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ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

LEE H. HAMILTON, M.C. '52

Inducted: 1987

One Washington newsman's comment that Lee Hamilton should be a member of any "All Congressional Team" is prophetic, especially now that he becomes a member of DePauw's Athletic Hall of Fame. Hamilton's future already looked promising when he was a scholar-athlete at Evansville Central High School in 1948. He led his team to the coveted final game in the 1947-48 basketball championship and was awarded the prestigious Arthur L. Trester Award for mental attitude. At DePauw he played three seasons on the Tiger basketball squad, amassing 557 points at forward. He was the team's leading scorer in 1951 and was the top rebounder the following year. But more important he graduated in 1952 cum laude and was awarded the Walker Cup. He subsequently studied in Germany, earned a law degree at Indiana University and joined a Columbus, IN law firm. He began an increasingly distinguished career in the U.S. House of Representatives when he was elected to Congress from Indiana's Ninth District in 1964. He has been re-elected each term. He presently serves on the House Foreign Affairs, Joint Economic and Science, Space and Technology committees. USA Today newspaper recently described the Indiana Democrat's performance in Washington as "phenomenal" and said "he scorns self-promotion." And The New York Times described Hamilton as "an experienced legislator who commands wide respect among his colleagues for his personal integrity and judicial temperament." The description was apt, for Hamilton was soon to be chosen by his peers and would distinguish himself as co-chairman of the Congressional committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair. In this and his other public service he captured the respect and admiration of the American people as well as Congress.