Indiana State University Athletics

Dick Atha, a native of Lafayette, Indiana, moved with his family at an early age to Otterbein, Indiana, and was a standout basketball and baseball player at Otterbein High School.  After high school graduation, Dick enrolled at ISU and was a starting member of the freshman basketball team and a fine scholar. Dick received the Ben Becker Scholarship as the outstanding freshman leader for characteristics most desired in an athlete.

For the next three years Dick was a standout on Coach John Longfellow's ISU basketball teams. Twice he was the leading scorer and three times he was named to the Indiana Collegiate Conference All-Star squad. Following his senior year, he was named to the First Team of the Helms Foundation All-American Basketball Team for 1953.

Additional highlights in his career included representing the United States on the gold medal-winning Pan American team in 1951 and playing professionally with the New York Nicks and Detroit Pistons before an injury cut short his career.

Dick was ISU's third all-time leading scorer at that time and led Indiana State to two NAIA National Tournaments, including a third-place finish in 1953.

• Pan American Basketball Team Member, Gold Medalist (1951) 

• Helms Foundation All-America Basketball (1953) 

• Two-time All-Indiana Collegiate Conference (1951, 1952) 

• Led Indiana State to two NAIA National Tournaments 

• Finished career with 1, 119 points (13.2 ppg average) 

• Inducted into Hall of Fame September 21, 1984