August 20, 2009

Remembering Dean Sempert ’49, longtime basketball coach

Longtime basketball coach Dean Sempert ’49 receives a final farewell in an Oregonian tribute that celebrates his “respect and dignity and caring.”

Alumnus Dean Sempert’s passing was memorialized by Oregonian Metro columnist Steve Duin this week.

In his article “A final salute to Dean Sempert,” Duin writes: “He wasn’t an elite coach…he didn’t pay for top recruits or drink with the co-eds at fraternity parties. He was old school.”

Sempert started school at Lewis & Clark in January of 1947 and immediately began to play basketball. He was the captain of the 1948-49 Lewis & Clark championship basketball team, capturing Lewis & Clark’s first conference championship in any sport. He eventually joined the faculty at Lewis & Clark, coaching the men’s basketball team for 26 years, and was awarded emeritus status in 1989.

Upon his retirement, Sempert volunteered in support of the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame, the Board of Alumni, class reunions, the admissions office, and commencement. He was also active in his community as a Wilsonville City Council member and as a volunteer chaplain for the Oregon State Correctional Institution and the MacLaren Youth Facility.

Dean Sempert passed away on July 27, 2009. He was 86.

Memorial service

A memorial service will be held in honor of Dean Sempert, on Sunday, September 27 at 3 p.m. at Agnes Flanagan Chapel. A reception will follow in Stamm.

Remembrances can be made to the Dean Sempert Scholarship Fund, c/o Lewis & Clark.