Hall of Fame

Bob Kurland  was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Albert and Adele Kurland. He graduated from Jennings High School, where he participated in basketball and track. He became known as one of the first “Big Men” and basketball AND “THE FIRST TO DUNK A BASKETBALL”.  After graduating from Jennings, Bob Kurland attended Oklahoma A&M, which later became Oklahoma State.  Kurland was an integral part of the team’s consecutive NCAA titles in 1945 and 1946, and was named the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player both times. In the 1945–46 season, he scored a then-season record 643 points, including 58 in a game against Saint Louis University.  Kurland was voted Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year.  Kurland was known to leap above the rim to grab opponents’ shots. This led to the NCAA banning defensive goaltending in 1945.  He led the U.S. basketball team to gold medals in two Summer Olympics, and led his AAU team to three national titles. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

St. Louis Post Dispatch article “The Night The Jennings Giant brought out the biggest basketball crowd St. Louis had ever seen (2/1/21)

Bob Kurland, All-Century OSU College Basketball Team (Original photo taken 03/13/46, ran 03/14/46)