David Roy Gavitt ’59
David Roy Gavitt ’59 passed away on September 16, 2011. Dave was a four-year member of the Newman Club, on Green Key, rushing chairman of Beta Theta Pi and a member of Sphinx. Dave played on Dartmouth basketball teams that won two Ivy championships and were in the NCAA Tournament. He is hailed as one of basketball’s most influential leaders in the last three decades. He coached basketball at Dartmouth (1966 to 1969) and at Providence College (1969 to 1979). He led the Friars to the NCAA Basketball Tournament five times and the Final Four (1973). Dave was athletic director at Providence College (1971-81). He was to coach the U.S Olympic team in 1980, but the United States boycotted the Moscow games. He “found kind of a payback for 1980” when as president of USA Basketball (1988-92) he orchestrated the first U.S. Dream Team (1992 Olympic gold medalists). In 1979 Dave was the key force in the forming of the Big East Conference, serving as its first commissioner (1979-90). When he left the Big East he joined the Boston Celtics (1982-94) and became president. He served as the chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted (2006). He enjoyed working as a broadcast analyst for NCAA basketball games. Dave displayed his wonderful sense of humor and gift as a storyteller as master of ceremonies at 59 reunions. His wife of 46 years, Julie, sons Dan and Corey and four grandchildren survive Dave.
