Grinnell College Athletics Hall of Fame
Fred H. Luther '39, was a three-sport, seven letter athlete who left his imprint on the larger-school competition of the Missouri Valley Conference. In freshman competition the 5'9" 149-pounder from Oelwein, Iowa, gave a sample of things to come when he scored a Grinnell-record 24 points in his first basketball game. That was an impressive total in those low-scoring times. Fred showed great promise as a sophomore but shoulder dislocations cut short his participation. He blossomed in his junior year of basketball as the No. 2 scorer in the conference and ranked fourth as a senior. A wingback in football, Luther recalls throwing the third-longest pass in college football in 1936. He was captain and a workhorse in track, too, leading off the 440, 880, mile and shuttle hurdle relay teams for three years. Grinnell coaches conjectured about Luther's top sport, but Fred says his best were fast-pitch softball and baseball. Unfortunately those games were not in vogue at Grinnell. Luther continued athletic competition after graduation, winning lawn bowling championships at Moline, Ill., and capr Cod, Fla. In Florida senior track he won six gold, three silver, and two bronze medals in sprints, hurdles, and jumps. Luther's business career included management positions with The Maytag Company and Baskin-Robbins before he became district coordinator for the Blind Services of Florida, an organization that honored him for outstanding performance. President of the Grinnell Alumni Association in 1960-62, Fred was honored with an alumni award in 1985.
