ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Eckerd College and the athletics department mourns the death of Professor Emeritus of Anthropology Dudley DeGroot, who came to Eckerd in 1965, retired in 1988 and continued teaching long after.
Born Aug. 10, 1927, Dr. DeGroot died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, and is survived by his wife, Jeannette, his sons Bruce, David '74, and Neil, and his grandson, Will. He was 85.
A fixture at Eckerd men's basketball games, Dr. DeGroot loved student-athletes, often attending basketball practices and always encouraging the team to work hard; among the coaches and players, he was considered part of the team.
For the remainder of the 2012-13 season, the Tritons will wear commemorative "D" patches stitched to their jerseys in his honor.
In 2000, he was inducted into the Eckerd Tritons' Hall of Fame, and in 2006, his family established the Dudley DeGroot Endowed Scholarship for men's basketball.
Spanning 45 years, DeGroot was a longtime friend and colleague of former Tritons' men's basketball coach and former Eckerd Director of Athletics James “Jim” R. Harley.
“Dudley DeGroot was a giant in athletics at Eckerd College,” Harley said. “He always supported us and did anything he could. He was a very talented person. I knew him for 45 years but knew about him way before that.”
“I had a couple of West Virginians on my staff at Miami-Dade (Junior College) before I came to Eckerd,” continued Harley. “When he came into my office after I was hired, he was my friend immediately. He will be missed.”
Dr. DeGroot's education was intertwined with his love and talent for sports. 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 when his father, Dudley Sargent DeGroot, was head football coach there.
In 1948, he was chosen All East and played in the East/West game. In 1949, his football team won the Rose Bowl. He earned his master's degree at the University of New Mexico and his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University.
"As a member of the faculty during the College's formative years and a continued supporter spanning more than four decades, Dudley DeGroot has played a significant role in creating the Eckerd College of today," said Dr. Donald R. Eastman III, President of Eckerd College. "He will be remembered as an academician, sports fanatic and world traveler whose understanding and appreciation of the human experience was evident in his interactions with those he encountered, most especially, Eckerd's students."
Prior to pursuing this education, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and served both World War II and the Korean War. He continued to serve 42 years in the Navy in active, reserve and ready reserve duty, retiring as a Rear Admiral.
A memorial service will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, December 15, in the Lounge at Westminster Suncoast. The entrance to Westminster Suncoast is at 1095 Pinellas Point Drive South.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for the Dudley DeGroot Men's Basketball Endowed Scholarship Fund. Contributions can be made
online or via U.S. mail. For questions about donations, please contact
Tom Schneider.
