Dr. C. Thomas Dean (2005) - Hall of Fame - Long Beach State University Athletics

Dr. C. Thomas Dean

Induction:
2005

Dr. C. Thomas Dean was the Dean for the School of Applied Arts and Sciences for several years at Long Beach State. A friend of college athletics, Dean was instrumental in financially assisting the athletic department during tough monetary times. Dean was hired in 1950 as Chair of the Department of Industrial Arts and then became a Division Dean in 1951 of the Division of Applied Arts and Sciences. He was able to secure additional faculty positions for the Physical Education Department (which housed athletics at that time) so they could hire more teacher/coaches, thus increase and improve the athletic program. In addition, he was able to assist athletics in receiving many supplemental grants. Dean provided funds and support for the construction of the first baseball diamond on campus and for the construction of an all-weather track. A long-time supporter, Dean headed up the 49er Athletic Foundation campus fund-raising team for numerous years and often was the number one person in dollars raised. He was instrumental in bringing in several thousand’s of dollars to the athletic program through his outreach to the campus and the Long Beach community.