Hall of Fame
Dolph Pulliam, a native of Gary, Ind., was a key member of Drake’s 1968-69 team that reached the NCAA Final Four and defeated North Carolina in the third-place game. He was drafted by the NBA’s Boston Celtics and courted by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in 1969.
Bypassing professional sports, Pulliam remained in Des Moines and became active in the community while becoming the first African-American television broadcaster in Iowa. In 1989, he became director of athletic marketing at Drake before moving into a position as director of community outreach and development prior to retiring in 2014.
Honored with Drake’s “Double D” Award in 2011 for his tremendous success in his field and impact he has made in the community, Pulliam was inducted into the state of Iowa African-American Hall of Fame in 2006. He also was inducted into the state of Indiana Basketball of Fame in 2009 and has his number retired by Drake.
Pulliam has received numerous awards including the National Recognition Award from the Red Cross, the National Easter Seals Recognition Award, the Alice Whipple Community Service Award for the Iowa Federation of Labor and the Silver Beaver Award from the Mid-Iowa Boy Scouts of America. He was a 2010-11 MVC John Sanders “Spirit of the Valley” Award honoree.