Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Gearhart*, Foster
Foster Gearhart*
- Induction:
- 1997
- Class:
- 1934
In the early 20th century of Lehigh Athletics you would have to look hard not to find a member of the Gearhart family competing with a Lehigh brown and white uniform on. Thomas Gearhart '36 played basketball and soccer. David Gearhart '44 play basketball and lacrosse. And while each of them earned success in the intercollegiate forum, it was their brother, Foster Gearhart who claimed the most accomplishments.
Foster was a four-sport athlete. He played baseball and basketball as a freshman, basketball and tennis as a sophomore, junior and senior, and took up soccer as a senior in the fall. In fact, his senior soccer season, his first at the intercollegiate level, Foster led the team in scoring. He was the captain of the basketball and tennis teams as a senior. That same senior season, Foster was named the Outstanding Lehigh Athlete of the Year.
“Along with Allen Ware, Foster Gearhart was one of the two best all-around athletes Lehigh had during the 1930s,” fellow Lehigh Hall of Famer and Gearhart classmate Ben Bishop said. “He was a good scholar, a terrific athlete and a super competitor. He was good at everything.”
Throughout his life, Foster was a leader. In addition to being captain of several teams, he was treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa fraternity and secretary of the Lehigh Union.
He served in the United States Army from 1940-45 and was captain of the 1154th Combat Engineers. He also served in the European Theater for Operations with General George Patton's Third Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. His father, Franklin Gearhart '01 was captain of the 1900 football team and also played baseball.
“He was my hero in a lot of ways,” his brother David said. “He was a natural athlete. For me as his kid brother, more important than all of his success athletically was his example as a true sportsman; respectful of his competitors, playing fair and according to the rules, and winning and losing with grace.”
After his graduation from Lehigh, Gearhart played for the Franklin, PA professional club basketball team for one year and was the golf champion at Blue Ridge Country Club in 1946 and 1947. Gearhart married the late Kathryn Joselyn Gearhart and had two children, James and Ann. He worked as a sales engineer at Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., and as a sales engineer at Dravo Inc.
Foster was a four-sport athlete. He played baseball and basketball as a freshman, basketball and tennis as a sophomore, junior and senior, and took up soccer as a senior in the fall. In fact, his senior soccer season, his first at the intercollegiate level, Foster led the team in scoring. He was the captain of the basketball and tennis teams as a senior. That same senior season, Foster was named the Outstanding Lehigh Athlete of the Year.
“Along with Allen Ware, Foster Gearhart was one of the two best all-around athletes Lehigh had during the 1930s,” fellow Lehigh Hall of Famer and Gearhart classmate Ben Bishop said. “He was a good scholar, a terrific athlete and a super competitor. He was good at everything.”
Throughout his life, Foster was a leader. In addition to being captain of several teams, he was treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa fraternity and secretary of the Lehigh Union.
He served in the United States Army from 1940-45 and was captain of the 1154th Combat Engineers. He also served in the European Theater for Operations with General George Patton's Third Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. His father, Franklin Gearhart '01 was captain of the 1900 football team and also played baseball.
“He was my hero in a lot of ways,” his brother David said. “He was a natural athlete. For me as his kid brother, more important than all of his success athletically was his example as a true sportsman; respectful of his competitors, playing fair and according to the rules, and winning and losing with grace.”
After his graduation from Lehigh, Gearhart played for the Franklin, PA professional club basketball team for one year and was the golf champion at Blue Ridge Country Club in 1946 and 1947. Gearhart married the late Kathryn Joselyn Gearhart and had two children, James and Ann. He worked as a sales engineer at Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., and as a sales engineer at Dravo Inc.
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