News
2008 Hall of Fame Inductees
Dale Cushinberry – Highland Park High School
A 1965 graduate of Highland Park High School, Dale Cushinberry was a three-year letterman in basketball, and also lettered in football and track. He was All-City and All-Centennial League in basketball his senior year. In addition, he was the Highlander King as a senior.
Dale attended Kentucky State on a basketball scholarship and was coached by legendary coach John McClendon. He then transferred to the Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia (ESU) and was a 2 ½-year starter at forward for the Hornets. Dale earned NAIA All-American honors as a junior in 1968 (averaged 24.9 ppg) and as a senior in 1969. He was the first Hornets’ basketball player to score over 1,000 points and amass over 700 rebounds during his career. Dale was 1st team All-Conference both his junior and senior years.
Dale was honored as the ESU Athlete of the Year in 1967-68. Dale was named the Missouri Valley AAU Most Outstanding Athlete in 1971, 1973, 1977 and 1983. Dale was inducted into the Emporia State University Sports Hall of Honor in 1982. He was inducted into the AAU Hall of Fame in 1983.
Dale earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary/Secondary Education Degree in 1970, a Masters in Counseling & Psychotherapy Degree and Masters in School Administration Degree, all from ESU. He was selected as the Distinguished Kansan in Education by the Topeka Capital-Journal in 1996. Dale was inducted into the Highland Park High School Athletic Wall of Honor in 1999.
Dale resides in Topeka with his wife Anita. They have two grown children, daughters Andrea and Danitra. He currently is the principal at Highland Park High School.
Lee Dodson – Topeka High School
A 1942 graduate of Topeka High School, Lee Dodson was an outstanding high school baseball player. He was undefeated in the Topeka High School League with five no-hitters during the 1941-42 season. At age 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in England, France, Belgium, Germany, Okinawa and the Philippines during World War II.
Lee returned to baseball and had a minor league pro career as a blue-chip pitcher playing for teams including the Topeka Owls, Kansas City Blues, Muskegon Clippers, Chanute Owls, Beaumont Roughnecks, and the Newark Bears. After his pro career, he operated numerous semi-professional leagues including the Tri-State League, the Kaw Valley League, the Connie Mack League, and the Walter Johnson League.
Lee has coached and managed baseball teams in the Topeka area since 1961. He operated the Babe Ruth League in Topeka from 1961-66. He created the Walter Johnson League in Northeast Kansas and initiated the Topeka Over 30 Baseball League and the Fireball League. Literally thousands of youth and hundreds of teams have been the recipient of Lee’s dedication and passion for baseball over the years. He is widely known as Topeka’s “Mr. Baseball.”
Lee graduated from Washburn University in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then earned a Masters in 1954 and a Doctorate in 1965, both from the University of Kansas. Lee worked at Washburn University for 25 years and served as the Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs.
Lee is retired and resides in Topeka. His late wife Kathleen was also a WU graduate. He has five grown children, Mary, Jim, Kathleen, Richard and Steven, and six grandchildren.
Fred Slaughter – Topeka High School
A 1960 graduate of Topeka High School, Fred Slaughter was a two-sport star in basketball and track and field. He was a three-year letterman in basketball and in track and field. Fred’s high school accomplishments included being rated as the best high school basketball player in the State of Kansas during the 1959–60 season by Dell Magazine. He was also the Class AA 100-yard dash champion at the State Track Meet in 1959 as a junior.
Fred played college basketball at UCLA, and at 6’5,” he was a three-year starting center for the Bruins. He was a member of three AAWU/PAC 8 Basketball Conference Championships, and played in two Final Fours, including the first NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship at UCLA in 1964 when the Bruins were a perfect 30 – 0 and defeated Kansas State in the semi-finals. Fred also participated in track and field at UCLA. In addition, he was the Senior Class President at UCLA in 1963–64.
Fred received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UCLA in 1965. He earned a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from UCLA in 1966. Fred then earned a Juris Doctorate from the Columbia University School of Law in New York City in 1969. He returned to UCLA and served in several administrative positions, including Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and General Admissions for the UCLA School of Law. Fred has served as a lecturer in Sports Law at the UCLA School of Law, and has been the legal counsel for the National Basketball Referees Association. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Fred is retired and resides in Santa Monica, California with his wife Kay. They have two grown children, daughter Hilary and son Fred, and a granddaughter Milla.
2008 TSCSC 2 (5/30/08)