Dale Hall

Dale S. Hall 1945 - by E. Douglas Kenna
http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/14644/

Dale Stanley Hall (June 21, 1924 - August 23, 1996) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at the United States Military Academy, where he was a two-time All-American in basketball and was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year in 1945. Hall served as the head football coach at West Point from 1959 to 1961, compiling a record of 16-11-2. He was also the head basketball coach at the University of New Hampshire during the 1951-52 season, tallying a mark of 11-9. source: wiki

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame: Hall, Dale, Inducted 2004
http://www.kshof.org/inductees/2-kansas-sports-hall-of-fame/inductees/142-hall-dale.html
Overview
There have been many great all-around athletes in Kansas high school history, and Dale Hall was certainly one of them. He was first-team all-state in both football and basketball at Parsons High School - as a junior and a senior - and is the only person in Kansas to receive that honor.
Career Highlights
Hall led the Southeast Kansas League in scoring in both football and basketball for three seasons and held the Parsons High School records for career points in basketball (1,158) and career touchdowns in football (35) more than 60 years after leaving the school. Hall at West Point
At the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Hall was a Helms Foundation All-American basketball first-team selection in 1944 and 1945 and led Army to a 29-1 record, averaging 23 points a game. He scored 23 touchdowns for the 1944 national champion football team and shared the backfield with a pair of Heisman Trophy winners, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, who won the trophy the following two seasons. Hall graduated first in a West Point class of over 800 in athletic skills and had a vertical leap of 39 inches. He earned seven letters in three sports at Army and was a 4.0 student. Hall succeeded the legendary Earl "Red" Blaik as Army's football coach in 1959 and led his team to a 17-11-2 record in three seasons.
Honors
He is the only Parsons H.S. football player to have his number retired.

Dale Hall: Forgotten Athlete: Parsons Product Sparkled At Army Lawrence Journal World, Oct 13 1996
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XKlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bOcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2976%2C7481352

ArmyFB_1959_DaleHall-newcoach_ChicagoTribune_Feb11959_copy

ArmyFB_1961_DaleHall-MikeCasp_DetroitvsArmy-program_11Nov1961

Sport articles provided by Russ "Skip" Grimm - Class of '76

Dale S. Hall 1945 - by E. Douglas Kenna

Daleâ•˙s varied and eminently successful career after graduation was shaped by his integrity, intelligence, good humor, loyalty, and extreme competitiveness. Those qualities carried him swiftiy to leadership positions in the Army, athletics, business, and religious life.

Dale was born in Pittsburg, KS. He later moved to Parsons where he attended high school. Considered the greatest all-around athlete ever in the state, he was elected to the Kansas State High School Hall of Fame in 1993. He received an appointment to West Point, entering in July 1942.

At West Point, Dale Hall excelled in three sports: football, basketball, and tennis. He was a first team halfback on the 1944 National Championship football team, was captain and a first team All-American basketball player in 1945, and played singles and doubles on the undefeated 1945 Army tennis team. He later was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He also devoted sufficient time convincing his coaches and fellow cadets that it was possible to enjoy life at West Point.

After graduation and marriage to Laura Faye Stevenson in June 1945, he went to the Armor School at Ft. Knox, KY. V-J Day occurred while Dale was at Ft. Knox, and he was assigned to the 42d Cavalry Squadron, 4th Armored Division in Germany in September 1945. Combining military and athletic activity, he later coached the Second Constabulary Regiment to the European Football Championship in 1947. Dale and Faye spent four years in the beautiful Alpine region of Southern Bavaria. Fast friends made during those years earned friends of the Halls all of their lives.

Dale resigned his commission in 1949 and began his football coaching career at Purdue University. While an assistant there, he received a masterâ•˙s degree in physical education in 1951.

He spent five years at New Hampshire and Florida as an assistant football coach and also was the head basketball coach at New Hampshire. He returned to West Point in 1956 as backfield coach for his mentor, Earl Blaik, whom he idolized.

Upon Blaikâ•˙s retirement following the 1958 season, Dale was selected as head coach. Earl Blaik remarked at the time that "Dale Hall and Vince Lombardi had the two best football minds" that he had encountered during his illustrious career.

While coaching at West Point, Dale developed a warm friendship with GEN Douglas MacArthur and spent many happy hours with him. Leaving an outstanding coaching record of 16-11╉2 at West Point, Dale entered the business world with the Corning Glass Company. Within a year, he was promoted to general manager of one of Comingâ•˙s largest plants located in Rhode Island.

He later served as administrative director of The Butler Service Group; president of the Thunderbird Boat Company in Miami; president of Pool Boys, Inc., Sun Products Company; president of his own educational training company; president of James Ffyfe Export/Import Company; and as an associate of the Van Houten Real Estate Company. In business, he was an inspirational leader and specialized in reviving troubled companies.

Strong family ties were the hallmark of Daleâ•˙s life. After retirement to Sea Colony in Palm Coast, FL, the Halls devoted most of their time to their three daughters and eight grandchildren, visiting frequently and being totally involved in their lives.

One of Daleâ•˙s greatest joys was that his grandson, Daniel Grieve, was admitted to West Point in 1996.

After 49 years of marriage, Faye Hall died on 24 Aug 1994. They had been very active in the Trinity Presbyterian Church for several years, with Dale serving as an elder and Bethel Bible teacher. The church became an increasingly important part of their lives in retirement.

At church and at Sea Colony, they both had been close friends of Marcia Kelly, who later became Daleâ•˙s second wife. She is a gracious, warm, and loving person and they were beginning to enjoy a life of leisure, travel, and church work when Dale was stricken on 23 Aug 1996. She continues to live in their home in Sea Colony.

Dale is survived by his wife Marcia; sisters Helen and Lucille; daughters Laura Jean Grieve, Susan Wells, and Janet Uhal; and eight grandchildren.

Dale was blessed by many things in his life. We were all blessed to have been his friend, companion, admirer, and classmate.

E. Douglas Kenna

http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/14644/