Musselman Named 2006 Hickman-Camp Award Recepient

Sept. 3, 2006

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville Athletic Department has honored longtime friend and supporter Tom Musselman with the 2006 Hickman-Camp Award, the highest award the department bestows.

The award was formally presented to Mr. Musselman in a pregame ceremony at the U of L football game against Kentucky on Sunday, Sept. 3.

Musselman, Sr. was born and raised in Louisville and is one of six children to the late Dave and Elaine Musselman. A graduate of St. Xavier High School, Tom grew up in the Bonnicastle area of Louisville. He attended The University of Louisville on a golf scholarship where he lettered in Golf for four years and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He and his wife Anabel have three children and seven grandchildren.

He started his business career in the construction industry building homes, fast food restaurants and motels. In the late 1970's Tom moved to Knoxville to operate four Mr. Gatti's Pizza stores and over the next 6 years he built 16 successful stores in east Tennessee.

After selling his business, he returned to his native Louisville in 1986 and decided to pursue the hospitality industry again. Starting with a pair hotels in the late 1980's, he and his sons, Chester and Tom Jr., have developed, owned and operated up to 30 hotels at a given time. Currently the family owns 18 hotels with three more under development.

Musselman Sr., has been elected to the University of Louisville's Athletic Hall of Fame, St. Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame, and most recently he was a 2005 inductee into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame. He was instrumental in starting what is now known as the KGA * PGA, the governing body to KY golf and is also a co-founder, board member and supporter of the Musselman Dunne Junior Golf Tour that holds up to 24 junior golf tournaments throughout the state annually.

He is a board member of the KY Junior Golf Foundation, which provides scholarships to students who otherwise would not be able to attend college. With Tom's love of golf and the University of Louisville, it only made sense for Tom to put together a group of individuals to purchase the Cardinal Club, and keep the course the home of University of Louisville's men and women's golf teams.

An active philanthropist, Musselman has been the Chairman of the local food bank, Dare to Care, former Chairman of the Louisville and Jefferson County Parks Commission, and the first Chairman of the Louisville Sports Commission.

He spends his winters in Naples FL playing golf and keeping up with his business interest. While he travels when possible, his spends the balance of the year here in Louisville.

The Hickman-Camp Award, which bears the names of legendary Cardinal head coaches Bernard "Peck" Hickman and Frank Camp, is given annually by U of L to the person or persons who have provided special service in support of Cardinal Athletics. The recipients also are acknowledged for exemplary leadership, loyalty and dedication in assisting the development and advancement of the athletic department.

As a token of the department's appreciation, Musselman will receive the Hickman-Camp Pin made of 14 karat gold and holding a pair of diamonds in the neck of the bird and a ruby in the eye. The diamonds represent the two U of L coaching greats for which the award is named while the ruby represents the honoree's burning desire and dedication to Cardinal Athletics.

Previous Hickman-Camp Award Recipients1986    Otto Knop1987    Charlie Bryant1988    Mary Klemm1989    Dr. Ben Reid1990    Tom & Blanche Carroll1991    Sam & Bonnie Rechter1992    no award given1993    Malcolm Chancey1994    Lewis "Sonny" Bass1995    Blanche Kitchen1996    no award given1997    Mike Brown1998    Harry & Nancy Jones1999    Owsley Brown Frazier2000    Lance Gremillion2001    Eddie Morris2002    Sam and Barbara Swope2003    Jewish Hospital - Hank Wagner2004    Bernard and Jean Trager2005    Jim and Dot Patterson2006    Thomas Musselman Sr.

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