Dr. John J. Cavan -- Athlete, Educator, Artist—Inducted Into Third Hall of Fame
 On October 13, 2011, the president of Southside Virginia Community College was inducted to his third hall of fame for athletics. Dr. John J. Cavan was selected for inclusion in the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame and inducted at the 23rd Annual Dinner held in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey.
He was included in the General category which recognizes excellence on the playing field as well as in a leadership role in and beyond athletics.
Cavan was born and raised in Newark; he graduated from Barringer High School in 1955. He learned the real game of basketball on the playgrounds in the area surrounding his beloved hometown. He started playing C.Y.O. at St. Francis Xavier and St. Rose of Lima and played with Zemans in the PAL. In high school, he was on the basketball team for four years. He was senior year captain and led the team in scoring and rebounding. He was one of the top scorers in Essex County.
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| Cavan in his Barringer High School days where he honed the athletic skills that would eventually lead him to induction in three halls of fame. |
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Recruited to play in the south, Cavan attended Sunflower Junior College (now Mississippi Delta Community College) during 1957-1958. During his career there according to the college, he was an outstanding player on the basketball team as well as contributor on the track team. He averaged 24 points a game and led the Trojans basketball team in scoring, rebounding and assists even though he was almost always double-teamed. He was named to All State and inducted into the college’s Sports Hall of Fame.
He received numerous scholarship offers to four year schools including Seton Hall, Mississippi State, Western Kentucky and St. Francis in Brooklyn but kept a promise to Nicholls State University Coach Osburn and finished his college career there. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. While at Nicholls, one newspaper called Cavan ‘one of the most accurate shooters in the nation.’ Named All-Deep South, he also has been inducted into the Nicholls Athletic Hall of Fame.
A hero on and off the court, Cavan and another player, Max Smith, were credited with helping Coach Osburn’s wife and children out of a fire that swept through the athletic dormitory in Louisiana.
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| Cavan’s Family attended the induction ceremony in Newark, New Jersey and they are (Left to Right) Lorena Cavan, Ann Cavan, Dr. Joy Carver, Alex Kousoulas, Antonia Kousoulas, Lucretia Cavan, Dr. John J. Cavan, Hannah Bryant, Joseph Cavan, Jack Girerd, and Cavan Bryant |
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Cavan pursued a coaching career from 1963-1972 at Central High School, New Jersey, in baseball, basketball (with a JV record of 97-7, winning five City Championships and one Essex County Tournament Championship) and tennis. From 1968 to 1972, he served as the head tennis coach at Atlantic Community College. During this time, he earned his Master’s Degree in Administration Supervision from Kean University and Master’s Degree and ED.S. in Educational Psychology and Counseling from Yeshiva University. In 1975, he earned his Doctorate in Organizational Development from Yeshiva. His administrative career also began at Atlantic CC where he rose to become Associate Dean. He also has done post-doctoral study at both Harvard and MIT.
Next Cavan served as Vice President for Instruction at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York until his appointment in 1983 as President of Southside Virginia Community College. He also was adjunct professor teaching doctoral level courses at George Washington University and George Mason University.
Cavan has never recovered from his obsession with basketball. He has attended basketball camps with some of his grandsons and been the catalyst to start teams for women and men in the Virginia Community College System. Cavan has devoted his life to education and athleticism. As the leader of Southside Virginia Community College, he has approached the job with the same fevered commitment that he has on the court.
The college has experienced record growth during his tenure and currently serves about 10,000 students per year. Under his leadership, the college has started many innovative programs including truck driver training, a complete practical and registered nursing program, started the first Honors Program at a community college in the state and a Campus Within Walls that serves inmates ready to re-enter society. Former Governor of Virginia George Allen proclaimed February 13, Cavan’s birthday, as John J. Cavan Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As an avid runner, Cavan has completed 120 marathons. He and former NBA player Bryant Stith teamed up to run and bike a 150-mile biathlon from Charlottesville to Alberta, VA to raise funds for educational causes. Cavan is also an artist and has received many awards for his Mandala art. His works are on display from New York to California.
(c) 2011. Southside Virginia Community College. All rights reserved.
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