Temple University Athletics
Temple Great Hal Lear Inducted into MAC Hall of Fame
5.9.13 | Men's Basketball
MAC Release
PHILADELPHIA – For the second time this year one of Temple University's all-time great men's basketball players, Hal Lear, has received a prestigious honor. Lear, who starred for the Owls from 1953-54 through 1955-56, has been inducted into the Middle Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame.
Like his first honor, which came when Temple retired his uniform number (#6) on January 30, he joins his backcourt mate, Guy Rodgers, in the MAC Hall of Fame. Rodgers, who is the only other Temple member of the Hall, was inducted in the Inaugural Class in 2012.
Lear is one of only three Temple players to have averaged 20 or more points in two different seasons (Mark Macon and Rodgers are the other two). After averaging 9.6 points per game (4th on the team) in 1953-54, his first season as an Owl, he became just the second TU player to average 20 or more points for a season in 1954-55 when he turned in a 22.2 points per game campaign.
As a senior, teamed with Rodgers, he set the still-standing school record of 745 points in a season and his 24.0 season scoring average ranks fourth in the Temple annals. A first team all-District honoree that season, he helped lead the Owls to a 27-4 record and the program's first trip to the NCAA Final Four. Nationally-ranked for the first time in program history, Temple ended the season ranked 13th by the Associated Press.
On the game's biggest stage, Lear shined, scoring 32 points in an 83-76 loss to Iowa in the national semifinals. He followed that with a then NCAA record 48 points to lead Temple to a 90-81 win over SMU in the third place game. So it was no surprise when he was named the 1956 Final Four's Most Valuable Player, one of only five players to earn the honor without competing in the title game. The others are Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas, 1957), Art Heyman (Duke, 1963), Bill Bradley (Princeton, 1965) and Jerry Chambers (Utah, 1966).
Lear, who served as co-captain of the 1955-56 team along with Hal Reinfeld, was also part of arguably the biggest win in Temple's history, a 73-61 victory at #2 Kentucky on December 10, 1955. Lear had 19 points in the game, the Owls' third of the season, to help spoil Kentucky's home opener and hand the juggernaut Wildcats just their second home loss in a dozen years. Temple would make its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 20 poll the following week, entering at #11.
For his career, Lear scored 1,472 points over 79 games for a 19.0 scoring average. His point total was second at the time of his graduation and currently ranks 17th in Temple history. The left-handed guard was a two-time NABC First Team all-District honoree and was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1956 NBA Draft. After a brief stint with the Warriors, Lear went on to a nine-year career in the Eastern League, and was named to the league's All-Time team during its 50th Anniversary season.
Retired now after a 30-year career at Albert Einstein School of Medicine as an Executive Administrator of the Department of Psychiatry, Lear lives in Phoenix with his wife, Maggie O'Keefe Lear. The couple has nine children, 21 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
The MAC Hall of Fame recognizes student-athletes, coaches, administration, faculty, or staff from the Middle Atlantic Conferences who have demonstrated success in athletics, academics, and the community. Recognition of MAC Hall of Fame inductees will take place on the inductee's campus during the 2013-14 academic year, at the discretion of the institution.
Temple was a member of the conference from at least the 1946-47 academic year and remained until 1973-74 when 11 larger schools departed to form the East Coast Conference. Temple remained in the conference as an Associate Member from 1974-75 through 1985-86.
PHILADELPHIA – For the second time this year one of Temple University's all-time great men's basketball players, Hal Lear, has received a prestigious honor. Lear, who starred for the Owls from 1953-54 through 1955-56, has been inducted into the Middle Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame.
Like his first honor, which came when Temple retired his uniform number (#6) on January 30, he joins his backcourt mate, Guy Rodgers, in the MAC Hall of Fame. Rodgers, who is the only other Temple member of the Hall, was inducted in the Inaugural Class in 2012.
Lear is one of only three Temple players to have averaged 20 or more points in two different seasons (Mark Macon and Rodgers are the other two). After averaging 9.6 points per game (4th on the team) in 1953-54, his first season as an Owl, he became just the second TU player to average 20 or more points for a season in 1954-55 when he turned in a 22.2 points per game campaign.
As a senior, teamed with Rodgers, he set the still-standing school record of 745 points in a season and his 24.0 season scoring average ranks fourth in the Temple annals. A first team all-District honoree that season, he helped lead the Owls to a 27-4 record and the program's first trip to the NCAA Final Four. Nationally-ranked for the first time in program history, Temple ended the season ranked 13th by the Associated Press.
On the game's biggest stage, Lear shined, scoring 32 points in an 83-76 loss to Iowa in the national semifinals. He followed that with a then NCAA record 48 points to lead Temple to a 90-81 win over SMU in the third place game. So it was no surprise when he was named the 1956 Final Four's Most Valuable Player, one of only five players to earn the honor without competing in the title game. The others are Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas, 1957), Art Heyman (Duke, 1963), Bill Bradley (Princeton, 1965) and Jerry Chambers (Utah, 1966).
Lear, who served as co-captain of the 1955-56 team along with Hal Reinfeld, was also part of arguably the biggest win in Temple's history, a 73-61 victory at #2 Kentucky on December 10, 1955. Lear had 19 points in the game, the Owls' third of the season, to help spoil Kentucky's home opener and hand the juggernaut Wildcats just their second home loss in a dozen years. Temple would make its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 20 poll the following week, entering at #11.
For his career, Lear scored 1,472 points over 79 games for a 19.0 scoring average. His point total was second at the time of his graduation and currently ranks 17th in Temple history. The left-handed guard was a two-time NABC First Team all-District honoree and was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1956 NBA Draft. After a brief stint with the Warriors, Lear went on to a nine-year career in the Eastern League, and was named to the league's All-Time team during its 50th Anniversary season.
Retired now after a 30-year career at Albert Einstein School of Medicine as an Executive Administrator of the Department of Psychiatry, Lear lives in Phoenix with his wife, Maggie O'Keefe Lear. The couple has nine children, 21 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
The MAC Hall of Fame recognizes student-athletes, coaches, administration, faculty, or staff from the Middle Atlantic Conferences who have demonstrated success in athletics, academics, and the community. Recognition of MAC Hall of Fame inductees will take place on the inductee's campus during the 2013-14 academic year, at the discretion of the institution.
Temple was a member of the conference from at least the 1946-47 academic year and remained until 1973-74 when 11 larger schools departed to form the East Coast Conference. Temple remained in the conference as an Associate Member from 1974-75 through 1985-86.
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