It has been 42 years since Dr. James Cash Jr. has suited up for the Horned Frogs, but when he stepped onto the Court at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum he was welcomed like an old family friend.
TCU honored Cash during halftime of the Men’s game against Air Force Saturday night. Cash was joined by his wife and daughter, along with Chancellor Victor Boschini and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte.
The DMC was on its feet while TCU remembered the great accomplishments of James Cash. There was a framed TCU jersey bearing his number, 54, at center court for him. A short video was played displaying his feats and then the PA announcer talked about what Cash has done during and since his time at TCU.
When it was time for Cash to speak to the crowd, there was 25 seconds of cheering and applause before he even said one word.
Cash talked about what a special opportunity this was for him. He also acknowledged his teammates, who were present, as a huge part of his success.
The focus of his talk was what a special institution TCU is and his experience here. TCU won the Southwest Conference Championship during Cash’s junior year. They also won the equivalent what we would call a sweet sixteen game in the NCAA tournament. As special as that was, Cash said that the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy showed him what a great place TCU was. His interactions with the teachers and administration of TCU during that time made TCU feel like a family and a place he is proud to be a part of.
Cash knows how special this night was because of the institution and all the other talented basketball players to walk through TCU. “The honoring of my jersey is very special to me because of the affection I have for the institution,” said Cash. “I think about all the people who played basketball here and several people who were here tonight who wore 54 and said I can’t believe they honored you before they honored me. It once again reminds me what a special family this institution builds among people who don’t know each other.”
In addition to talking to the crowd at the game, Cash gave the basketball team some words of wisdom. They have been going through some adversity which is something, according to Cash, they should relish and not be overly concerned about.
“Adversity usually causes people to step up and be much better and much more significant in the understanding of themselves and the world that they are in,” says Cash.
In addition leading TCU to a SWC title, Cash was a two-time academic all-American and has been inducted into the TCU lettermen’s hall of fame. He became the first full-time African American professor at Harvard Business School and helped build the school’s curriculum for computer-based technology.
