Friends of Basketball

Robert Boone

Year Inducted: 2002

Category: Friends of Basketball

Schools / Organizations:
Chicago Area Schools

Biography:

Dr. Robert S. Boone of Glencoe is truly a friend of high school student-athletes. Starting in 1979, he offered academic classes for basketball players made possible through Athletes for a Better Education Foundation for Student Athletes and on his own. Much of the work dealt with preparation for ACTs, but he also offered writing classes. He offered an ACT class at (Chicago) Marshall High School in conjunction with a girls’ basketball tournament.

Since 1966, Boone, who holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Columbia (NY) Teachers College and Northwestern University, had taught at Highland Park High School, (Chicago) Dunbar High School, (Chicago) Whitney Young High School, Frankfurt (Germany) International School, Staten Island Academy and Columbia College (Chicago, National College of Education in Evanston). Boone served as director for Athletes for a Better Education in Chicago and as ACT instructor at the University of Iowa Girls’ Basketball Camps.

In 1989, Dr. Boone started as a creative writing instructor at Cabrini Green in Chicago and in the East Village Youth Program. The many publications Dr. Boone authored include – “Athletes, How to Meet NCAA Academic Standards; GED Preparation; How To Improve Your Test-Taking Skills”; and The Coach. He also edited Hardwood, a collection of writings by inner-city high school basketball players. 

Dr. Boone received distinguished service awards from the Chicago Human Relations Committee and Glance Human Relations and awards from the East Village Youth Program and North Shore Magazine. He was named 2009 Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Magazine.