Joseph P. Mulvaney '55 (2001)

Basketball

Flat-topped Joseph P. Mulvaney embodied basketball's 1950's look: a burly 6' 4" flagship center born with a bruiser's mentality and an artist's touch. He pooled a no-nonsense, heady style of play with prolific rebounding and scoring to forge both individual and team honors. Even today his quiet toughness speaks volumes of leaders in action and service. Joe was the anchor, the heavyweight, on a string of fine Loyola teams of the mid 50's, bringing to the court a formidable melding of power and finesse. As the pace-setter for his three years of varsity hoops (1953-55) and co-captain his senior year, Joe staked Loyola's Heavyweights to the North Section championship in 1953, the St. George Christmas Tournament championship in 1954, and third place in the City finals in 1955. With a game defined by relentless pounding of the boards and deft inside play, Joe merited post-season honors in each of his last two seasons. Averaging 18 points a game as a junior and 20 points as a senior, he was a two-time selection to the All-Catholic League team. Topping those honors was his selection to consecutive All-State teams, with an Honorable Mention All-State in 1954 followed by a Second Team All-State in 1955. Upon graduation, Joe accepted a full scholarship to DePaul University where he continued to hone his game under the eyes of the legendary Ray Meyer. As a return on his "days in the sun," Joe has given to the community more than his share. Toting a bachelor of Science degree in physical education, he embarked on a thirty-seven year career teaching and coaching in the Chicago Public School system. Furthermore, he spent almost thirty years of evenings coaching in the city's playgrounds and another twenty summers as a director of director of summer camps throughout the city. Retired as of 1996, he still serves as a substitute teacher throughout Chicago - ever in touch with his past, ever mindful of his vocation.