West Babylon, N.Y. - Longtime Adelphi University athletic director Robert E. Hartwell will be posthumously inducted into the East Coast Conference Hall of Fame this spring.
The longest-tenured athletic director in school history to date, Hartwell was tabbed to lead Adelphi athletics in 1986, and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2009 before his retirement in 2013.
Under his direction, the department and its programs transformed, enjoying tremendous success on the conference, regional and national levels. Under his guidance, the Adelphi Panthers garnered eight NCAA National Championships, 10 NCAA Regional Championships, 33 conference postseason championships, 26 conference regular season championships, nearly 100 NCAA Championship appearances, and seven ECC Commissioner's Cups (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008) during the Panthers' time in the conference.
Hartwell's devotion to student-athletes, a commitment to ensuring that the NCAA Division II model of "A life in the balance" was followed, and his desire to teach each young man and woman to become a well-rounded person were values every Panther took upon graduating from Adelphi. The graduation rate of student-athletes was over 90 percent during his time in Garden City.Â
Hartwell passed away in April of 2014, at which time current athletic director
Danny McCabe reflected on his contributions to the university:Â "Mr. Hartwell is a legend at Adelphi. During his tenure he grew the athletics program and established it as one of the premier Division II departments in the country. One of Bob's lasting legacies will be that he always put the needs of the student-athletes first."
An ardent supporter of opportunities for women in athletics, Hartwell added four women's programs, starting with volleyball in 1992, women' lacrosse in 2001, women's bowling in 2006, and resurrected the field hockey program in 2008 after a 25-year hiatus.
The revival of Adelphi's Athletic Hall of Fame was also due to Hartwell's efforts. In 1991, after 10 years without any inductees, the first class of the new era was ceremonially welcomed.
Since that time, the biennial Hall of Fame dinner has been a focal point for celebrating the successes of former student-athletes, coaches and administrators, and has grown to be sponsored by the Panther Club, the fund and friend-raising arm of the athletic department, which he initiated in 1993.
Hartwell also played a central role in the upgrade of every athletic facility on Adelphi's campus. On his watch, the university upgraded baseball's William J. Bonomo Memorial Field in 2007; transformed historic Woodruff Hall, designed and constructed the Center for Recreation and Sports and Motamed Field, the practice field and tennis courts in 2008; and most recently, the Janet L. Ficke Softball Field, which was completed in 2011.
One of Hartwell's proudest accomplishments was the 'Cans for Cancer' program, which Adelphi participated in for over a decade. This program was a department-wide initiative that started in 2003 and generated over $50,000 toward Winthrop University Medical Center's Cancer Center for Kids, through the collection of redeemable cans on campus by Adelphi student-athletes.
ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff, who was athletic director at fellow league member Dowling College, when the ECC was known as the NYCAC during Hartwell's tenure, said the following about his induction: "Bob served as a mentor and friend to many coaches, fellow administrators, and student-athletes across the conference and helped guide the conference as an active committee member and officer for several years. His reputation as a man of integrity, a leader, and educator in the world of athletics continues to this day."
The third class in the ECC Hall of Fame's history is comprised of three student- athletes and two administrators. The student-athletes to be enshrined are Dowling's Gabriel Duran, Bridgeport's Sofia Hoflin, and Saint Rose's Damon Reed. In addition to Hartwell, Bob Houlihan of Molloy College rounds out the five-person class.
It is the second regionall Hall of Fame induction for Hartwell in recent years, as he was also inducted into the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Hall of Fame in the class of 2016. Hartwell was previously honored with induction to Adelphi's Hall of Fame in 2005.
The inductees were selected in a vote by a 12-person Hall of Fame committee comprised of ECC administrators, coaches, sports information directors, faculty athletic representatives, and the ECC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President. The five selections will be honored at the ECC's annual awards banquet on Monday, May 13 at Mercy College.
Portions of this release courtesy of the East Coast Conference.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers atÂ
aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear atÂ
our licensed team store.
