Forrest S. DeBernardi enshrined as a player in 1961

Forrest S. DeBernardi

Enshrined 1961
Born: February 3, 1899
Nevada, MO
Died: April 29, 1970

Forrest DeBernardi was a dominant player in the college and AAU ranks for eleven years. A two-time All-America at Westminster College in 1920 and 1921, "Red" was granted permission by the faculty to play with the Kansas City Athletic Club (KCAC). The KCAC team finished third in the 1920 AAU National Tournament and won the title in 1921. From 1922 through 1929, DeBernardi played with the KCAC, the Hillyard Chemical Company, and the Cook Paint Company teams. When he retired in 1929, he had participated in ten national AAU tournaments and was named to the AAU All-America Team seven times. On five of those occasions, DeBernardi was a member of a national championship team. To show his dominance in the sport, the Associated Press selected DeBernardi as the center on its All-Time All-America college basketball team in 1938.