NATIONAL CHAMPION UCLA'S WOODEN HONORED BY PRESIDENT.Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - At 92, coach John Wooden rose slowly from his chair Wednesday, and with a military escort gently holding his elbow, walked toward President George W. Bush to receive the nation's highest civilian honor. The former UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX basketball coach and longtime San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. resident bent his head slightly so Bush - who moments before hailed Wooden's career as ``legendary'' - could clasp CLASP - Computer Language for AeronauticS and Programming around his neck the Presidential Medal of Freedom Medal of Freedom highest award given a U.S. citizen; established 1963. [Am. Hist.: Misc.] See : Prize . ``He was the man who taught generations of basketball players the fundamentals of hard work and discipline, patience and teamwork,'' Bush said as he presented the medal to Wooden. It was one of those players, Andre McCarter, now a coach at Birmingham High School Birmingham High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of the city of Los Angeles, California. The school is a part of District One of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). in the Valley, who worked tirelessly to get Wooden's achievements recognized. ``Coach,'' as Wooden is still known, was honored Wednesday with 10 other recipients, including former Czech President Vaclav Havel Noun 1. Vaclav Havel - Czech dramatist and statesman whose plays opposed totalitarianism and who served as president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and president of the Czech Republic since 1993 (born in 1936) Havel , master chef Julia Child Julia Child (August 15, 1912–August 13, 2004) was a famous American cook, author, and television personality who introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her many cookbooks and television programs. and actor Charlton Heston. Bush noted that Wooden led the Bruins to 885 victories and only 203 losses; coached the team to 10 national championships between 1963 and 1975; and guided the careers of some of basketball's greatest players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar For the football player, see . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. on April 16, 1947) is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach. and Bill Walton William Theodore Walton III, better known as Bill Walton (born November 5, 1952), is a former American basketball player and current television sportscaster. He is the father of current Los Angeles Lakers player Luke Walton. . For his former players, Bush said, ``Coach Wooden remains a part of their lives as a teacher of the game, and as an example of what a good man should be.'' McCarter, who left UCLA in 1976 and now coaches basketball at Lake Balboa's Birmingham High School, had made obtaining the Medal of Freedom for Wooden his secret mission for the past three years. Knowing Wooden is finally receiving the award for distinguished civilian service Civilian service is service to a government made as a civilian, particularly such service as an option for anti-militarists and pacifists who object to military service. Examples of countries with thriving civilian service programmes are Switzerland (Swiss Civilian Service), in peacetime, McCarter said, ``It's a full cycle.'' ``I was the point guard in his last national championship game,'' McCarter said. ``Now, in 2003, almost a quarter-century later, to have some input, to help honor him in this way ... it's hard to find words. It's like a dream.'' The quest began in 1999 when he and his wife saw one of the award ceremonies on television. McCarter, who has been working on a documentary about Wooden, said he immediately thought of his former coach. ``He demanded our behavior in public be a certain way. We weren't allowed to boast about our achievements; he set a bar of behavior and principles and values,'' McCarter said of Wooden. When he learned about the Medal of Freedom, McCarter said, ``We felt this was really a great award. The first thing that popped into my mind is, This is something coach Wooden deserves. He's of that ilk denoting that a person's surname and the title of his estate are the same; as, Grant of that ilk, i.e., Grant of Grant. Of the same kind. - Jamieson. See also: Ilk Ilk .'' From there, McCarter quietly gathered letters from players dating back to 1948 - like George Stanich George Anthony Stanich (born 4 November, 1928) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the high jump. He competed for the United States in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain in the high jump where he won the bronze medal. , who played on Wooden's first team - all the way through the coach's last game in 1975. He did it virtually in secret, keeping Wooden himself in the dark for fear the coach would force McCarter to halt his efforts. ``I was his first All-American player,'' Stanich wrote to Bush, describing how Wooden inspired him to teach high school and community college for more than 40 years. ``He influenced me more than any other man in my lifetime.'' In a handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. note to Bush, Jack Davidson, '46, now an auto broker in Fort Bragg, called Wooden ``an outstanding person and role model.'' Vaughn Hoffman, '61-'66, now an insurance consultant, penned a poem titled ``The Man I Call Coach'' about the time Wooden visited him in the hospital after a knee operation and encouraged him to keep playing. Willie Naulls, a pastor in Laguna Niguel, said ``using the principles that coach John Wooden gave me, I became not only an All-American and all-star ... but a successful businessman, father and family man, and now minister of God's principles, inspiring young people to work at becoming the best God has created them to be.'' Two years in a row the White House turned down McCarter's submission, but the player persisted. ``I said, You know what? I'm going to put this thing in for the rest of my life.'' As it turned out, there was no need. Wooden was notified this month that he would be among the 2003 recipients. In honoring Wooden, the White House said the Bruins' success ``reflected his discipline and character'' and honored the coach ``for his lifetime of integrity, grace and excellence.'' Included among the other winners of the honor Wednesday were James Q. Wilson James Q. Wilson (born May 27, 1931) in Denver, Colorado is the Ronald Reagan professor of public policy at Pepperdine University in California, and a professor emeritus at UCLA. From 1961 to 1987 he was a professor of government at Harvard University. He has a Ph.D. , an author and professor at UCLA and Harvard, and Byron White, who died last year after a career that included playing in the National Football League, working as a civil-rights attorney and serving as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) President George W. Bush congratulates former UCLA coach John Wooden on Wednesday after presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (2) Actor Charlton Heston shakes hands with President George W. Bush after accepting his medal Wednesday. Charles Dharapak/Associated Press (3) Former Bruin Andre McCarter, a point guard on coach John Wooden's 10th national championship squad in 1975, was the man who led the drive for Wooden's presidential award. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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