Hall of Fame
Copeland originally played basketball at Morgan State College, helping the 1944-45 team to the CIAA Championship. Copeland was then drafted into the Army. Upon discharge from the service, he worked for several years before returning to college. He arrived at Adelphi in February of 1949 as a health and physical education major and was a member of both the men’s basketball and baseball teams, winning a conference championship with each squad in 1952.
Following graduation, Copeland was offered opportunities to play basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters and professional baseball with the Indianapolis Clowns. He declined both, opting instead to teach briefly before accepting a position with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Narcotics in 1957. Copeland continued to work in the civil service areas for most of his career and ended his government career with the Equal Employment Commission, serving from 1971 to his retirement in December of 1986.
