One of the most unforgettable moments in my life… Happy birthday #MLK! #tbt pic.twitter.com/TVrl77Jv0X
— George Raveling (@GeorgeRaveling) January 15, 2015
We tell the story nearly every Martin Luther King Day. We did in 2008, 2009, and 2013 and then on the 50th Anniversary of the I Have a Dream speech.
The summarized story goes that Villanova Basketball player George Raveling '63 and fellow Wildcat Warren Wilson traveled to Washington DC for the March on Washington shortly after graduation. A member of Dr. King's staff noted the two (and their size) and asked them to be a part of the Dr.'s security detail. Ultimately, that decision found Raveling standing in arm's reach of Dr. King during The Speech.
For 2015, we have this special photo that Raveling posted via his twitter account on King's birthday last week that shows Raveling in the foreground during the Reverend's speech.
As we know, George Raveling has gone on to a very historic career in basketball coaching as an assistant on the 1984 Olympic Team and then as Head Coach at Washington State, Iowa, and USC. He is currently Director of International Basketball for Nike Basketball.
And Rav has King's original "I have a Dream" manuscript stored securely in a Los Angeles vault...