Seven Inducted into UMass Boston/Boston State College Hall of Fame

UMass Boston Holds 9th Annual Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet

The University of Massachusetts Boston has seven new members in its Athletics Hall of Fame. Steven Burns ’00, John “Gabby” Douglas '71, Alfreda Harris, Paul Murphy ’71, Raymond O’Malley ’71, Dan Rea ’70, and Joshua Stolp ’04 were all inducted Thursday night.

The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors former outstanding UMass Boston/Boston State College student athletes, coaches, administrators, and friends of the athletic program for their accomplishments and service.

Raymond O’Malley’s 59 career assists and 8 game-winning goals for the Boston State College hockey team rank third in BSC history. He signed a professional contract with the Boston Bruins in 1971.

“It’s an awesome honor,” O’Malley said. “Without this place, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. They’re honoring me; I should be honoring them. I’m humbled by this whole thing.”

Basketball player John “Gabby” Douglas’ 983 career points made him the fifth all-time leading scorer in Boston State history. Douglas said he’s attended previous banquets, but was glad to be going on stage this time around.

“I’m glad UMass Boston recognizes us,” Douglas said. “A lot of my teammates have been inducted already. It’s just a great feeling.”

Alfreda Harris was not only UMass Boston’s first women’s basketball coach, but the first female head coach for any sport. Harris led the Beacons to three consecutive winning seasons in the early 80s.

“I’m proud of the fact that [the selection committee] thought enough of me,” Harris said. “We recruited a lot of young folks to come to UMass Boston that have become very successful.”

Harris said one of her former students came to the banquet because she heard Harris was getting inducted.

“My reward is seeing young people that walk up to you like she did that say, ‘I’m here because I heard they were honoring you,’ or when I’m in the grocery store and someone walks up and says, ‘I want to thank you for what you told me then,’” Harris said.

Joshua Stolp is the youngest member of the Class of 2011. Stolp is the only lacrosse player in school history to have been named both Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year and Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized like this,” Stolp says. “Some of the other names up there are pretty impressive.”

Stolp, a carpenter and lacrosse coach, has returned to UMass Boston as a graduate student.

When asked whether he might get inducted again someday, Stolp said, “Maybe as a coach.”

The other inductees are Steven Burns¸ a football player who returned a record-setting 104-yard touchdown return against Curry College in 1989; Paul Murphy, a three-sport varsity athlete in soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse; and Dan Rea, the only Boston State College athlete to have worked on the air as a television reporter.

You can read about all of the inductees here: http://www.umb.edu/athletics/special_programs/hall_of_fame.

Also at the banquet, Peter Berlandi ’69 was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award and UMass Boston Financial Aid Director Judy Keyes was given the Shining Beacon Award.

Check out photos of the banquet on Flickr.

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s eight colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.