years since I have actually seen or spoken with anyone from those "old early 80's teams"-TIME FLYS! It seems like it was a thousand years ago when would be hanging on for our lives while Dave Hemery would be driving a van load of us to the New Englands or the IC's at 70 or 80 miles an hour! A few souls will remember when Hegarty and I went to the Soviet Union in 1980 to work with Oleg Kolodii (Leningrad & the end of the COLD WAR!) and Mark Reyblatt's letter to his brother almost got Hegarty arrested for smuggling going through customs-idiotic me, not realizing the seriousness of what was happening, jokingly said to Hegarty as he was being taken off our train "See ya in Siberia"!

A brief recap for you guys-I married Darcy Smith in 1985, (Women's track team-class of 1986), we divorced in 1996. I have custody and am raising our three beautiful daughters(Kaitlyn-aged 15, Kelsey-aged 13 & Kristen-aged 11). I remarried in 1998, (the former Lisa Whitcomb-Sargent College for two years and ultimately a Computer Science degree from USF) and we live just outside of Keene, NH in small town (Westmoreland, NH). Two of my daughters are active in sports-Kelsey is already 5'10" and is a standout forward AAU basketball player & Kristen is the leading scorer on a state championship youth soccer team (yes, I'm afraid she has her old man's speed) as well as a starting guard on an AAU basketball team. No one's involved in track yet but we shall see!

I dabbled with throwing until 1989-the last serious year was 1985 when I threw the 35 lb. weight 67'6" and the hammer 216'8" for Comm AC. Age, a serious investment in my beer belly, two bad knees, working with my kids, a fondness for good food & cold Corona leaves little time for much else although I still have the itch to go out and throw-often thought about Masters and that lighter ball!

Joe Grand '97 has moved out to San Diego and is setting up shop there with his new company, Grand Idea Studio, Inc. (www.grandideastudio.com)

Steve Dancey '00 also stopped by to say hello. He continues working in the statistical field for the Department of Labor here in Boston, but is moving out to the suburbs.

Eugene Roundtree '01 has moved back to Boston, is doing some substitute teaching and looking at a number of alternatives for permanent job opportunities, including going back to graduate school.

Chris Brandon '02 and Steve Deppe '02 also stopped by. Chris is working in Hollywood for ABC Entertainment and Steve is working for American Express.

Kriss Bryant '98 visited in September. Bryant is now self employed in the insurance and financial planning business and just recently bought himself a condo here in the city.

Chris Ferrara '02 is going back to school working on his MBA and helping coach at Bentley College.

Moritz Homeke '00 contacted us, letting us know of his recent marraige this summer and letting us know he is living in Alexandria, Va. with some plans of possibly moving to San Francisco.

Chris Coval '00 is finishing up law school here at Boston U Law and also married this summer.

Thorb Towles '88 writes that all is well in Cinncinati, while Joe Pappas '89, now working for IBM stopped by this summer to say hello.

The Scott Freedman '97 family grew by one this summer with a new arrival, while Johann Jack '99 also joined the Parenthood plan.

Mike Coronado '02 stopped by to let us know he is going to graduate school here at Boston U, working to get ready for medical school.

Grady Drago '89 wrote from Maine, letting us know of his move into Parenthood, remarrying complete with 3 children and then having a new addition last spring.

Dave Hemery '68 also has kept in contact and was very instrumental, along with Bill Clark in helping get Tom Mahan into the Hall of Fame. Dave writes

All's still going very well here..but how time flys. Adrian is 20 and in the UK Under 23 decathlon team and getting his bachelor's degree in maths from Cambridge this summer.

Ed Rice '63 continues keeping in touch on a regular basis. He is still coaching football and track at Episcopal High School down in Alexandria, Va., and is looking forward to coming up to New England for the IC-4A Meet next March.

Dr. Gerry Neipp, who works for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut in the Department of Physical Education also maintains contact.

Tom Mahan, BU '78, '82, became the newest Track and Field Hall of Fame member at the October 4, 2003 dinner. Mahan, school record holder in the high hurdles (13.7) and (7.38) was honored for his great hurdling skills and tremendous consistency in his favorite events. Tom's career began in 1975, with a fourth place finish at the old Yankee Conference Championships (14.4). He also placed fourth at the New England Championships with a time of 14.6.

The following indoor season, Tom won the Yankee Conference Indoor 60yd high hurdle championship with a time of 7.6. Outdoors, he won the New England Championships with a time of 14.1.

During his junior indoor season, Tom again won the Yankee Conference Championships (7.3), the New England Championships (7.3) and placed fourth at the IC-4A Championships with a time of 7.44. He did not compete during the 1977 outdoor season.

Returning for his third indoor season in 1978, Tom won the Greater Boston Championships with a time of 7.49. He won his third Yankee Conference Championship with a time of 7.6 and then recorded his best indoor IC-4A placing, running 7.39 to finish third. He qualified for the NCAA Championships and ran 7.39 in the trials and then recorded his school record 7.38 in the quarterfinals.

Mahan's third outdoor season in the Terrier red and white resulted in another Yankee Conference Championship, his second New England title (13.97) and finished 6th at the IC-4A Championships (14.3). He again qualified for the NCAA Championships and ran 13.91 in the trials, a new school record.

In Tom's final year of competition 1979, he again won the Yankee Conference (fourth time) and set the indoor school record with a time of 7.1. Tom also won the Greater Boston Championships with a time of 7.41. Outdoors, Tom won his third New England title (13.7).