You might say Lipscomb holds a special place in his heart. He first stepped on campus as a 4th grader fresh from Detroit. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School, and he met his wife at David Lipscomb College. In those years he made more than a few memories, earned degrees, and forged lifelong friendships. Former Mustang and Bison basketball player Ed Binkley sat down with Lipscombsports.com this week and told us about his time on campus.
What years did you compete for Lipscomb?
I played basketball for the David Lipscomb High School Mustangs (1950-53), coached by Bob Mason, Dabney Philips and Jennings Davis, and I played for the David Lipscomb College Bisons (1955-58) for Coach Charles “Tiger” Morris.
Tell us about your education.
My family moved to Nashville from Detroit in 1945 so my brother, sister and I could attend Lipscomb. I started in 4th grade and continued until I was awarded a B.A. in Business from DLC in 1958. I also earned a Master's in Psychology from Peabody (1960) and an EdD in Educational Psychology and Counseling from University of Tennessee (1967).
What was behind your family's move to Nashville?
It was toward the end of World War II, and my parents – mom from Alabama and dad from North Carolina – had each gone to Detroit for work during the Great Depression, as did many others from the southeast. They met at church in Detroit and married, and by the time their third child came along, they determined to move to Nashville to provide us a Christian education. My dad talked over this move with his mom in North Carolina, and she told him he just would have to figure out a way, and it would need to be “by faith.”
We moved to Nashville in 1945, and Dad changed his occupation from a well-paid factory foreman. He opened a shoe repair shop on 8th Avenue and Wedgewood, but this proved to be temporary, not providing enough for our family. Unfortunately, there were very few jobs in Nashville, so Dad made the tough decision to go back to Detroit for six months to earn money for us and to learn a more sustainable business. He worked for a friend in the heating business and was able to come back with the innovative skill of replacing dirty coal heat with clean burning gas. Our family was together again.
Dad's business took off and with Nashville Gas and TVA, air quality improved dramatically.
Obviously, Nashville was much smaller in the mid 40's and 50's. We lived near the Fairgrounds, so to get to and from school at Lipscomb I walked to 8th Avenue and rode a city bus. Eventually my family moved into a home adjacent to the campus, and I adopted Burton Gym as my second home.
What are your favorite athletic memories from Lipscomb?
While I was in high school, I vividly remember watching the Bisons beat Vanderbilt in 1951. McQuiddy Gym was actually the home court for both teams while Memorial Gym was being built on the Vanderbilt campus, so it was a rare game in which both teams played a home game. We won that year 59-57, and it happened to be the same year Vanderbilt beat Kentucky in the SEC tournament (61-57) before Kentucky advanced to – and won – the National Championship. So naturally, by our logic, we considered the Bisons to be National Champs, too.
I also remember playing in the high school State Tournament in 1951 – the first time Lipscomb High School accomplished that feat. McQuiddy Gymnasium was the biggest and nicest gym in the area, so the state tournament was held on our campus. We lost 39-38 to Selmer, the eventual state runner-up, when they hit two free throws in the final seconds. The Mustangs were very good in those days. In my senior year, we won the 18th District championship, played in the brand-new Memorial Gym at Vanderbilt.
Another special memory: I was privileged to represent Lipscomb at the first national conference of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Estes Park, Colorado in 1957. That trip was truly memorable – to be with athletes from every state. There I met Fogg Allen, legendary coach for Kansas. Bob Feller of baseball fame was also there. Olympic pole-vaulter Bob Richards gave some of us guys a demonstration of vaulting at night under car lights. Perhaps the highlight was learning to sing a new song to me, How Great Thou Art. All the athletes (including an Oklahoma footballer who had just won the national championship) met in the gym for worship.
While playing for “Tiger,” members of our team bonded as best friends and we had lots of fun, except the time I tried to dunk the ball with both hands. I grabbed the rim, and my body swung out parallel with the floor and I let go.
I especially enjoyed the rivalry with Belmont and shared in our successes. One of my best games was against Belmont in 1958.
Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?
My family and friends were very supportive, and I've always been grateful for that fact. My coaches were good Christian men, and the Lipscomb faculty members were some of our greatest fans. I have always considered my Lipscomb connections to be my extended family.
What's your favorite non-athletic memory from your time here?
Old-time Nashvillians will remember the blizzard that hit this city in 1951. It was a storm big enough to virtually shut down the entire middle Tennessee area – including most of the Lipscomb campus – although thankfully, we never lost the steam heat in our dorms.
What did you learn in your time on campus?
Lipscomb helped reinforce values that my family originally inspired in me, specifically the importance of worship and faith in my life. I really enjoyed going to chapel every day to worship and to hear about news on campus. Chapel made the campus feel more connected because of the time we spent together every day. I came away from Lipscomb with a healthy group of close lifelong friends, and I'm not certain every college campus was like that.
I also treasure the daily Bible classes. Those days of learning under some excellent teachers and preachers helped build a foundation for my faith that has been extremely valuable throughout my life.
Who were your favorite professors?
This is a tough question, because honestly I liked them all. The ones who had the greatest impact on me were 'Fessor Eugene Boyce, Dr. Thomas Whitfield, Dr. Howard White, Dr. Axel Swang, Dr. J.R. Stroop, Dr. Ira North, Dr. Joe Sanders, and Dr. Jennings Davis. I could go on and on, and I apologize to those I left out.
What do you do now?
I am triple-retired. I worked for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (37 years) as a teacher, school counselor, psychologist, and researcher; I taught psychology at Tennessee State University in Nashville (5 years); and I served as an elder at Hillsboro Church of Christ (18 years). I continue to do private consulting and contract work related to my research interests.
I enjoy playing golf, but I can't dunk a basketball anymore.
Tell us about your family:
I am most blessed and very content that Joy (Gregory) is my bride. We have two sons, Joseph and Jeffrey. Joseph is married to Lynn James, whom we love dearly, and they have one son – Matt – our only grandchild. He is all-around special and currently a junior at Auburn University. Joseph is an architect with Binkley-Garcia in Nashville, and Jeffrey is the director of pharmacy at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee.
FAST FINISH
- Favorite scripture: Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
- Favorite TV show: Gunsmoke
- Favorite sports team: Lipscomb Bisons Basketball
- Favorite vacation spot: Hilton Head Island
- Best car I've owned: 1964 Malibu convertible that belonged to Joy's daddy
If you want to contact Ed, you can reach him by email: edbinkley@comcast.net
