Dick Linthicum

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Dick Linthicum
Dick Linthicum.png
Linthicum c.1931
Personal information
Born1908/1909
Died1979 (aged 70)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1+12 in (1.87 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High school Hollywood (Hollywood, California)
College UCLA (1928–1932)
Position Forward
Career highlights and awards

Richard Linthicum [1] (1908or1909 [2] – 1979) was an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins. He was the school's first All-American in any sport. Linthicum was then a UCLA assistant coach and scout for five seasons. He was inducted posthumously into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.

Contents

Outside of basketball, Linthicum was a business manager with Columbia Pictures for eight years before serving 10 years in the U.S. Navy and 16 years in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Basketball career

Linthicum attended Hollywood High School in Hollywood, California, where he earned all-city honors playing forward. His teammates included Carl Shy, who also later played at the University of California, Los Angeles. [3]

Linthicum enrolled at UCLA in 1927, and became a key player on the Bruins' freshman squad as one of their best shooters. [3] His first-year teammates included future Olympic gold medalist Frank Lubin. [3] [4] Standing 6 feet 1+12 inches (1.87 m) and weighing 170 pounds (77 kg), [5] Linthicum played as a forward and became UCLA's first accomplished basketball player. [6] As a sophomore in 1928–29, he garnered mention as one of the best players on the West Coast. [7] He dropped out of school for a year to get married, returning for the 1930–31 season. [8] On December 29, 1930, he made a field goal with under 30 seconds remaining for a 29–28 win over Montana. [5] That season, Linthicum was named a first-team All-American by the Helms Athletic Foundation. [9] He was named team captain as a senior in 1931–32, [2] when he was voted second-team All-American by College Humor . [9] Also named as an All-American with Linthicum in both seasons was Purdue's John Wooden, [9] [10] who later coached UCLA to 10 national championships. [5]

UCLA's first All-American in any sport, [11] Linthicum was also an all-conference selection in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) in 1931, [5] [12] and was voted twice to the conference's All-Southern Division. [5] He finished his career widely considered by PCC coaches to be the conference's best all-around player in the past decade. [13] Linthicum was named to the PCC's Southern Division all-time team as a third-team member in 1948. [14] He was inducted posthumously into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987. [11]

After his playing career ended, Linthicum was a UCLA assistant coach and scout for five seasons. In 1935, he was a player-coach for a U.S. all-star team that toured the Far East at the request of the government of Japan. The team went undefeated, and its core later played on the 1936 Olympic team and won the gold medal; Linthicum was not on the Olympic team. [5]

Outside basketball

Linthicum spent eight years with Columbia Pictures as a business manager. He was then in the Navy for 10 years, working as an intelligence officer. He was initially in the South Pacific during World War II, and later served in Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Afterwards, Linthicum worked in the CIA for 16 years, supervising a variety of activities, with executive-level assignments in Washington, D.C., Europe, and the Middle East. He retired in 1968, when he received the CIA Certificate of Merit. [5] [15]

Personal life

Linthicum married his wife in 1930, [1] but they divorced in 1938. [16] They had one son. [16]

Linthicum died of cancer in 1979 at age 70. [5] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wooden</span> American basketball coach (1910–2010)

John Robert Wooden was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division I college men's or women's basketball. Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men's basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the AP award five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Hazzard</span> American professional basketball player and coach

Mahdi Abdul-Rahman was an American professional basketball player and college basketball coach. He played in college for the UCLA Bruins and was a member of their first national championship team in 1964. He also won a gold medal that year with the US national team at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Hazzard began his pro career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers, who selected him a territorial pick in the 1964 NBA draft. He was named an NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968. After his playing career ended, he was the head coach at UCLA during the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William H. Spaulding</span> American football player and sports coach (1880–1966)

William H. Spaulding was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. Spaulding coached at UCLA from 1925 to 1938. He had a successful tenure, compiling a 72–51–8 (.580) record. He also served as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota from 1922 to 1924. His record there was 11–7–4 (.591). He succeeded the legendary football coach Henry L. Williams. Prior to coaching at Minnesota he coached Western State Normal School from 1907 to 1921. Spaulding was the head football, basketball and baseball at Western State Normal. Spaulding attended Wabash College, where he played college football. In 1984, he was inducted into the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCLA Bruins men's basketball</span> College mens basketball team representing the University of California, Los Angeles

The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 seasons, from 1964 to 1975, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record four times. Coach Jim Harrick led the team to another NCAA title in 1995. Former coach Ben Howland led UCLA to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. As a member of the AAWU, Pacific-8 and then Pacific-10, UCLA set an NCAA Division I record with 13 consecutive regular season conference titles between 1967 and 1979 which stood until passed by Kansas in 2018. UCLA is scheduled to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967–68 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1967–68 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team won a second consecutive NCAA national championship, the fourth in five years under head coach John Wooden, with a win over North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Sawyer</span> American basketball player

Alan Leigh Sawyer was an American professional basketball player for the Washington Capitols of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins from 1945 to 1950. He missed the end of the 1948–49 season after an appendectomy. Sawyer helped lead the 1949–50 team to their first Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) championship. He was named to the first team of the All-Southern Division PCC team in 1949, and voted to the second team in 1950. He was selected in the third round of the 1950 NBA draft by the Capitols.

