Army West Point Athletics
Gold-Medal Winning Hall of Fame Inductee
September 04, 2008 | General
Editor's Note: This is the eighth in a series of stories profiling the Kenna Hall of Army Sports inductees, Class of 2008. Each week, goARMYsports.com will take a look at these outstanding athletes and their accomplishments, leading into the induction on Sept. 19.
Mike Silliman not only excelled on the basketball courts and baseball diamonds of West Point, he also left his mark internationally as well.
A baseball and basketball standout during his four years at the U.S. Military Academy, Silliman captained an Olympic team to a gold medal and earned three All-American honors.
Silliman will be honored for his athletic accomplishments when he is posthumously inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2008 includes nine athletes and one coach. Former men’s basketball coach Bob Knight, as well as George Clark (hockey), Curt Alitz (cross country, track and field and men’s swimming), John Boretti (baseball, soccer and hockey), Ted Kanamine (men’s swimming), Arnold Tucker (football and basketball), Jose Olivero (lacrosse and men’s soccer), Alexis Albano (women’s soccer and track and field) and Richard Shelton (pistol) comprise the fifth class to be honored.
The 10 honorees will officially be inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 19. A special afternoon plaque unveiling ceremony will be held in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports inside Kimsey Center, with the formal black-tie banquet set for Eisenhower Hall later that evening. The group will also be recognized during Army’s football game against Akron the next day at Michie Stadium with a special photograph and autograph session planned in Black Knights Alley prior to the contest.
Silliman’s son, Michael, as well as his brother, Dan, along with other family members are expected to be in attendance for the weekend of activities.
The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a comprehensive museum displaying Army’s rich and proud intercollegiate athletic program. It is located on the third floor of the Kimsey Athletic Center, Army’s massive football training facility.
In addition to the 10 Hall of Fame members to be honored in September, Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson will also present the Office of Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (ODIA) Distinguished Service Award to Gus Fishburne. Fishburne, a vital resource in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, has been a generous supporter of the United States Military Academy. His daughter, Holly, was a women’s soccer player while his son-in-law, Mark West, competed in sprint football. Both athletes graduated with the Class of 1991. His son, Gus Fishburne IV, graduated with the Class of 1994.
Silliman, who had 55 scholarships offers coming out of St. Xavier High School in Kentucky, was Army’s all-time leading scorer at the time of his 1966 graduation and now stands 10th in Academy history with 1,342 points. A three-year basketball letterwinner and All-American, Silliman netted more than 1,000 points without the benefit of the three-point line.
In addition to his career averages of a double-double with 19.7 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game, Silliman was also an Academic All-American.
He was chosen as the captain of the 1968 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team and helped the squad go unbeaten on the way to a gold medal in Mexico City.
Silliman also earned three letters in baseball, playing for head coach Eric Tipton. He was a member of the 1966 team that finished 16-4 and won its second straight Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League championship.
Army is the fourth Hall of Fame to induct Silliman, joining the Kentucky Athletic, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and St. Xavier’s.
Silliman resigned from the military in 1970 and worked as a mortgage banker and real estate developer in his home state of Kentucky.
Tickets for the event are available to the public and can be purchased by calling Army's External Operations Office at 845-938-2322. Proceeds will be directed to a fund that supports the daily care, maintenance and growth of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports and Army Sports Hall of Fame.
