10 Gerry Calvert

Gerry Calvert was born Gerry Lynn Calvert on September 19, 1935, in Decatur, Illinois, to Charles McClellan Calvert and Mildred Rebecca Brown Calvert. His family moved to Maysville, Kentucky, when he was 10. Calvert became the key to Maysville High School’s attack, averaging approximately 20 points as a senior and earning All-State honors twice. Recruited by 31 colleges, he initially committed to Louisville before accepting a Kentucky scholarship on August 24, 1953.

Freshmen were not eligible for varsity competition when Calvert arrived at Kentucky, but he averaged 9.4 points for Harry Lancaster’s undefeated freshman team. His speed, determination and aggressive defense made him a natural fit for Adolph Rupp’s system. Because of his red hair, Rupp called him “Red,” a nickname that followed the energetic young guard throughout his Kentucky career.

A broken finger on his right hand slowed Calvert at the beginning of his sophomore season. Still wearing protection over the injury, he demonstrated his value in Kentucky’s second game by making a last-second field goal that protected a narrow victory over Xavier. He spent much of the 1954–55 season as a reserve before emerging during the NCAA Tournament, scoring eight points against Marquette and 19 against Penn State. Calvert finished the season with 59 points, but his postseason performances established him as an important part of Kentucky’s future.

Calvert started all 26 games as a junior in 1955–56 and averaged 11.2 points. Paired with Vernon Hatton, he helped form one of the nation’s most highly regarded guard combinations. The smallest but fastest member of the team, Calvert drove the Wildcats’ transition attack with relentless energy while using his quickness and determination to overcome his 5-foot-11 stature.

As a senior, Calvert became the floor general and sparkplug of one of Rupp’s finest fast-break teams. Serving as honorary co-captain with Ed Beck, he helped Kentucky win the SEC championship, UK Invitational Tournament and Sugar Bowl Tournament while finishing 23–5 and ranked third nationally. Calvert placed second on the team with 427 points, averaging 15.2 per game, and joined Beck on an SEC all-defensive team. His teammates presented him with the Jerome A. Lederer Most Valuable Player trophy, and he was selected for the East-West All-Star Game. He completed his Kentucky varsity career with 777 points in 70 games.

Calvert delivered several of his most memorable performances when Kentucky needed his energy most. In addition to his 19-point NCAA Tournament effort against Penn State, he scored a career-high 29 points against Loyola on January 7, 1957. Later that season, he poured in 21 first-half points and finished with 23 as Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 91–83 in Nashville, snapping the Commodores’ 26-game home-court winning streak. He also led Kentucky with 18 points in his final game, an NCAA regional loss to Michigan State.

Calvert was also the regular center fielder for the Kentucky baseball team, leading the Wildcats with 14 runs batted in as a junior while batting .288 with two home runs. He belonged to the K-Club and Sigma Chi fraternity and was later inducted into the 10th Region Hall of Fame. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him with the 73rd overall pick in the 1957 NBA Draft, and he later played on a team that competed against the Harlem Globetrotters. Calvert coached at several Kentucky high schools before graduating from the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law in 1965. He practiced law in Lexington for 56 years before dying at his home on July 12, 2021, at age 85. He was buried in Maysville Cemetery.