Hall of Fame
Dr. Ralph Edwards was the man who helped to started it all; not just KCC Athletics, but also the college itself. Dr. Edwards was the right hand man of KCC’s first president, President Harstein, and took on a lot of responsibilities to get our college up and running. As KCC’s first ever dean and vice president of administration and planning, Dr. Edwards’ initial priorities were not specifically related to athletics, but to help the college prepare for its first class of students in 1965, a class that would include fellow inductee, Cathy Dachtera. Ralph had to be creative in finding classrooms to house the colleges’ classes because back in 1964, at the time he came to KCC, the campus was just beginning to transition from a military base into the college we know today. Dr. Edwards was able to find classrooms all around the Sheepshead Bay area including the Garfield Temple and the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center which helped KCC get off to a successful first year of its history. During Ralph’s 33-year career at KCC, he also was the founding member of KCC faculty, professor of health science, and was at one time the acting chair of the math and science department.
In relation to athletics, Dr. Edwards was KCC’s first chairman of the health and physical education department, and hired the first athletic director of KCC Athletics and fellow inductee, Anthony Russo Sr. Under Ralph’s leadership, he placed an emphasis on hiring a solid core of the first KCC Athletics staff including coaches and professors. It seems that Dr. Edwards and Anthony Russo Sr. did chose the right staff as many of them are still employed here at KCC today. One of Ralph’s biggest contributions to the HPE program was devising academic requirements for health and physical education which consisted of a 2 credit health education course, and four half-credit courses: fitness, team sports, individual sports and dance.
We thank Dr. Edwards for his years of service and dedication to KCC athletics, and commend him on his outstanding efforts as an administrator during KCC’s first years that helped us all get to where we are now. It is our honor to induct Dr. Ralph Edwards into the KCC Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.
