Glenn D. Loucks, or "Coach," as he was known to everyone, was a successful athlete, coach, teacher, administrator and community leader who served the people of White Plains and Westchester County from 1931 to 1962.

A graduate of Oneida (N.Y.) High School and Syracuse University, Mr. Loucks was an All-State high school quarterback and a star of the Syracuse football team. He also excelled in basketball and baseball. He came to White Plains High School in 1931 as head basketball coach. Under his supervision, the basketball and track teams were at or near the top of numerous WIAA competitions.

Mr. Loucks served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, returning after the war and becoming head football coach in 1948. During the 24 years he coached the Tigers, his teams achieved remarkable success ó including the famous winning streak of 35 consecutive victories in a four-year period. In 1950, Mr. Loucks was named football "Coach of the Year" in Westchester. In 1953, he became the first winner of the White Plains Junior Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the community.

Indeed, his interest in and devotion to the city of White Plains were exceptional. A founder of the Mohawk Day Camp and the Mohawk Home School, he was an active member of the Rotary Club, the University Club and other civic groups. He was a YMCA director, a member of the Board of Governors of White Plains Hospital, chairman of the Community Chest campaign, member of Union Hook and Ladder Company Number One, and a trustee of both the Home Savings Bank and the National Bank of Westchester.

Upon his death in 1962, The (White Plains) Reporter Dispatch newspaper paid this tribute: "Coach Loucks, as he was familiarly known to the thousands of people who followed football at White Plains High School, where he was assistant principal and director of physical education, molded teams that were to bring honor and glory to the city. He believed in and loved sports for the good he was imparting to young people who participated in them. Many a boy who might otherwise have dropped out of school gained a new lease on life through the guidance, understanding and patience of Mr. Loucks. He will everlastingly remain a symbol of everything that is good in a man whose life was dedicated to making responsible citizens out of youngsters entrusted to his care."

Pictures courtesy of Kathy Loucks