Dedication of Heimann Court

It came as a surprise to even the guest of honor, who admitted, "It's hard to keep secrets from me." But former Knox head men's basketball coach Tim Heimann was indeed surprised at the dedication of the freshly-painted Memorial Gymnasium floor, as it was unveiled as "Tim Heimann Court" during a ceremony on Saturday, April 26.

The court was named after Heimann, the 24-year head coach of the Knox men's basketball team who retired from coaching at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season. Knox President Roger Taylor, Knox College Trustee Duke Petrovich, Illinois State Representative Don Moffitt and Heimann spoke at the unveiling.

"It's indeed an honor and a privilege for all of us to unveil and dedicate this court today and forever as Tim Heimann Court," said Petrovich, whose lead gift of $250,000 started the ball rolling on the Memorial Gymnasium renovation. With his gift, Petrovich had the naming rights to the floor, and chose to name it after Heimann.

"Our criteria was someone who has given their career to Knox, has lived the values, and who is also a good decision-maker," continued Petrovich. "It became automatic to us what type of person would really exemplify those values."

Renovations on Memorial Gymnasium continue, with the facility to be completed by the fall.

Pictured at left are Anne and Roger Taylor, Cathy and Tim Heimann, and Nancy and Duke Petrovich at the Tim Heimann Court unveiling on April 26.

Memorial Gym Renovations

The current wooden bleachers will be replaced by automatic-retracting wooden bleachers, which will make the gym easier to operate while allowing the facility to retain its historic-gym look.

After the current bleachers are torn out, the walls will be painted one consistent color and the floor will be redone. Then the new bleachers will be installed. The $500,000 renovation will also include a new ventilation system, a state-of-the-art sound system, acoustical panels to improve sound, scoreboard upgrades, new banners and logos, and a new scorers? table with modern hookups.

The renovations then extended into the foyer. The lobby renovations will include updating the concession stand and retrofitting the men?s and women?s restroom facilities to provide handicap accessibility.

Duke Petrovich ?74 and his wife Nancy got the project rolling. Duke, a member of Phi Gamma Delta and senior vice president and chief administrative officer of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, has always had a strong interest in Knox athletics. He also had a close relationship with Knox basketball coach Tim Heimann ?70 and his wife Cathy ?70. The Petroviches? son Steve '06 was a member of the Prairie Fire men?s basketball and men?s tennis teams. Duke and Nancy came forth with a leadership gift of half of the total needed to complete the $500,000 project. Tom Anderson ?66 and his wife Sue ?71 later agreed to join in and came forward with a $100,000 gift for the renovation.

"Both the Petroviches and the Andersons are serving as examples of how capital projects can happen," said Knox College Vice President for Advancement Beverly Holmes. "They have a passion for this project, they have enthusiastically supported it, and they have encouraged others to come on board with them. Because of their work, this project has moved forward very quickly. This is the way you would hope most capital fund-raising projects would happen."

Resolution passed by the Knox College Faculty in honor of Tim Heimann's retirement from teaching, June 6, 2008

This is an important day at Knox College. Today, the last remaining tenured professor of Sports Studies, Professor Tim Heimann, relinquishes his professorship for promotion to emeritus status and begins a new position and adventure on the Advancement staff as a senior gifts officer.

Professor Heimann has served Knox College ably and faithfully for 37 years, since 1971, working in both admissions and in athletics, as counselor and coach; and on our faculty, offering courses in Sports Studies. He has been previously praised in college ceremonies this past year and it is not our intention here to recapitulate those honors, distinguished as they are. Rather the purpose of this resolution is to note and honor Professor Heimann's contribution to Knox academic endeavors.

Over his years of service, Professor Heimann has been a powerful spokesman for the ideals of Knox's liberal arts tradition. He has consistently advised his player-students that "classes come first." He refused to schedule practice during regular class hours, and rebuked students who attempted to schedule classes with athletic schedules in mind. He would "hit the ceiling" if a student skipped a field trip or another special academic opportunity in favor of a scheduled practice. He consistently encouraged his students to value their academic opportunities here and to take every advantage of them.

Prof. Heimann taught a number of courses over the years. Significantly, these courses were almost always scheduled for first hour, a burden that most of us fail to shoulder in our service to the college. In spite of the timing, his classes were popular and well enrolled. As a result, there is a significant body of Knox graduates with a dual experience of Tim Heimann, as both coach and academic mentor. We will return to this point shortly.

But first, recognition of Tim Heimann's nonathletic nature. Close friends and associates of Tim always note a few things about him. First, we note that Prof. Heimann is a prodigious reader, reading particularly tomes in American and world history; in philosophy and the history of ideas; books on religion and atheism, on science and technology. He reads less demanding works of fiction and entertainment; the Chicago Tribune and other works of "art"; but he is always reading.

And second, always talking about the reading. Frequently ambushing other members of the faculty in the Gizmo, seeking advantage in an argument or looking for the facts to support another interpretation. Curiosity is the hallmark of the academic mind, and Prof. Heimann powerfully exhibits that quality.

Finally, Prof. Heimann demonstrates another important quality of our institution: the continuity of community beyond the four or so years of formal education here. Prof. Heimann sits at the intersection of streams of Knox alums, many of them from athletics, but others from different corners of the campus. Spend a little time in his office and you will hear the phone ring, ringing with news from the outside world: news of a wedding, a birth, a funeral, a promotion, a game, an illness; and not infrequently, arrangements for lunch. The Knox experience continues after time on campus, and Prof. Heimann ? "Coach" to so many ? facilitates and encourages the continuing contacts and exchanges that nourish our extended family.

Prof. Heimann knits together a fabric of Knox experience that supports the community and enables our dream of liberal education. It is both significant and instructive that the recent major gift in his honor was made by alum without a record of athletic accomplishment, but who values the personal and intellectual relationship ? the friendship ? that first flowered here at Knox.

The Knox faculty congratulates Prof. Tim Heimann on his retirement; on his new Emeritus standing; and to wish him all the best in his new adventure in advancement.