Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2000
- Class:
- 1948
Deward Compton, or "Dee" as he was called by his teammates, has been involved with basketball for nearly a half century. He played center at the University of Louisville from 1946-1948. While at UofL, Compton was voted captain of the team in 1948. During that same year, he helped lead his team to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Championship in Kansas City, Missouri and a qualifying spot at the Olympic Trials in Madison Square Garden. Following the tournament, Compton was named to the NAIB All-American Team and became UofL's first ever NBA draft pick as he was chosen by the Philadelphia Warriors.
Compton received his Bachelor of Science in 1948 from the College of Arts and Sciences. After his playing days with the Warriors, Compton returned to Nashville and attended George Peabody College where he received his Master of Arts in Teaching in 1949. He also received his Juris Doctor from the Nashville School of Law in 1960 while working in the trucking business for the Murfreesboro Freight Line Company. Compton later became president of his family-owned business. Compton also coached high school basketball for Middle Tom High School in Tennessee where his team was ranked number one in the state by the Associated Press.
