Neal Harris

Neal Harris graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania in 1929 with a degree in physical education. He then spent two years as a professional sportsman in baseball, basketball, and football, but the Great Depression took a toll on his career. By 1938 his fortunes had improved and he was appointed basketball coach at Albright College, a position that he held through 1949. He did take a leave of absence, however, to coach the Egyptian basketball team at the 1948 London Olympics, where the squad finished 19th among 23 nations, losing four of their five preliminary round matches, as well as a classification round match against Italy. He also coached college basketball at Tokyo University during this time. In 1950 he took up the position of director with the United States Army in Europe’s sports program and held it until his 1976 retirement.