March 6, 2007

BEAUMONT - Former Lamar University athletic trainer Bobby Gunn passed away last Thursday. Gunn was Lamar's first full-time athletic trainer from 1962-71.

During his tenure at Lamar, he established the Athletic Training Specialization program, which was one of only four of its kind in the country at the time. His leadership helped Texas become the first state to require a license to practice the art of athletic training.

Gunn was an active member of the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association, serving as president and national director, and was twice honored as "Trainer of the Year." He served on the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) board of directors from 1965-96 and was the chairman from 1967-69. He became the first elected president of the NATA in 1970 and served in that capacity until 1974.

A Houston native, Gunn served as the athletic trainer for the United States team at the 1959, 1967 and 1969 Pan American Games. He was also the trainer for the U.S. Olympic soccer team at the 1964 regional playoffs in Mexico City.

Gunn, who was a 1951 graduate of Rice University, left Lamar for the National Football League (NFL) where he served as athletic trainer for the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers. He was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Cardinal Hall of Honor in 1982.