SUNY Potsdam Athletics

Jack Lawrence was one of the first standout athletes in SUNY Potsdam's intercollegiate history. After a student-led push for athletic teams of their own, the College started varsity basketball in in 1947 and Lawrence joined the team the following year.
 
Lawrence was raised by his maternal grandparents, the Finnegan family in Madrid. Growing up on the farm there, Lawrence saw his uncles play sports and the competition drew him in.
 
"Back then, sports were the thing to do in high school," said Lawrence. "I was a pretty good student academically, but sports were my long suit. They (high school teams) used to have a young kid as their mascot on these teams. I went from mascot to playing on the varsity in one year."
 
Lawrence was a three-sport star at Madrid High School, excelling in soccer, basketball and baseball. After graduating, he was given the rare opportunity to make a career playing professional baseball.
 
"I suspect somebody saw my records from high school and I got a letter notifying me that there was an opportunity to play baseball in Panama," Lawrence said. "It was sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals. Ironically, I had an aunt and uncle that lived there. So I could play baseball and go down and see what was going on with my aunt and uncle too."
 
Lawrence played for the Colon Lucky Strikes in Panama from fall 1947 through the summer of 1948 before returning to home. Though a talented ballplayer, he feels his size may have held him back from more professional success.
 
"At that time I only weighed maybe 160 or 170 pounds (and was 5-8)," said Lawrence. "They were looking for bigger guys to play in the Major Leagues. I think three or four of the guys ended up as Major Leaguers."
 
Back in the North Country, Lawrence decided to continue his education. As is true today, Potsdam was an affordable way to do that.
 
"I think they were only charging us $15 a semester for student activity fees," Lawrence said. "Some ridiculous number. $15 is kind of a small number and that's how I went."
 
Another important factor in Lawrence attending Potsdam was future athletic director and hall of famer Sam Molnar. Molnar coached Potsdam's basketball team and was starting the baseball program as well.
 
He began his freshman year in the fall of 1948, studying education and history. That winter he joined Potsdam's basketball team. The program was in just it's second intercollegiate season. The Racquetteers, before they were known as the Bears, went 10-5 on the season. In 10 contests, Lawrence, a guard, averaged 8.9 points-per-game and scored 17 in a 50-43 win over Paul Smith's on February 9, 1949.
 
Lawrence didn't have much time to recover from the winter season as he joined Potsdam's baseball team for its first season. The Racquetteers played their first game on May 1, 1949 against Canton. Lawrence, the starting pitcher, scattered four hits in a hard fought 2-1 victory. He also scored the program's first ever run. He doubled to right field in the second inning and was brought home on a single. Lawrence hit .250 as a freshman and was 1-1 as a pitcher for the 4-2 squad.
 
As a sophomore in 1949-50, Lawrence helped the basketball team to an 8-7 mark. He played in all 15 games and scored 8.7 ppg. He had 12 points in a 57-53 win at Plattsburgh on January 13, 1950. It was Potsdam's first ever victory over the Cardinals on the hardwood.
 
Both Lawrence and Potsdam's baseball team had a better second season in the spring of 1950. The Racquetteers posted a 6-4 record. Lawrence was 4-2 on the mound and hit .302 (13h-43ab) in nine games. His signature moment of the season came against Oswego State on May 6. Lawrence gave up four runs in the first four innings to the Lakers. He then no-hit Oswego for the final seven innings, while his teammates rallied and captured a 5-4 victory in 11.
 
With his athletic and academic career moving along very smoothly, Lawrence was notified that he'd been drafted into the U.S. Army. He left Potsdam and the North Country and traveled to Fort Benning for basic training in 1950. At the time, the United States was fighting against communist forces during the Korean Conflict (1950-53). Lawrence expected to be heading for combat in Asia, but instead was assigned to the Eighth Infantry Division Medical Corps and sent to Germany.
 
"Germany was still rebuilding from World War II," said Lawrence. "It was quite an experience. As US troops, we were quite welcome there because they knew if we hadn't stepped in, those Russians would have taken over and they (the German People) would have been subjugated with a lot of atrocities. I was around some of those places where those atrocities took place and it's hard to describe unless you're there."
 
While in Europe, Lawrence had a brush with a future president.
 
"I was on leave in Paris at Orly Air Force Base and I noticed this car coming with all the flashing lights," Lawrence said. "Who jumped out of the car but General Eisenhower. When he got out, I saluted him from five feet away. He said have a good day and then took off in an airplane to run for President of the United States. Today you wouldn't get within a hundred yards of the president."
 
Lawrence was honorably discharged in September of 1952 and was transferred to the Army Reserve until 1956. He received the Army of Occupation Medal and Cold War Certificate of Recognition.
 
Once back out of the Army, Lawrence returned to Potsdam to finish his degree and collegiate playing career. He credits his military experience for helping him academically.
 
"I had a real enlightenment there I guess," said Lawrence. "It made me a better student. It taught me discipline."
 
