Harry R. (Hal) Calbom (1967) - Basketball

While at R.A. Long Hal Calbom not only excelled as an athlete but also as an honor student and was active in student government. He was on the 1965 tennis team, 1966 and ‘67 track teams and was on the 1966 and ‘67 varsity basketball teams. As a basketball player he was chosen to the 1966 & 1967 Daily News All Conference Teams. As a senior on the varsity basketball team he was chosen as the Most Valuable Player, and the Most Inspirational Player. Hal was recruited by numerous schools to play college basketball. He chose the University of Southern California with an NCAA Division 1 scholarship and a National Merit scholarship. Hal transferred to Harvard in his junior year and had to sit out that year per NCAA requirements but was a starter for the Harvard basketball team his senior year. He indicates that one of the highlights of that year was the team’s appearance at the Far West Classic in Portland in December 1970. After graduating from Harvard he attended the University of Exeter England on a Frank Knox Fellowship awarded by Harvard University. He was a member of the U of Exeter basketball team that won the Universities Athletic Union National championship in 1972 and Hal was chosen Most Valuable Player in the tournament, Subsequent to that season he played semi-professional basketball in both England and Belgium, averaging 32 points per game in the English Professional League. Hal earned a BA in Government from Harvard College and MA in English from University of Exeter in England. Since 1985 Hal has worked as an independent writer, producer, publisher and media consultant.