Former basketball, football star added to Dana College's list of outstanding athletes, Oct. 11

Fran Morrow of Ninevah, Ind., was honored with Dana College’s highest alumni honor for athletics Oct. 11 in Blair, Neb., when the college named him to its athletic Hall of Fame at a special ceremony held as part of Homecoming festivities.

Honorees are nominated for their excellence in athletics while at Dana. In Morrow’s case, his performance as a basketball and baseball player stood out.

In his freshman season, Fran Morrow’s season statistics were simple: He played in one game, and made one free throw. Three years later, Morrow would be the Vikings’ leading scorer and a force to be reckoned with in every game.

As a sophomore, Morrow was a solid, dependable player, making appearances in 18 of the Vikings’ 20 games. A glimmer of what was to come appeared in his junior year, when Morrow scored 17 points against Concordia College.

But it was this senior season in 1952-53 that earned Morrow a spot in the Hall of Fame. In 21 appearances, Morrow averaged 13.52 points per game, with 17 games in double digits and 27 points against Luther College. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and was selected as an all-conference player.

Morrow also excelled in baseball. He was a four-year letterwinner and a thorn in Midland Lutheran College’s side. (In 1953 he had three hits in one game against the Warriors, then turned around and had two in the next.)

Originally from Tekamah, Neb., Morrow is now retired in Ninevah, Ind. Much of his Dana memorabilia was lost in a fire on his family’s farm while he was serving his country in Korea. But his contribution to Dana athletics will always be remembered.

Morrow graduated from Tekamah (Neb.) High School in 1949.

Dana College is a private, liberal arts institution that currently enrolls approximately 600 students. The campus is located on 150 acres overlooking the Missouri River Valley in Blair, Neb. Dana grants bachelor’s degrees in more than 20 liberal arts, business, education and pre-professional programs. Dana is affiliated with the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and its athletic teams compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

More information on Dana College can be found on its web site, www.dana.edu.

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For more information contact:
Sarah Cavanah
Communications Coordinator
Dana College
(402) 426-7216
scavanah@dana.edu