The 1941 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1941 college football season. In their third season under head coach Edwin C. Horrell, the Bruins compiled a 5–5–1 record, finished fifth in the PCC, and were outscored by a total of 178 to 128.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Booker</span> American basketball player (born 1948)

Kenneth Arnold Booker is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins from 1969 to 1971, winning a national championship in each of his two seasons of play. He played two seasons professionally in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Schofield</span> American basketball player and coach

George Terence Schofield is an American former basketball player and coach. He played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, winning three national championships (1969–1971) under Coach John Wooden. Schofield played professionally in Germany, where he later became a basketball coach. He also became an English lecturer for a German university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Norman (basketball)</span> American former college basketball player and coach

Jerry Norman is an American former college basketball player and coach. He was an assistant coach under John Wooden with the UCLA Bruins for 11 seasons, helping Wooden earn the first four of his record 10 national titles. He is enshrined in the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Sweek</span> American basketball player and coach

William Thomas Sweek is an American former basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins under Coach John Wooden, winning three straight national championships from 1967 through 1969. The guard played professionally in France, and also became a coach in Europe and Africa. Sweek coached Clermont UC and Le Mans Sarthe Basket to national championships in France, and also led the Tunisia national basketball team. He was later a sports agent, and in time also worked as a high school coach and teacher.

The 1932 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1932 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach William H. Spaulding, the Bruins compiled a 6–4 record, finished third in the PCC, and outscored opponents by a total of 149 to 61.

The 1929 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1929 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach William H. Spaulding, the Bruins compiled a 4–4 record, finished in sixth place in the PCC, and were outscored by a total of 190 to 121.

The 1955–56 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bruins were led by eight year head coach John Wooden. They finished the regular season with a record of 22–6 and won the PCC regular season championship with a record of 16–0. UCLA lost to the San Francisco Dons in the NCAA regional semifinals and defeated the Seattle Chieftains in the regional consolation game. The victory over Seattle was UCLA's first victory in the NCAA tournament.

The 1956–57 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1956–57 NCAA University Division men's basketball season and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bruins were led by ninth year head coach John Wooden. They finished the regular season with a record of 22–4 and finished second in the PCC with a record of 13–3.

The 1957–58 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bruins were led by tenth year head coach John Wooden. They finished the regular season with a record of 16–10 and finished third in the PCC with a record of 10–6.

The 1958–59 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1958–59 NCAA men's basketball season and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bruins were led by eleventh year head coach John Wooden. They finished the regular season with a record of 16–9 and finished third in the PCC with a record of 10–6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Torrence</span> American basketball player

Walter Alexander Torrence was an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned all-conference honors in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) as a junior, and was named an All-American as a senior in 1959. After college, Torrence joined the United States Army. He was one of five Army members on the US national basketball team which won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by fourth-year head coach Mick Cronin, and they played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Pac-12 Conference. Guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was named a second-team All-American. He was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and received first-team All-Pac-12 honors along with guard Tyger Campbell. Guard Jaylen Clark was named to the second team and was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was placed on the conference's all-defensive team along with forward Adem Bona, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Cronin was voted the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

References

  1. 1 2 "Elopement of Athlete Announced". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1930. Part II, p. 1. Retrieved June 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Meanwell, Walter E. (March 20, 1932). "Bruin Forward Honored by Basketball Board". Los Angeles Times. Part V1-a, p. 1. Retrieved June 30, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bruin Casaba Stars Return". Los Angeles Times. March 4, 1928. Part 1a, p. 2. Retrieved June 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "An Olympian's oral history : Frank J. Lubin, 1936 Olympic Games, basketball". LA84 Foundation. 1988. pp. 3–4. Retrieved June 20, 2023. I played alongside the first All-American selected from UCLA on the national All-American team, Dick Linthicum.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bolch, Ben (2018). 100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. pp. 240–242. ISBN   9781629374741.
  6. Bortstein, Larry (1972). UCLA's Fabulous Bruins: The Story of a Basketball Dynasty . St. Martin's Press. p. 30. LCCN   72089419 . Retrieved June 20, 2023 via Internet Archive.
  7. Cronin, Ned (January 17, 1931). "Bruins Battle Bears Tonight". Daily News. pp. 11, 13. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  8. "Host of Prep Stars Register As Bruins". Los Angeles Times. September 14, 1930. Part VI-a, p. 6. Retrieved June 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 Johnson, Gary K. (2005). "NCAA Men's Basketball's Finest" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 176–177. ISSN   1521-2955 . Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  10. Hersch, Hank (April 15, 1995). "IN THE BEGINNING FOR THE FIRST 44 SEASONS, THE STORY OF BASKETBALL AT UCLA WAS ONE OF CHANGE, NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Bonk, Thomas (February 22, 1987). "Barksdale, One of a Kind, Is One of Eight Being Inducted Into UCLA Hall of Fame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  12. "Pac-12 Conference 2011–12 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. 2011. p. 118. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  13. Lowry, Paul (March 20, 1932). "The Low Down". Los Angeles Times. Part IV-a, p. 1. Retrieved June 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Finch, Frank (January 30, 1948). "All-Time Coast Basketball Teams Chosen". Los Angeles Times. Part II, p. 9. Retrieved June 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Dick Linthicum". UCLA Athletics. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Wife of UCLA Coach Wins Uncontested Divorce". Los Angeles Times. February 17, 1938. Part II, p. 3. Retrieved June 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com.