Hall of Fame
As the head men’s basketball coach, Forrester was responsible for integrating several African-American players onto the team in the 1950s. Some of Forrester’s players, such as Edsel Bester, Ben Bumbry, Ed Crenshaw and Dick Thompson, are recognized as legendary Quincy College athletes and went on to assume prominent roles in society and in their communities. At the same time, Forrester coached the Hawks to a 56-43 record from 1953 through 1957.
Forrester’s 1954-55 team set the best record in school history at the time with a 17-9 mark, which culminated with an NAIA District 20 championship and a berth in the quarterfinals of the national tournament. Forrester was nominated for the Brooklyn Tablet’s Catholic College Coach of the Year award in the 1956-57 season. While coaching men’s basketball, Forrester was also the school’s athletic director and baseball coach. A native of Morrisonville, Ill., Forrester was a school administrator in eastern Illinois and a well-known football and basketball official after leaving Quincy.
