Hall of Fame
Harry Gallatin, who attended school in Wood River, Ill., played basketball between 1946-48 on what a majority of Bulldog supporters call the greatest two teams in the history of the sport at the university. He was a two-time All-MIAA selection and scored 816 career points, a number which would have been much higher if he didn't graduate in two years and if he didn't play little minutes in many Bulldog blowout wins. After graduation in 1949, Mr. Gallatin played with the New York Knicks until 1959, making the National Basketball Association All-Pro Team in 1953-54 and 1954-55. He performed for the Detroit Pistons in 1957-58 before retiring as an active player. During his pro career, he performed in 746 consecutive NBA games and was the only Bulldog to play in the NBA. Upon Mr. Gallatin's retirement, he coached basketball at Southern Illinois-Carbondale for four years and then coached on the pro level for the St. Louis Hawks and his old team, the Knicks. In 1967, he became the first basketball coach and athletic director at SIU-Edwardsville, serving as basketball coach until 1970 and athletic director until 1973. He started SIU's golf program and directed the team until 1992, taking the Cougars to the NCAA National Championship 17 times.
