Life is but a Dream!

In July 1955, at a time when this proud member of Generation Laughna was beginning to be aware of popular music and culture due to a sister five years his senior, the Harptones released their huge hit, "Life is But a Dream!" on Paradise Records. This past Wednesday, I experienced the actualization of a dream when, during a visit to the outstanding new Lauinger Library Special Exhibit on the 100th Anniversary of Georgetown University Basketball, "A Spotlight on Ten Coaches, Ten Players, and Ten Decades of Hoops," I unexpectedly saw and had the great good fortune of visiting with Hoya playing and coaching legend Tom O'Keefe, (C '50), a Hoya guard from 1946-50, the leading career scorer from his decade, a member of the Georgetown Athletic Hall of Fame, and the coach of the Hoyas from 1960-66. The experience was somewhat akin to a dream where one is imagining being with someone, when all of a sudden, out of the blue, that someone, in fact, appears and becomes actively engaged with the dreamer. Talk about dreams coming true!

I have met Coach O'Keefe before, but this was the first time that I had occasion to speak with him at any length. Immediately, I realized why his former players love this product of St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. I understood why his former players, now in their 60s, remain close, why they gather together on a regular basis and why they still refer to themselves collectively as "O'Keefe's Kids." Tom O'Keefe is a vibrant, unassuming man with a twinkle in his eye and a lilt in his voice. He had come to Lauinger, accompanied by Pat McArdle, (C '72, L '77), to be interviewed for a piece being produced for the upcoming 100th Anniversary celebration of Georgetown Basketball. At the time of O'Keefe's arrival on the fifth floor of Lauinger, I had just finished reading the first panel of the exhibit about the first coach of Georgetown basketball, the legendary Maurice Joyce, and his days leading the Hoyas. With Coach O'Keefe's arrival, the logistics of his interview precluded my getting a close-up look at a significant portion of the exhibit, especially dealing with the pre-first Coach Thompson era. But I remained and listened to a portion of the interview where Coach O'Keefe explained how proud he was of the men he coached -- men who would go on to become, for example, Commissioner of the National Football League (Paul Tagliabue, C'62 ), Commandant of the Marine Corps (General Jim Jones, F'66), prominent attorneys and businessmen (Francis T. Coleman, C'61, L'64; Judge Thomas Carroll, C '66, L'70; Jim Carrino, C '62, and Vince Wolfington, C '62). It was, indeed, a special moment, and I lingered there, content to know that I will have through March to see the rest of this outstanding exhibit. This chance encounter with this special man called to mind the lessons of the Harptones hit tune from the 50s:

Life is but a dream.
It's what you make it.
Always try to give,
Don't ever take it.

Coach Tom O'Keefe has touched his players' hearts. And it was plain to me that they had touched his heart as well. I was privileged to have this special moment with the coach this past Wednesday, just as I have been privileged, as President of the Hoya Hoop Club, to gather with him and his former players at some of their earlier events, such as their September 2004 New York City Reunion at Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington bade goodbye to his troops -- a "coach" of sorts gathering with his "players" to announce his retirement. I look forward to the upcoming 100th Anniversary events, including the February 10, 2007 Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown, when Coach O'Keefe and his kids, and other former and present coaches of Georgetown and their players gather in community, together with fans of the Georgetown Men's Basketball Program to celebrate a centennial of Hoya Basketball. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So be there!

As for the Lauinger Exhibit, I know that I will be back to see it in its entirety before the end of its run. In fact, the Hoya Hoop Club is working with the University Archivist to put on a special Hoya Hoop Club "members only" event, probably in late February or early March 2007, where Hoop Club members will have a special evening viewing of the exhibit after regular Fifth Floor Lauinger business hours. So if circumstances prevent one from attending the Gala events on February 10, then one can still be a part of the 100th Anniversary celebration by attending this "members only" event. Keep your eyes open on this blog, on the Hoya Hoop Club e-newsletters, and your e-mails for more details on this special free event once they become finalized. And then mark your calendar and join us. I will be there, if for no other reason than to finish seeing the rest of the exhibit!

WE ARE GEORGETOWN!!

Michael E. Karam (F'72, L'76, L'76)
Generation Laughna
Immediate Past President, Hoya Hoop Club
Vice-President, Hoyas Unlimited