Danferd C. Avis
Danferd C. Avis '51
In the post-World War II era which produced some of the best basketball ever to be seen at Fenn College, Dan Avis was a leader among leaders.
The 1947-48 basketball team which he co-captained as a sophomore was the first ever to win as many as 10 games in a year for Fenn's victory-hungry basketball fans. Its 10-8 record was the first winning mark turned in by a Fox cage squad in 16 years and stands forever as the second highest season victory total recorded during Fenn's 35-year basketball history.
That memorable season opened with a stunning victory before 10,000 fans at the Cleveland Arena over a much-heralded John Carroll University basketball team which was building for basketball's "big time." It ended with Avis notching a near record 225 for his season's work.
In the ensuing two years Avis captained or co-captained a pair of Fenn teams which included two other Cleveland State Hall-of-Famers-to-be, Dave Jacklitch and Jack Shaughnessy.
The Foxes slumped to a losing season during Avis's junior year, but bounced back for a winning (9-8) mark in his senior campaign, a season highlighted by a multitude of Avis-led fast breaks climaxed by sharp and accurate Avis passes which enabled Shaughnessy to pile up a school record 313 points and Jacklitch to follow with 244 - the most prolific one-two scoring punch seen to that time in Fenn basketball annals.
Avis, the playmaker, himself finished with a highly respectable total of 193 points and more importantly ended his final season as Fenn's all-time career scoring leader with 702 points.
Thirty years later that total was still good enough to rank him 19th on the CSU career scoring leaders' list.
Winning was not new to the East Cleveland, Ohio youngster who had helped Shaw High School to a Lake Erie League title and a berth in the district finals in 1946 before enrolling at Fenn, but it was an unaccustomed delight to Fenn fans, and the feats of the Avis-Shaughnessy-Jacklitch era were to be savored for years to come.
Avis, meanwhile was headed for new successes and a life of community service after graduating with a BBA in 1951.
A 3 1/2-year stint in the Air Force was first on his agenda, followed by a job as a market research analyst with U.S. Steel from 1955 until 1961.
It was while at U.S. Steel that he was to meet Mary Ann Busch, whom he married in 1957. Four years later he joined the family business as vice president of Busch Funeral Home, a position he still holds.
Since then he has built up a list of civic awards which far surpass the athletic awards which came his way during college days.
Among those of which he is most fond are the Parma Heights JayCees' Young Man of the Year District Service Award earned in 1962; the Padua High School Community Service Award for 1971-72; the Outstanding Service Award presented to him on three occasions (1965, 1975 and 1976) by the Parma Heights Chamber of Commerce and the Ridgewood YMCA's Man of the Year Award.
None of these honors meant quite as much to him, however, as an award received in 1978. That was the Parma Heights Family-of-the-Year Award presented by the Sun Newspapers and shared by his beloved Mary Ann and the three Avis offspring, Greg now 21; Todd, 18 and Susan 14.
Avis has taken on a number of man-sized responsibilities during those post-college years, serving as Chairman of the Metropolitan Division of United Appeal in 1965 and 1966, a job which entailed the supervision of 7,000 volunteers; serving as president of the Parma Heights Chamber of Commerce in 1962, the Kiwanis Club of Parma in 1968, the Order of the Golden Rule (a national association of 1200 funeral homes) in 1967 and 1968, and the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation in 1979. H e was also chairman of the sustaining membership drives for the YMCA and YWCA of Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties in 1977 and 1978.
With all that, Avis has still found time to remain active in the athletic affairs of his alma mater, serving as president of the CSU Athletic Alumni Association in 1967-68 and as an officer, member of the board of directors, and member of the Hall of Fame selection committee on several other occasions.
He is currently serving his second term as President of the Athletic Association this year.
Which somehow seems particularly fitting.
