Dr. Dudley DeGroot (2000) - Eckerd College Athletics Hall of Fame

Eckerd College Athletics Hall of Fame

Dr. Dudley DeGroot was an active member of his community by serving as the mayor of Maitland in the 1960s.
DeGroot enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 and served during World War II and the Korean War. He served for 42 years in the Navy and retired as a Rear Admiral.
He attended Stanford University in 1946, where he played football, rugby, and was a member of the swimming team. He then attended West Virginia University from 1947-49, where he played baseball and football. He earned his Master’s Degree at the University of New Mexico and his PhD at The Ohio State University.
DeGroot taught at Emory University and Rollins College before becoming a Professor of Anthropology at Eckerd in 1964 and retiring in 1989.
In 1948, he was chosen All East and played in the East/West game. In 1949, his football team won the Sun Bowl.
On December 7, 2012, DeGroot passed away at the age of 85.
Eckerd basketball players honored DeGroot and his dedication to the team with a "D” stitched on their jerseys for the 2012-2013 season.
DeGroot is remembered fondly as a intelligent and generous man who had a particular fondness for basketball. After his death, DeGroot’s family created a scholarship in his name for student athletes.