When St. Edward's volleyball runs onto the court to open its 2024 season hosting the Hilltopper Classic, the team will be stepping into history, playing its first match on the newly christened Ed Norris '41 & Joe Beck '58 Court to start the program's 50th season.
St. Edward's University unveiled The RAC court's new name on Saturday, August 24, at the Topper Pride Kick-Off event. More than 300 student-athletes, St. Edward's incoming freshmen class, and almost 100 alumni, family, and friends were in attendance to share the moment.
It was a moment made possible by a transformative philanthropic gift from John '65 and Mary Lucas, who donated $500,000 to St. Edward's University Athletics – the most significant gift Hilltopper Athletics has ever received from an individual donor.
John Lucas was recruited by Norris to the men's track and field team in 1965. Lucas earned letters in track for the 880, mile, and two-mile runs and won 13 individual championships over four years. In 1962 and 1963, Lucas placed first in the 880, mile, two-mile run, and mile relay at the Big State Conference competitions. In 1970, Lucas began working in university administration. He spent his entire career on Hilltop, working in marketing, development, and admission departments before finally serving as the vice president for enrollment.
"It's about giving back. Much of what I've achieved directly results from what St. Ed's did for me. If I can honor two special people, Ed Norris and Joe Beck, all the better," John Lucas says. "I believe that co-curricular activities are an integral part of the Holy Cross experience. Athletics has the ability to touch so many people, and I welcome the opportunity to sustain our efforts in this arena."
On Friday, the Ed Norris '41 & Joe Beck '58 Court signage will debut to the broader public during a volleyball match against Arkansas-Monticello. The court's name is emblazoned in large, Hilltopper blue lettering and mounted on the far baseline wall just below championship banners depicting some of St. Edward's greatest athletic achievements. It's a fitting home for names that have been the foundation for many of St. Edward's successes, provided by one of the program's greatest benefactors.
Norris, Beck, and Lucas are all members of the St. Edward's University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Norris was a three-sport athlete who competed on St. Edward's last football team in 1939, was an all-conference basketball player, and played baseball. He returned to the Hilltop in 1946 to teach kinesiology and coach baseball and basketball before serving as Athletic Director starting in 1963, Dean of Men, and working in university administration during a career that spanned four decades. He coached the St. Edward's men's basketball team for 19 years, was an official of the NAIA, Commissioner of the Big State Conference for 15 years, and Lone Star Conference for five years.
Norris recruited Beck to the basketball team, and the latter became an All-American and three-time All-Conference basketball player for St. Edward's, scoring a then-school record 42 points in a game, which still stands as tied for sixth-most in school history. He coached the Hilltoppers for nine seasons and was Big State Conference Coach of the Year in 1971.
Beck and Norris aren't pillars of only the men's basketball program. The pair took turns assuming athletic director responsibilities in the early-to-mid 1970s. They were part of the leadership team creating St. Edward's women's volleyball and basketball varsity programs, which played its first intercollegiate games during the 1974-1975 academic year. Both programs will be celebrating their 50th anniversary throughout the year.
"I couldn't think of anything more perfect than having the names of these two Hall of Famers who put their stamp on our basketball and volleyball programs looking over games in the same year two of those programs celebrate their 50th anniversary," St. Edward's University Director of Athletics Dr. Jim Sarra says. "We're grateful to the Lucas family for this invaluable and transformational gift. It's a reminder that this community is more than the people we see daily. It's made up of all who came before it who've followed our Holy Cross mission to leave our community better than we found it."
To join the Lucas Family in supporting St. Edward's University Hilltoppers athletics, visit our giving page by clicking here.
