Hall of Fame Inductee · Baseball, Basketball, Football
Russell Dean
Year attended MC - 1949
- .396
- Baseball Batting Average
- 1948
- Football Conference Title
- 1948
- Athlete of the Year
Biography
At MJC, Russell C. Dean, class of 1949, possessed the qualities of a fine student athlete: fierce competitor, team player, and leader. Dean was MJC’s first three-sport star in baseball, basketball, and football two years in a row. Dean was the starting quarterback on MJCs first football team in 1947. The next year, Coach ‘Rube’ Rubini decided Dean’s talents would best serve the team in a line position. Dean, the invariable team player, helped lead the team to its first Maryland Junior College Championship. He was named team captain that year.
As a starting forward on the basketball team, Dean was one of Coach Rubini’s favorites. He was known for his allout hustle, tenacious defense, and knack for diving for loose balls. Dean played second base and captained MJC’s first baseball team in 1948. He led the team in hitting that year with a .396 average and was the team leader in RBIs. Dean’s talent and sportsmanship warranted the first-ever Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award in 1948.Dean earned a degree from Wright State University near Dayton, Ohio. He stayed in the Dayton area and was a major force in starting the football program at Bellbrook High School. In fact, he contributed his skills, time, and money to building the school’s first football stadium. He also helped the Lions Club establish a youth baseball league and winter sports program in Bellbrook.
Still active in athletics, Dean is currently the treasurer and sponsorship chairman of the Senior Olympics in the Charleston, South Carolina, area where he now lives.