Lawrence returned to the basketball team a final time for the winter of 1952-53. He played in 11 games for the 8-10 team, while shaking off the rust. In the spring he stepped back on to the diamond. Lawrence and his Racquetteer teammates had more success in the spring, posting a 9-3 record. Against Plattsburgh on May 22, he made a tremendous catch in centerfield with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to preserve a scoreless contest. He then doubled and scored in the 11th inning to give Potsdam a 1-0 win over the Cardinals.
 
In his final season in the spring of 1954, Lawrence helped the baseball team to an 8-4 mark. He hit a career-high .404 that season. Lawrence's average reached as high as .421 over the course of the spring. In his four seasons on the team, Potsdam went 27-13 and he hit well over .300.
 
Lawrence enjoyed his academic experience at Potsdam as well. He got to know many of the College's legendary faculty professionally and socially.
 
"On the academic level, at that time I don't think there were over four or 500 students at Potsdam State back in those days," Lawrence said. "You got to know the professors and most of them were World War II veterans. At that time they were building their homes and families and I got to work for a lot of them on their lawns or gardens. So I got to know Dr. Crumb, Barrington, Molnar, Maxcy, all those great teachers, on a real close basis. It was a very good time. In those days they didn't have snow blowers. So if there was a big snowstorm I had to get six or eight strong arms and go up there and shovel their driveways out. So you got to know those guys. In fact in later times, I used to drink with some on occasion and raise hell. You take a look around that campus and a lot of those names are on buildings today. Satterlee, Barrington, Crumb and Maxcy. Dr. Maxcy, he was a character and he was probably the one I would kid with more than anybody. But today students might know a professors name, but I doubt if they associate with them much."
 
Lawrence graduated from Potsdam in May 1954, but he had to overcome a small hiccup first.
 
"On graduation day we graduated from (Clarkson's) Walker Arena," said Lawrence. "I put my gown on and I had my baseball uniform on underneath because I had to play a game in the afternoon. So I went up on the stage and got my folder. Then I came back and opened it up and guess what? There was no diploma. There was a note from the registrar. 'Diploma withheld pending payment of senior dues $15.' I had to go back to pay $15 to get my diploma. I showed it to this girl next to me and she laughed. Anyway, I went and got the shingle, I guess they call it, but I had to go back and pay 15 bucks."
 
Shortly after graduation, Lawrence started working in the construction industry with a job at the St. Lawrence Seaway. Building was always a passion for him.
 
"I think growing up, I was always building stuff," Lawrence said. "Whether it was trying to build a raft on the river or a shack. So I ended up in construction for the rest of my life."
 
He spent 75 years in the field working for companies including Fletcher McCarthy, Algonquin Construction, B&S Industrial Contractors, Visconti Construction, Murnane Contractors and Lawrence Consulting. Lawrence was involved in over 300 building projects in the Northeast. About 40 were buildings at SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton and Mater Dei College. Lawrence is most proud of serving as construction manager for the 1980 Olympic Arena in Lake Placid.
 
"We had a great crew and that was a crash bang job up there," said Lawrence. "Hurry, hurry, hurry. That was a battle, but it got done on time and the Olympics were held. It was a real memorable experience up there for two years."
 
Knowing what the Russians did to an NHL All-Star team and the U.S. National Team just prior to the start of the Olympic Games, Lawrence decided not to attend them.
 
"I was so disengaged with the hockey program there when they went on and beat the Russians," said Lawrence. "I said I'm not going to stay around for that bloodletting. I'm going to Florida. So I was in Florida when the Russians got beat by the Americans. It was a helluva time I guess up there."
 
In 1955, Lawrence married Rita St. Denis from Crary Mills. She was the charge nurse at Canton Hospital. They had five children in Mary, Steven, Jimmy, Kathy and Patty.
 
"My wife, God Bless her, brought them up when I was gone in construction," Lawrence said. "She was the caretaker and got them on the right path. I helped a little bit, but all the real credit goes to her."
 
All five children have had tremendous success. Mary and Kathy were both golf professionals. Mary served as the head golf coach at St. Lawrence University. Kathy is the Vice President of the LPGA in Daytona Beach. Patty is retired from serving as Nurse Practitioner at SUNY Canton. Steven is the Director of Operations for the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. Jimmy is the is the project manager for construction at Alcoa for Murnane. Lawrence also has nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
 
Lawrence was one of first truly great athletes to wear a Potsdam uniform. It took a while for him to be fully recognized and Rita, who passed in 2017, used to kid him about it.
 
"She used to jab me a little bit," said Lawrence. "She said 'I haven't seen your name in the hall of fame.' I said it's taken them 70 years to cleanse my record over there. She said 'well you must have been pretty good, but you didn't get in the hall of fame.' I said I've been working on it. Its just taken them time."
 
Lawrence, who is 95, was enshrined into the hall of fame on September 30, 2023.