Gettysburg College Athletics

Dick Simpson was one of the forefathers of the men’s lacrosse program at Gettysburg College.
 
After winning a high school state championship in lacrosse, Simpson arrived on a Gettysburg campus devoid of his favorite sport. He quickly went to work bringing the game to campus, procuring secondhand equipment and putting together a club team in the spring of 1956. The squad won a pair of games against Franklin & Marshall College.
 
The team maintained its club status in 1957, while doubling its number of contests. Simpson’s hard work paid off in 1958 as lacrosse was officially named a varsity intercollegiate sport at Gettysburg. The team earned the first victory in program history with a win over Franklin & Marshall and Simpson was its star, garnering All-Pennsylvania-Delaware accolades after scoring 10 points during the year.
 
In 1959, Simpson solidified his standing as the first standout of the lacrosse program. He led the team with 15 goals and was honored as the program’s first All-American. Simpson was also named All-Penn-Delaware and he was selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game at Johns Hopkins University.
 
A native of Baltimore, Md., Simpson graduated from Gettysburg with a degree in chemistry.